CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Brandeis University women's basketball team hit the road in the University Athletic Association tonight and the Judges came up just short at Case Western Reserve, 73-70. Brandeis falls to 11-7 overall, 3-5 in the UAA, while the Spartans pick up their first league win and improve to 4-14, 1-7 UAA.

The Judges, who held CWRU to just 14 points in the second half last week at home, allowed the Spartans to 36 points in the second tonight. The game was tied at 51 entering the fourth quarter, but the hosts went on an 11-0 run over a stretch of just under three-and-a-half minutes to take a 65-54 lead with 2:59 remaining. Brandeis was able to take advantage of some timely missed free throws and a pair of 3-pointers from rookie Katherine Puda (Whitinsville, Mass. / Worcester Acad.), the last coming with 25 seconds left to make it a 71-70 deficit. Case Western hit just one-of-two from the line on their next two possessions, but Brandeis couldn't make them pay, with Puda's final desperation three off the mark for the 73-70 final.

After holding the Spartans to just 25% shooting and outrebounding them, 45-29, last week, the Judges allowed the hosts to hit 49% (22-48), while the rebound margin was cut to 48-42. Although Brandeis won the battle of turnovers, forcing 19 while committing just 13, CWRU was able to convert theirs into 21 points, to 13 for Brandeis. Brandeis also hit just 46% from the line (12-26), though Case Western Reserve was not much better at 55% (21-38).

Rookie Camila Casanueva (Santa Barbara, Calif. / Dos Pueblos) led Brandeis in scoring, netting 16 points in 22 minutes, on shy of her career-high. She also grabbed a career-high eight rebounds and tied for the team-high with three assists. Sophomore Hannah Nicholson (Sunderland, Vt./Burr and Burton Academy) registered her third double-double of the season and second in a row with 11 points and 11 rebounds.

Case Western Reserve put four players in double figures, led by Kendall McConico, who had a game-high 23 points on 6-of-8 from the field, 1-of-2 from downtown and 10-of-18 from the line. She also tied for game-high honors with four assists, matching teammate Emily Todd. Hillary Hellman matched Nicholson's double-double performance with 16 points and a game-high 13 rebounds. Emma Cain and Megan Shanosky each had 11 points for CWRU.

Brandeis returns to UAA action on Sunday afternoon at Carnegie Mellon at 2 p.m. while Case Western Reserve meets NYU at the same time.