Brandeis women's basketball junior guard Emma Reavis (Miami, Okla. / Deerfield Academy) scored ten points and added eight assists, while senior forward Kerry Tanke (Manalapan, N.J. / Manalapan) had ten points along with two blocks to lead a balanced attack today as the Judges defeated Husson, 63-55, to win the Brandeis Tip-Off Tournament, presented by the Park Lodge Hotel Group. With the win, Brandeis moves to 3-0, while the Eagles fall to 2-1.
After Husson's Maci Beals knocked down a 3-pointer to begin the second quarter, the Judges led 17-13. For the next six minutes, Brandeis went on a 10-0 scoring, which included trifectas from junior Francesca Marchese (Staten Island, N.Y./Staten Island) and senior Camila Casanueva (Santa Barbara, Calif./Dos Pueblos). The Judges went into the half with a 28-16 lead they never relinquished. Husson cut the lead to six points several times in the second half, but never got any closer.
The Judges used a balanced attack offensively, as six players had at least eight points. The trio of Reavis, Tanke, and first-year Caitlin Gresko (Howell, N.J. / Howell) paced the Judges with ten points apiece. Marchese and first-year Mollie Obar (North Yarmouth, Maine / Greely) each hit two 3-pointers and had eight points. Casanueva scored eight points to go along with four assists and six rebounds.
The Judges were active and disruptive on the defensive in the first half, limiting the Eagles to just 6-of-34 (17.6%) from the floor. Brandeis also tallied six steals in the half, resulting in several easy buckets in transition. The Judges limited Husson center Bailey Donovan to just ten points for the game, after Donovan scored 25 points against Connecticut College the night before.
The Husson offense came alive in the second half, due in large part to their 3-point shooting. Husson guards Sydney Allen and Vanessa Duarte made a combined seven 3-pointers in the second and totaled 25 points. The duo led the game, each scoring 17 points. As a team, Husson shot 9-of-23 from beyond the arc in the second half.
The Judges controlled the interior, outscoring the Eagles on points in the paint 17-11. For the game, Brandeis outrebounded Husson 47-45. Gresko grabbed nine rebounds, one short of a double-double. Obar, who collected ten rebounds on Friday against Wheaton, had seven boards.
Reavis' eight assists tied a career-high she set against Carnegie Mellon in 2020. Reavis and Casanueva each had a game-high three steals. For Tanke and Gresko, their performances were the second time this season that each scored in double figures.
Casanueva was named tournament Most Valuable Player, while Marchese was named to the All-Tournament team, averaging 9.5 points per game. They were joined by Donovan and Allen from Husson, Jaycie Rojik of Connecticut College, and Sadie Shore of Wheaton College. Rock had 12 points and seven rebounds in the Camels' 54-42 win over Wheaton in the consolation game today, while Shore had a game-high 14 points.
The Judges will play their first road game on Tuesday when they travel to Boston to take on Emerson on Tuesday at 7:30 PM.
-- by Jesse Lieberman '22