WALTHAM, Mass. – The Brandeis University women's basketball team erased a nine-point deficit entering the fourth period, but the Judges couldn't get over the hump as they dropped a 57-49 contest to Case Western Reserve University in University Athletic Association play. With the loss, the Judges fall to 5-7 overall, 0-3 in the UAA. The Spartans improve to 6-8, 1-2 UAA.

Trailing 49-40 at the end of the third quarter, Brandeis held CWRU scoreless for the first 5:59 of the final stanza. They tied the game at 49-all with 5:35 left on the clock when junior Tathiana Pierre (Jericho, N.Y. / Sacred Heart Academy) hit 1-of-2 from the line. The teams traded two empty possessions each before the Spartans' Kayla Characklis hit a driving lay-up with 4:01 on the clock, a bucket that proved to be the game-winner. Brandeis missed a 3-pointer to take the lead on their next possession, and CWRU's McKenna Gross hit a jumper on the ensuing possession to make it a four-point game. After forcing the visitors to miss their first seven shots of the fourth, Brandeis missed their last six as they attempted to climb back into the game.

The Judges played strong defense in the first quarter as well, holding Case Western to 24% (4-17) as they took a 15-9 lead. The Spartans bounced back to hit 44% (8-18) in the second as they took a 31-28 lead into the half that they extended to nine in the third period before the Judges' fourth-period rally.

Brandeis was paced for the second game in a row by senior guard Camila Casanueva (Santa Barbara, Calif./Dos Pueblos), who scored 13 points. Senior forward Kerry Tanke (Manalapan, N.J./Manalapan) added 10 points and a team-high seven rebounds. Junior guard/forward Emma Reavis (Miami, Okla./Deerfield (Mass.) Academy) stuffed the stat sheet with six points, six rebounds, five assists, two blocked shots and two steals.

CWRU put three starters in double digits in scoring, with Characklis notching 15 points to lead all scorers. She also pulled down a game-high 12 rebounds. Isabella Mills and Abbey Lawrence each scored 13 points for the visitors. Margaret Terry led the Spartans with four assists.

The Judges outshot CWRU from the field, 32% (18-57) to 31% (21-71), but the Spartans had the edge from 3-point range (26%-20%) and the line (100%-44%). Case also turned 14 Brandeis turnovers into 17 points, while Brandeis managed just eight points of 12 Spartan miscues.

Brandeis returns to action next weekend when they start a four-game UAA road trip Friday night at the University of Chicago at 7:30 p.m.