From Brandeis University Athletics
The Brandeis University men's basketball team broke into the win column tonight with a 63-51 victory over visiting Framingham State University. The Judges are now 1-4 on the season, while the Rams fall to 3-4.
Brandeis had three players score in double figures. Sophomore center John Powell (Ashland, Mass./Brimmer and May School) came off the bench to lead the Judges with a career-high-tying 13 points, 11 of which came in the second half. He hit 2-of-6 from the field – including a thunderous dunk late in the game – and 9-of-11 from the line. Powell, a transfer from Division II Bloomfield College, also tied for game-high honors with seven rebounds and had four steals, also a career-best.
Sophomore guard Robinson Vilmont (Cambridge, Mass./Wilbraham and Monson) tallied 12 points, nine in the first half. Sophomore Tim Reale (Mason, Ohio/St. Andrew's, R.I., School) had 10 points, two assists and two steals off the bench as well.
The Judges controlled the tempo of the game by turning 20 FSU turnovers into 20 points, while the visitors were able to get just four points off eight Brandeis miscues. Brandeis also outscored Framingham State, 21-10, from the free-throw line.
Framingham State was paced by junior Tim McCarthy (Wilmington, Mass./Wilmington), who led all scorers with 14 points, eight coming in the second half. He hit 5-of-13 overall, with a 3-pointer, and 3-of-4 from the line. Sophomore Tim Mangano (Winchester, Mass./Winchester) added 11 points, hitting all five of his shots from the floor and 1-of-2 from the line. Senior Patrick Cuff (Medway, Mass./Medway) tied Powell for game-high honors with seven rebounds (three offensive), while sophomore Patrick Gould (Quincy, Mass./No. Quincy) had three assists to lead all players. The Rams owned a 31-24 rebounding edge.
The game featured six ties and 11 lead changes. The first half was tight, with neither team taking a lead larger than five points. A Vilmont 3-pointer with 44 seconds left gave the Judges a 25-23 edge at the break, the seventh time the lead changed hands in the opening 20 minutes.
The contest stayed close for the first seven minutes of the second half, with a Tony Alexandre (Hyde Park, Mass./Boston Prep Charter) free throw for the Rams tying the contest at 35-35 with 12:56 remaining. Brandeis answered when Powell drew the defense, then dished to a wide-open Samuel Dowden (Andover, Mass./Andover). Dowden drained the open 3-pointer to give the Judges the lead for good. They scored the next six points as well, on two Reale buckets and a Powell lay-up that made it 44-35 with just over 10 minutes remaining.
FSU would get a free throw, but Brandeis answered with four of their own from the charity stripe to push the lead to 12 points. A Joe McCabe (Canton, Mass./Canton) deep ball got Framingham State back within single digits, but Vilmont's traditional three-point play ignited another 8-0 run for Brandeis, making it 55-39 with just under seven to go. FSU would climb back within eight with just under two minutes left, but it wasn't enough.