From Case Western Reserve University Athletics
The Case Western Reserve University men's basketball team opened Throwback Weekend on Friday night with a 69-64 win over Brandeis University for the team's fourth-consecutive University Athletic Association win.
The four-game winning streak matches the team's longest of the season, as the Spartans improved to 11-8 overall, and remained in third place in the UAA with a 5-3 conference ledger. The four-straight conference wins are the most in UAA play in program history. Brandeis dropped to 5-14 on the season with a 1-7 UAA mark.
Senior forward T.J. Duckett led all players with 22 points and eight rebounds, shooting an efficient eight-of-10 from the floor. Sophomore guard Monty Khela added 16 points, connecting on two of his three three-point attempts and shooting five-of-12 overall in the game.
After matching a conference record with 18 three pointers during their win at Brandeis last Friday, Saturday's game marked a contrast in style for the Spartans. CWRU made a season-low five three pointers in the game, but scored 28 of their 69 points in the paint and converted 22 points off 16 Brandeis turnovers. The Spartans shot 35.9% overall (23-of-64) on Friday.
The Spartans fell in an early hole on Friday, trailing 10-4 by the 16:05 mark in the first half, but went on a 9-2 run over the next three minutes, taking a 13-12 lead on a three pointer by Khela with 12:59 to play in the half. Brandeis responded with a 13-0 run of their own, taking a 25-13 lead with 7:37 to go, but five points from Khela and four points from Duckett over a three-minute stretch cut the advantage down to three, 25-22, with 3:12 to play in the period. Brandeis would carry a three-point lead into halftime, 29-26.
Back-to-back baskets by sophomore forward Michael Hollis and Duckett to start the second half gave the Spartans their first lead of the period, and a three-pointer by freshman guard Michael Volkening with 18:23 to go would give CWRU an advantage they would hold for the next 13 minutes. CWRU led by as many as nine points, after a jumper by sophomore guard Sam Hansen put the team in front 49-40 with 9:27 to play. Brandeis tied the game at 55 by the 4:59 mark, but a layup by Khela and back-to-back threes by Hansen and freshman guard Antonio Ionadi gave CWRU an eight-point lead. The Judges would again trim the lead down to two points in the final minute, but a layup by Duckett and a pair of free throws from Hollis helped secure the win.
Lawrence Sabir led all Brandeis players with 12 points, and Latye Workman added 10 points in the game.