NEW YORK, N.Y. – The Brandeis University women's basketball team saw its seven-game winning streak come to a halt today as the Judges dropped a 76-65 decision in their University Athletic Association (UAA) opener at New York University in a battle of one-loss teams. The Judges fall to 10-2, 0-1 UAA, while the Violets improve to 11-1, 1-0 UAA.
The first 13 minutes of the contest were a back-and-forth affair, featuring 10 lead changes. The Judges owned a slim 15-14 edge after the first quarter that saw the lead trade hands five times. In the second, after the teams traded blows over the first three minutes, NYU held the Judges to just three field goals over the final seven minutes of action. The Violets went ahead for good after Lauren Koyama made a 3-pointer with 7:49 to go in the half to make it 21-18 in favor of the hosts. After Brandeis's Camila Casanueva (Santa Barbara, Calif./Dos Pueblos) made a lay-up that got the Judges back within three at 23-20 at the 7:01 mark, NYU closed the half on a 15-6 run that gave them a 38-26 lead at halftime.
Brandeis's defense allowed them to climb back into the game early in the second half, holding NYU scoreless for the first 5:26 of the third quarter. A Hannah Nicholson (Sunderland, Vt./Burr and Burton Academy) put-back at the 5:38 mark got Brandeis within 38-33, and the Judges had a chance to cut into the deficit even more, but the Violets got several offensive rebounds on their next possession before scoring to push the lead back to seven. The hosts pushed the lead back to 13 on a Katie Foos 3-pointer with 2:37 on the clock that made it 49-36 before the Judges rallied again. Brandeis netted the last 10 points of the period, eight coming from the free throw line, with senior Lauren Rubinstein (Southbury, Conn./Pomperaug) hitting two freebies with 14 seconds left to get Brandeis within three at 49-46.
After an NYU bucket and a 3-pointer by Brandeis's Jillian Petrie (Marlborough, Mass./Marlborough) got the Judges within two points, the visitors were never able to get over the hump. Brandeis was still within two on a pair of Casanueva foul shots that made it 63-61 with 3:34 left in regulation. The Violets answered with the game's next six points, four coming from the line. Petrie answered with a pair of free throws of her own at the 1:59 mark to make it 69-63 with 1:59 remaining, and though the Judges got a stop, the couldn't take advantage, and NYU made them pay with another Koyama 3-pointer with just under a minute left in the game that iced it.
Casanueva led the Judges with 18 points on 6-of-9 from the field and 6-of-6 from the line. She also had six rebounds and a team-high four assists. Petrie finished with 15 points on 3-of-9 from the field, 2-of-4 from downtown and 7-of-9 from the line. Nicholson led all players with 11 rebounds, as Brandeis owned a slight 41-39 edge on the glass.
NYU's Janeane Cuffee led all players with 24 points, going 8-of-24 overall, 1-of-7 from deep and 7-of-8 from the line. Brooklyn Shelton was effective off the bench with 19 points on 7-of-15 from the field and 5-of-6 from the line, while tying with another reserve, Lauren Gast, for team-high with eight rebounds. Annie Barrett led all players with five assists. The difference in the game for the Violets was turnovers, as NYU forced 22 while committing just eight, with a nearly identical 21-8 margin in points off those turnovers.
Brandeis will return to action next Friday evening at 6 p.m. with their first home UAA game of the season against Rochester. NYU will meet Emory at the same time.