COMEBACK FALLS SHORT; SAINTS FALL TO JUDGES 52-49

WALTHAM, Mass. – The Brandeis University women's basketball team got 31 of their 52 points from seniors Paris Hodges (Southampton, N.Y./Southampton) and Maria Jackson(Rochester, N.Y./Hilton) as the Judges defeated Emmanuel College, 52-49, in their last contest before Thanksgiving. The Judges improve to 3-1, while the Saints fall to 1-2 on the season.

Hodges, a guard, led all scorers with a season-high 16 points on 6-of-13 from the field and 4-of-7 from the line. Jackson, a forward, was right behind with 15 points as she connected on 6-of-10 overall and 3-of-5 from the charity stripe. Senior forward Sydney Sodine (New York, N.Y./Half Hollow Hills West) led the Judges with a game-high eight rebounds, while senior guard Frankie Pinto (San Clemente, Calif./San Clemente)  topped all players with four assists.

Emmanuel was paced by senior forward Alexis Ezell (Acworth, Ga./Allatoona), who had 12 points, all coming in the second half. Sophomore Olivia Dalphonse (Buxton, Maine/McAuley) added 10 points, while senior Jen Chalk (Cross River, N.Y./John Jay Cross River) had eight points, six boards and team-high three assists. Sophomore Talia Roth (Castaic, Calif./Valencia) came off the bench to top the Saints with seven rebounds.

Emmanuel led 9-8 after the first period after the teams combined to shoot just 25 percent from the field (7-28). The Saints extended their lead to 16-10 on an Alisha Fox (National Park, N.J./Gloucester) 3-pointer at the 6:03 mark of the second. The Judges scored the game's next nine points over a span of just under three minutes, taking a 19-16 lead on a Jackson three-point play with 3:09 left before the break. The Judges never trailed again. They led by as many as 11 points when a Pinto trifecta with 54 seconds left in the third period made it 37-26. Brandeis maintained at least a two-possession lead until the final minute of play before a late 6-2 run accounted for the final three-point margin.

The 49 points the Judges limited Emmanuel were the fewest in the series in the modern era. Brandeis owned a 43-31 rebounding advantage and outscored the visitors, 12-3, from the free throw line.

The Judges return to action on Sunday, November 27, at 2 p.m. at top-ranked Tufts. Emmanuel is at #2 Amherst College next Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. 

*Release courtesy of Brandeis Athletic Communications