Brandeis spoils Women’s Basketball home opener

Box Score BRISTOL, R.I. – Brandeis University came on the road and slipped past the Roger Williams University Women's Basketball team Wednesday evening, leaving with a 73-71 road victory.

Brandeis maintained the edge early on. Frankie Pinto (San Clemente, Calif.) began the game with a three-pointer for a quick Judge lead. Angelica Ariola (Prospect, Conn.) managed to give RWU a 7-6 lead with a trey of her own, but Maria Jackson (Rochester, N.Y.) regained the advantage for the Judges with a jumper.

Brandeis stayed on top for most of the first half. It would not be until the 7:23 mark when the Hawks would regain the lead. Rachel Battista (Johnston, R.I.) drove down the lane for a layup to make it a 23-21 Hawk advantage.

The Hawks managed to hold on to the lead for the rest of the half, with Battista knocking down a three-pointer in the closing seconds to give RWU a 37-28 lead entering the second half.

Brandeis came out strong on defense in the second half, forcing turnovers on RWU's first three possessions. The Judges' defensive efforts paid off, as Tori Dobson (Greenwich, Conn.) tied the game at 44 with a layup at the 15:13 point.

Battista later knocked down another three to put the Hawks back on top 47-46. RWU managed to go up by as many as nine with just under six minutes to go. However, Brandeis climbed its way back into the game, taking a one-point lead with 1:20 to play.

Mariah Nicholas (Acushnet, Mass.) knotted the game at 71 with 44 seconds left, going 1-of-2 from the line. However, Sydney Sodine (Dix Hills, N.Y.) emerged with the eventual game-winning basket, grabbing an offensive rebound off a missed three and hitting the put-back with 16 seconds left.

On the final Hawk possession, Ariola had a difficult look at a floater from the baseline with three seconds left. Her shot fell short, giving the Judges the win.

Five Judges scored in double figures, including Niki Laskaris (Swampscott, Mass.) with a team high 15 points. Sodine added ten points, eight rebounds, and four steals, while Pinto had 13 points and three assists. Jackson and Dobson each scored ten.

Ariola led all players with 22 points, while Nicholas added 19 points, 15 of which came in the second half, and seven rebounds. Battista notched a new career high with 15 points off the bench. Alyssa Otis (Torrington, Conn.) finished with six points and nine boards.

Next Tuesday, Roger Williams (2-1) hosts Suffolk, while Brandeis (3-0) travels to Tufts.

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