Jan 24, 2025
CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Brandeis University men's basketball team shot lights out in the first half, eventually putting five different players score in double figures as they defeated host Case Western Reserve University, 101-93, in University Athletic Association action tonight.
TEAM RECORDS
TEAM RECORDS
- Brandeis, 11-4, 2-2 UAA.
- Case Western Reserve, 5-10, 1-3 UAA.
- The Judges, ranked second in Division III in field goal percentage entering the game at 50.0% and leading the country in 3-point percentage at 42.4%, kept up their torrid pace in the first half.
- Brandeis missed just nine shots in the first 20 minutes, hitting 23-of-32 from the field, good for 71.9%. They hit 7-of-13 from beyond the arc, 53.8%.
- Meanwhile, Brandeis defense was excellent as well, holding Case Western Reserve to 37.5% from the field (12-32) and from 3-point range (6-16).
- The Judges led by as many as 23 points in the first half and took a 57-35 lead into the locker room as three different players reached double digits in scoring in the opening 20 minutes, led by junior Matthew Cadogan (Weston, Fla./Cypress Bay) who had 15 and classmate Elias Rodl (Berlin, Germany/Schulund Leistungssportzentrum Berlin) with 14.
- Brandeis extended their lead to 26 early in the second half when grad student Aedan Using (Old Lyme, Conn./Old Lyme) hit a 3-pointer just over two minutes in to make it 64-36.
- The visitors' lead was still at 24 points midway through the second half and at 20 with 6:05 left in the game when the Spartans went on a run. Trailing 87-67, CWRU went on an 18-4 run over a four-minute span to close within 91-85 on a Matthew Ellis 3-pointer.
- Brandeis grad student Sam Adusei (Worcester, Mass./St. George's School) hit a pair of free throws to push the Brandeis lead back to eight, but the Spartans took advantage of a couple of other missed foul shots to close within five on a Sam Trunley jumper with 1:22 remaining to get CWRU within five, 94-89.
- Adusei answered with two more from the line and the Judges were able to keep the home team at bay from there.
- For the game, Brandeis saw five different players score in double digits. Senior Toby Harris (Durham, N.C./Durham Acad.) led the way with 21 points. He scored 10 in the first half and 11 in the second. Harris connected on 9-of-13 from the field, 1-of-4 from 3-point range and 2-of-4 from the line. Harris also led the Judges with eight rebounds.
- Rodl finished with an efficient 18 points, hitting 8-of-10 from the field and 2-of-2 from downtown. Cadogan finished with 17 points, Adusei had 15 – 12 in the second half, and junior Ethan Edwards (Brooklyn, N.Y./Woodstock Acad.) finished with 10 points.
- The Judges' passing was outstanding, with a season-high-tying 29 assists on their 38 baskets. Adusei led the way with eight helpers, while Edwards had five to tie his career-best and Rodl and Cadogan both had career-highs with four each.
- In addition to Harris's eight rebounds, Using also finished with eight as the Judges controlled the boards, 34-23.
- Brandeis ended the game shooting 69% overall (38-55) and 47.6% from 3-point range (10-21).
- Case Western Reserve's Sam Trunley led all players with 31 points, including 19 points in the second half. Umar Rashid added 18 points for the home team and Andy Barba had 10.
- After their slow first half, CWRU shot 62.2% percent in the second (23-37) to finish the game at 50.7% (35-69), including 11-for-18 from deep (61.1%) to finish at 50% (17-34).
- With the win, Brandeis snapped a six-game losing streak against CWRU.
- The Judges' 101 points were their second-most in series history and marked the team's third time reaching the century mark this season.
- Brandeis heads to Pittsburgh to meet Carnegie Mellon on Sunday afternoon at 12 noon. CWRU hosts #5-ranked NYU at the same time.