WALTHAM, Mass. — The Brandeis University women's basketball team never trailed today as the Judges defeated Johnson and Wales University, 73-56, in Red Auerbach Arena. With the win, Brandeis improves to 6-1, their best start since winning the first 10 games of the 2008-09 season. JWU falls to 3-3 on the campaign.

      The Judges scored the first 10 points of the game and never looked back, leading by as many as 13 points in the first half en route to a 34-23 lead. The margin ballooned as large as 20 points in the second half.

Junior guard Niki Laskaris (Swampscott, Mass./Swampscott) led the way offensively with 19 points, two shy of her career-high, with 11 coming in the first half. She hit 6-of-11 overall, including 4-of-7 from 3-point range, while also converting all three of her free throws. Laskaris also tied for team-high honors with three assists and grabbed five rebounds.

      Also reaching double digits in scoring for Brandeis was senior Hannah Cain (Gloucester, Mass./Gloucester), who had 13 points on 6-of-10 shooting and tied her season- and career-high with five steals. Rookie forward Olivia Shaw (Saco, Maine/Thornton Acad.) had 12 points off the bench, her career-high. Shaw hit 4-of-6 overall, including her first collegiate 3-pointer, and 3-of-3 from the line.

      Sophomore guard Sydney Sodine (Dix Hills, N.Y./Half Hollow Hills West) tied for game-high honors with nine rebounds – five offensive – while rookie guard Noel Hodges (Southampton, N.Y./Southampton) tied Laskaris with three assists. Overall, the Judges outshot the Wildcats, 48 percent (26-54) to 33 percent (20-61), including 43 percent (6-13) to 15 percent (4-26) from downtown. They also outrebounded JWU, 42-35.

      Johnson and Wales got 17 points and four steals from rookie Sarah Duryea (Middle Village, N.Y./Archbishop Molloy). Sophomore guard Bobbie Whitehead (Brooklyn, N.Y./Graphic Arts and Communications) added 13 points and a game-high nine boards. Rookie guard Raquel Pederzani (Coventry, R.I./Bayview) had a game-high five assists. The Wildcats won the turnover battle, 19-15, and outscored Brandeis, 17-8, off miscues.

      Brandeis will wrap up the first semester on Monday at 7 p.m. at Babson College. Johnson and Wales hosts UMass Dartmouth Tuesday night at 5:30 p.m.

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