Waltham, Mass. - The Brandeis University women's basketball team won its first UAA match this season, defeating the Emory University Eagles, 59-56.

With the Judges trailing, 53-49 at the 3:18 mark in the fourth quarter, junior guard Frankie Pinto (San Clemente, Calif./ San Clemente) scored the game's next eight points. Her 3-pointer from the right wing gave Brandeis the lead for good, 57-53, with 1:22 remaining. Emory's Fran Sweeney answered with a triple from the left corner, and on the next possession she blocked a jumper and grabbed the defensive rebound with 30 seconds left.

However, the Judges got the defensive stop, and senior guard Heather Cain (Gloucester, Mass./Gloucester) sank two free throws to give them the three-point lead. Brandeis held on when Michelle Bevan's 3-point attempt just before the buzzer bounced off the back of the rim.

The game was close throughout, with each of the first three quarters decided by one point. Emory's largest lead was eight points early in the second quarter, but the Judges held them to just two points in the final seven minutes of that quarter and pulled within two at 30-28 to end the first half. In the second half, the largest lead by either team was four points, by which the Eagles led before Pinto's 8-0 run.

For the game, Pinto led the Judges with 18 points and four 3-pointers. Junior guard Paris Hodges (Southampton, N.Y./Southampton) added 15 points, and junior forward Sydney Sodine (Dix Hills, N.Y./Half Hollow Hills West) had 13 and eight rebounds. The Judges won the rebounding battle, 38-28, and outscored Emory, 11-0, on second-chance points.

Bevan led the Eagles with 15 points, and Ilene Tsao finished with 14 and eight assists. Emory outscored Brandes on points off turnovers, 24-13.

Brandeis improves its record to 8-6 overall, 1-2 UAA, while Emory drops to 9-5 overall, 0-3 UAA.

The Judges begin a two-game road trip at Washington University on Friday, January 22 at 7 p.m.