WALTHAM, MA – The University of Rochester stormed back from a nine-point halftime deficit to earn a 74-66 women's basketball victory over Brandeis University at the Red Auerbach Arena on Sunday afternoon.
 
Rochester drew within striking distance by outscoring Brandeis, 16-10, in the third quarter. That cut the deficit to 51-48. UR opened the fourth quarter with a 14-0 rip that put the Yellowjackets ahead, 62-51.
 
The defense was solid. Rochester blocked 11 shots on the afternoon – six by Shannon Loiseau, three by Julianna Okoniewski, and two by Jamie Boeheim. Brandeis didn't make a field goal in the fourth quarter until Kat Puda drove for a layup with 2:38 to play. That came shortly after Tessa Ludwick drained a three-pointer from left wing to extend the UR lead to 65-53.
 
Ludwick, in her second start on this road trip, finished with a career-high 20 points and added five assists. Okoniewski scored 19 points and hauled down 15 rebounds – 10 at the Brandeis end of the floor. Lena Ethington, burdened by first quarter foul trouble, scored 19 points and grabbed six rebounds. It's a career high in points for her.
 
Ethington sank six straight free throws in less than a minute late in the fourth as Brandeis abandoned its game plan and shot outside the arc. The Judges hit three such shots – by Camila Casanueva, Lauren Rubenstein, and Hannah Nicholson. The last one trimmed the UR lead to 71-64, but three more Yellowjacket free throws sealed the win.
 
A week ago, Brandeis edged Rochester in a low-scoring game in the Palestra. This road split marks the third time in the last five years that the visiting team has won each game in the UR-BR rivalry. It is Rochester's fifth consecutive victory in Waltham.
 
The win gives Rochester a split of its UAA weekend. The Yellowjackets lost, 63-62, at NYU on Friday evening. Rochester is 3-6 in the UAA, 9-11 overall. Brandeis is 3-6 as well, 7-12 overall. The Judges lost to Emory on Friday evening at Auerbach.
 
Rochester knew the challenge it faced. "We had a tough loss (in NY) on Friday night," said Ludwick. "They (Brandeis) lost to Emory Friday and they came out tough against us. We had to come out with our A game."
 
"Brandeis seemed to be making everything early," said UR coach Jim Scheible. "We had to make adjustments at halftime. This was a gut check. We need to find ways to win games like this. I thought Tessa gave us great play at point guard this weekend."
 
Rochester used a 9-2 burst at the start of the third quarter to pull within 43-41. Ludwick had five of the points and Okoniewski had the other four.
 
Maya Burris and Casanueva scored for Brandeis, stretching the Judges back to a 46-41 lead. Ethington hit a runner, Ludwick made one of two at the line, and Ethington hit two from the line to tie it at 46-46.
 
Rochester was assessed a team technical foul for six players on the court (1:54 left in the period). Puda hit one of two free throws (47-46 BR). Okoniewski's foul line jumper put Rochester back in front, but Joelle MarkAnthony and Nicholson scored on putbacks in the last minute to give Brandeis that three-point edge at the break.