University Athletic Association

[deiscanton]

Final score

Brandeis 60, Rochester 56

Brandeis was trailing for most of the second half, but comes from behind to win it.

(Jaime Capra seals it with a free throw-- deiscanton does the Tiger Woods pump)

[deiscanton]

I still have to finalize my thoughts about the weekend play that concluded yesterday, but I wanted to write right now and once again congratulate Amanda DeMartino of Brandeis for breaking the Brandeis career record for assists on Friday night, and also to once again congratulate Coach Carol Simon on her 250th career victory.

I'm now waiting for the vote on the top 25 to take place, and I will comment on that when the vote comes in.

[Snowman]

I am going to have move to the UAA board at least you have Allen, Sandman, Bearswatcher and Jag, the NORTHEAST is dead! I don't know whats up with everyone but not like previous years on the NE boards. So since Brandeis is in the Northeast, I will pay closer attention.  Allen great recap of the Rochester game on the Blogs, I think that being battle tested early and surviving will help any team and Rochester can't be to bad after beating NYU at NYU. USM had another cakewalk as did Bowdoin so the NE big three keep rolling along. Also, cangrats on the Brandeis milestones this weekend.

[sandman]

There's nothing quite like a good old-fashioned blowout as a tune-up game.  Case (8-4) beat Bethany at home, 80-49; I'm so out of touch with the team that I thought the game was away until today.

Four Lady Spartans scored in double figures: Amber Hammell with 13, Ashley Horton with 12, Dana Dempsey with 11, and Andrea Haylett with 10, the most since returning from an ACL tear.  Horton also pulled down 12 rebounds for her eighth double-double of the season.

All Case's remaining games are in the UAA now.  I will see them play for the first time this season on Friday night, when they take on Chicago, and also on Sunday against Wash U.  Both games will be on local radio (WHK AM 1420), which you can access from the Internet:

http://www.case.edu/athletics/varsity/broadcast/

Friday's game will be joined in progress at 7 PM, but half a game is better than what we had before.

[jagluski]

New Poll:

#1 Southern Maine (11 first place votes, 601 pts)
#2 Brandeis  (11 first place votes, 596 pts)
#4 Wash U  (2 first place votes, 526 pts)

#20 NYU
#22 Chicago

Receiving Votes
Rochester 11  (putting them 33rd on the list)

[deiscanton]

Brandeis got more support this week in the poll-- I humbly thank the voters for this.

The 5 pt. lead by S. Maine in the poll is more based on expectation over the next 5 games, because Rochester is certainly better than Western Connecticut in my opinion.  Wash U's blowout victory over Chicago also kept 2 voters in the Wash U camp-- had the game been close, it would have not been clear if the 2 remaining Wash U voters would have stayed with Wash U, split their votes between Brandeis and S. Maine, or completely switch over to Brandeis. 

Because the expectation is that S. Maine will run the table in the Little East, the focus switches over to Brandeis and the next 5 games.  Brandeis plays a home game tomorrow against MIT, in which the Judges are the favorite to win.  Then comes a 3 game UAA road trip gauntlet in which Brandeis has to play at NYU, at Chicago, and at Wash U, with a home game against the NESCAC's Tufts University in between the NYU and Chicago games.  This is a very tough stretch coming up for Brandeis.

[Pat Coleman]

The 5 pt. lead by S. Maine in the poll is more based on expectation over the next 5 games, because Rochester is certainly better than Western Connecticut in my opinion. 

Uhm, or it's based on the course of the entire season to date, since the poll is not based solely on the last game.

[deiscanton]

Yes, Pat, that reason is also true as well.

S. Maine faced a tougher first semester-- having played regional powers Bowdoin, Williams, Bates, and Salem State.   In the UAA, Brandeis catches up in the balance with NYU, Chicago, and Wash U coming up in a home and away format before the end of the season.

And I have gotten some e-mail in response to some of my previous writings over the past few days.  If people think that I am going to give up on Brandeis in the road games against the top half of my conference just because they are in tough venues, these people are sadly mistaken.  I am very proud of the Brandeis women's basketball team no matter what ranking they get.  These people work hard and battle every game to win, and it is my responsibility to work just as hard in cheering for them to win every time this season, no matter what the circumstances.

[deiscanton]

Final score from Auerbach Arena today-- non-conference action

Brandeis 67, MIT 48

Brandeis led, 37-24, at halftime.

[sandman]

Well, I'll be leaving soon for Cleveland to check out some Case basketball.  How will the Lady Spartans fare against a ranked Chicago team?  And will this be the time they finally beat Wash U?

Don't forget that you can now follow the games online (I posted a link above).

[jagluski]

The link is also on Wash U's website at http://bearsports.wustl.edu

[jagluski]

Courtesy of Wash U's website:

At the half

Wash U 36, Emory 28.  Kelly Manning leads WU with 14 points.

[jagluski]

Courtesy of Wash U's website:

Final

Wash U 71, Emory 55.  No boxscore available yet, but Kelly Manning had 21 and Danielle Beehler had 16 for the Bears.  Wash U moves to 12-1(2-0) and next plays Case Western on Sunday at 3pm est.

The boxscore should be on http://bearsports.wustl.edu shortly.

[martin]

Chicago wins at Case 70-62 - after being down 16 at the half.

[jagluski]

One more quick note about Wash U's game.  Kelly Manning moved into 5th on Wash U's all time scoring list with 1,284 points.  Also, she ended the game with 159 career three-pointers, tying her for 1st on Wash U's all time list with Laura Crowley.