WALTHAM, Mass. – Senior Maria Jackson (Rochester, N.Y.) scored 21 points on 9-for-10 shooting and grabbed seven rebounds to help pace the Brandeis University women's basketball team to a 75-44 victory over Wentworth Institute of Technology on the opening night of the Brandeis Tip-Off Tournament.
With the win the Judges improve to 2-0 on the season and will face Westfield State in tomorrow's championship game at 2:00 p.m. The Owls defeated Rhode Island College, 103-68. The Leopards fall to 0-2 and will face the Anchorwomen at Noon.
The teams traded baskets with Wentworth holding leads of 2-0 and 4-2 on baskets from juniors Haley Sabino (Topsfield, Mass.) and Courtney McCormick (Hanson, Mass.). Brandeis, which tied the game at 4-all on a Jackson layup, held the Leopards off the scoreboard for 8:33 of the quarter. Sophomore Michelle McCloskey (Madison, Conn.) ended the drought with a basket with five ticks left. The Judges had a 20-6 lead after one quarter.
Brandeis used a run of 12-0 to take a 37-15 lead with 2:13 left in the half on a sophomore Gillian O'Malley (Scituate, Mass.) basket. One of two free throws and a three pointer from freshman Sam McGibbon (Pembroke, Mass.) brought the deficit to 18, which is what it would be at the break (39-21).
The hosts outscored Wentworth 20-8 in the third quarter to extend their lead to 59-29. Brandeis opened the third quarter on a 16-2 run and shot 50 percent from the floor in the frame.
Brandeis would lead by as many as 36 points in the fourth quarter.
Senior Paris Hodges (Southampton, N.Y.) added 11 points for the Judges who also received eight points and six rebounds from freshman Amber Graves (La Canada, Calif.). Brandeis had a 55-30 rebounding advantage.
McGibbon led the Leopards with a career-high 13 points. Twelve of her points came from behind the arc. Sabino added nine points and McCormick scored seven points. Freshman Kylee Julia (Litchfield, N.H.) had five assists.
