The Judges trailed just once in the contest midway through the first half but were up by as many as six points before taking a 39-37 lead into intermission. Brandeis opened the second half on a 12-3 run over the first four minutes of the second, taking a 51-40 advantage on Steve DeLuca’s (Merrimack, N.H.) lay-up. UC got within seven points on a 3-pointer by Jesse Meyer (Omaha, Neb.) at the 9:55 mark, but the Maroons never got closer as the Judges shot an astonishing 70.8 percent from the floor in the second (17-of-24).
Brandeis (11-6, 4-3 UAA) senior Bryan Lambert (Auburn, Maine) led all players with 24 points on 9-of-12 shooting, including a trifecta, and five-for-five from the line. Rookie guard Kwame Graves-Fulgham (Amherst, Mass.) had 19 points and four assists, while back-court mate Florian Rexhepi (Skopje, Macedonia) added 16 points and five helpers. DeLuca rounded out the double-figure scorers with 11 points and six rebounds. Rookie forward Rocco Toppi (Portland, Maine) just missed making five Judges with 10 or more points, scoring nine and grabbing a team-high nine rebounds. He also led the squad with three steals.
Chicago (7-11, 3-4 UAA), whose starters were outscored 78-36, got 17 points in 18 minutes off the bench from junior center Clay Carmody (Fuillerton, Calif.), hitting eight of his nine field goal attempts. Sophomore Jason Vismantas (Highland Park, Ill.) added 11 points off the bench. Sophomore guard Brandon Woodhead (Lincoln, Neb.) led UC with six rebounds.