WALTHAM, Mass. (November 12, 2024) – The Western New England men's basketball team recorded its first loss of the season on the road as the Brandeis University Judges mounted a 16-4 run to open the second half, ultimately securing an 85-79 victory over the Golden Bears.

Records:

• Western New England: 1-1
• Brandeis University: 1-0

How it Happened:

Western New England opened the scoring in the game's first minute when Tim Restall made his first shot with a layup inside the paint. Jake Harrison extended WNE's lead to four as Brandeis struggled early, missing five straight three-point shots. The Judges hit their first three-pointer four minutes into the game when Toby Harris scored the team's first three points of the season. Harris also scored Brandeis's first five points, giving them an initial 5-4 lead. Western New England stayed close early, as Harrison connected with Nate Kasper for an easy two-handed dunk, putting the Golden Bears up 10-9. Brandeis took its largest lead of the half at six points after Ethan Edwards hit a jumper and Alex Zakheim nailed a three, making it 18-12 with 9:39 to play. WNE responded with five quick points as Restall scored four of those, and Luka Vlajkovic added a free throw, narrowing the gap to 18-17. Elias Rodi brought Brandeis's six-point lead back with another three-pointer, but Vlajkovic kept the Golden Bears close, scoring WNE's last seven points of the half. The Golden Bears trailed just 36-35 at halftime, scoring exclusively inside the key or from the free-throw line. Brandeis hit eight of 20 three-point attempts (40%) in the half, while WNE shot 52% from the field. Restall led WNE with 13 points on 5/8 shooting.

Brandeis opened the second half on a 16-4 run over the first six minutes. WNE briefly led after Andrew Byfield hit two free throws, but Brandeis responded by scoring 16 of the next 18 points, including a 12-0 run fueled by Harris's continued strong play. Brandeis went up by 13 with 13:50 remaining after Jai Deshpande's
layup, forcing a timeout from WNE. WNE then scored two quick baskets, prompting a Brandeis timeout, as the Golden Bears fought to close the gap. Nate Kasper and Tim Restall combined on these plays to get WNE back within 11. However, Brandeis reignited, extending its lead to 15—their largest of the game—which eventually stretched to 18 points with 8:02 to play. WNE's first three-pointer came with 7:50 remaining, when Restall found Arik Dagan for a triple. Dagan's three sparked another from Brian Geitner at the 6:36 mark as WNE began relying on threes to fuel a comeback. Despite continued scoring, the clock became a factor as time dwindled. Cody Palazzesi scored his first two points from the free-throw line, cutting Brandeis's lead to 10. Palazzesi later scored on a fast-break layup to narrow the margin, but WNE couldn't complete the comeback, falling 85-79 for their first loss of the season.

Inside the Lines:

• A slow start to the second half doomed the Golden Bears, as Brandeis's run led to a 16-point lead by mid-half.
• For the second straight game, Tim Restall led WNE in scoring, posting 21 points on 9/16 shooting with six rebounds, four assists, and three steals.
• Brian Geitner (17 points), Jake Harrison (13 points), and Luka Vlajkovic (10 points) also scored in double figures, but it wasn't enough as WNE shot just 38% from the field in the second half.
• Outside shooting has been cold to start the season, with WNE just 3/26 from beyond the arc so far. Arik Dagan was 1/1 from distance in this game.
• WNE attempted 35 free throws, converting 27, with Palazzesi scoring nine points, seven from the line.
• Brandeis was led by Toby Harris, who scored 21 points, including 5/6 from three-point range.
• Both teams saw heavy fouls: Brandeis went 23/34 from the free-throw line, with 52 fouls called in total (27 on WNE and 25 on Brandeis).
• Brandeis's bench scored 54 of their 85 points, while WNE's bench managed 17 points.

Up Next on the Schedule:

• The Golden Bears open their home schedule on Saturday, November 16, at 3:00 PM, facing Keene State College at the Anthony S. Caprio Alumni Healthful Living Center.