CHICAGO, Ill. – The University of Chicago women's basketball team wore a path to the free throw line and exploded for 60 points in the second half to defeat Brandeis University 97-81 on Sunday.

The Maroons evened their record at 7-7 and won their first conference game to move to 1-2 in the UAA. UChicago was lights out from the charity stripe, knocking down 37 of 41 for a percentage of 90.2. Those 37 made free throws shattered the previous school record of 33, which was set in the 2008-09 season. The Judges lost their third-straight conference contest to drop to 6-8 overall.

Offense proved hard to come by for the opening 12 minutes of the game. The two sides struggled to convert at the rim and combined to shoot 11 of 43 from the field in that time frame (25.6 percent). A three-pointer by senior guard Julie Muguira put UChicago up 21-16 and junior guard Claire Devaney sunk a trey of her own to make the score 31-26.

Brandeis was whistled for a total of 14 fouls in the first half, which led to 20 free throw attempts by UChicago. The home team was sharp from the line with 17 makes from the charity stripe. Freshman forward Britta Nordstrom was a force throughout the first half, scoring 14 points in 14 minutes for the Maroons. She also converted 7 of 8 free throws.

At the break, UChicago led 37-30 despite shooting 22.9 percent from the field. The Maroons made up for it with the free throws and a 32-23 rebounding edge. Along with Nordstrom's 14 points, the home team received six points each from Devaney and Muguira. Brandeis was limited to 28.6 percent shooting on its field goals.

The Maroons took a more aggressive approach in the second half, swinging the ball around quickly and looking to work the ball inside. The two teams began executing their offensive sets and traded baskets back and forth. Junior forward Ellie Greiner's three-pointer provided UChicago with a 14-point cushion at 53-39. Later, Muguira was fouled on a three-point attempt and sank all three free throws to make the score 63-47.

As the half progressed, the Judges struck gold in the paint, scoring layups and drawing fouls for several three-point play opportunities. The Maroons responded by attacking the paint with purpose and drawing additional fouls of their own. Both teams felt the urgency to keep scoring and the pace of play quickened.

Brandeis cut the deficit to 10 points in the closing minutes. However, UChicago stood strong and didn't let the visitors get within single digits. Both sides ended up with a bundle of offensive rebounds – 22 out of 44 rebounds for the Judges and 18 of 48 rebounds for the Maroons. All five UChicago starters scored in double figures and the Maroons ended up shooting 58.6 percent in the second half.

UChicago Team Stats & Leaders
Field-goal percentage – 39.1 percent (25-64)
Three-point percentage – 34.5 percent (10-29)
Free-throw percentage – 90.2 percent (37-41)
Julie Muguira (Guard, Sr.) – 19 points, 7 rebounds
Claire Devaney (Guard, Jr.) – 18 points, 10 rebounds
Britta Nordstrom (Forward, Fr.) – 17 points, 4 assists
Morgan Donovan (Guard, Jr.) – 12 points, 7 rebounds

Brandeis Team Stats & Leaders
Field-goal percentage – 39.0 percent (30-77)
Three-point percentage – 25.0 percent (5-20)
Free-throw percentage – 64.0 percent (16-25)
Kasey Dean – 17 points, 5 assists
Nicolina Vitale – 13 points
Samantha Mancinelli – 12 points, 6 rebounds
Julia Scanlon – 12 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists

NEXT GAME:

• Friday, Jan. 24 – UChicago at Carnegie Mellon University, 6 PM (ET)