CHICAGO – After trailing by six at the break, the University of Chicago women's basketball team came out blazing after halftime and rode that momentum to a 64-58 win over Brandeis University on Friday night.

The Maroons improved to 8-6 overall and 1-3 in the University Athletic Association (UAA). The Judges dropped to 5-8 (0-4 UAA).

UChicago sank its first two shots of the game to take a quick 5-0 lead as junior Grace Hynes netted a jumper and sophomore Ellie Gross swished a three-pointer. However, the home team struggled offensively for the rest of the half, only converting 18 percent of its field goals from that point on.

Brandeis scored seven-straight points to take its first lead at 7-5. The Maroons answered back to and led 15-11 following a Hynes layup. The Judges scored the next five points to take a 16-15 edge into the second quarter.

Caitlin Gresko proved to be a handful in the second. The Brandeis forward scored 10 points and drew fouls consistently in the paint. Her back-to-back threes put the visitors up 24-17. But the Maroons were able to close the gap back to two points on multiple occasions. Their defense harassed the Judges into committing eight turnovers in the first quarter and four more in the second.

At the halftime break, the Judges owned a 32-26 lead. Hynes contributed eight points with Gross adding seven points.

After being saddled with foul trouble in the first half, junior Mallory Brodnik caught fire in the third quarter and helped turn the game around. The 6-foot-2 forward scored nine points in the quarter and UChicago shot 69 percent from the field as a unit.

The Maroons scored on seven of their first eight offensive possessions and recaptured the advantage at 41-39. Brandeis drew back ahead 44-43 with three-and-a-half minutes left in the quarter. UChicago then closed on an 8-0 run to snatch the momentum back for good. Brodnik scored an and-one in the lane to put her team up 47-44, then hit a jumper on the next trip down the floor.

The home team led by at least five points for the remainder of the game. Hynes converted a three-point play to give UChicago its largest margin of the night at 60-49.

With 34 seconds left in regulation, UChicago were ahead by six. Gross then slammed the door, as she snatched the ball right out of the grasp of the Brandeis point guard, drew a foul and hit two free throws.

Brodnik finished with a career-high 17 points while grabbing four rebounds. Gross secured a season-high six steals to go with 13 points and five rebounds. Senior Klaire Steffens and Hynes concluded with 12 points each and combined for 13 rebounds.

UChicago shot 35.6 percent from the field, 20.0 percent from beyond the arc (3-15) and 65.5 percent from the free throw line (19-29). Brandeis shot 42.0 percent on field goals, 23.8 percent on three-pointers (5-21) and 50.0 percent on free throws (11-22).

Rebounds were tied at 39-39. The Judges committed seven more turnovers (21-14), and the Maroons converted those miscues into 21 points going the other way.

NEXT GAME:

• Sunday, Jan. 23 @ 2:00 PM – New York University at UChicago