Over the weekend, the Case Western Reserve University men’s and women’s basketball teams wrapped up the first half of their conference schedules with road games at New York University and Brandeis University. The Spartans consequently dropped to 1-6 in UAA play.
The men’s team earned its first conference victory of the season on Friday, Jan. 30, defeating No. 22-ranked NYU 87-83. Graduate student forward Ethan Edwards led the way with 29 points, helping the Spartans snap a five-game losing streak.
CWRU battled back from an early NYU three-pointer to build a strong first-half lead. The Spartans capitalized on NYU turnovers, going on multiple scoring runs including a 10-0 surge and a 10-2 stretch—and at one point leading by 10. Despite CWRU shooting an impressive 62.1% from the field and 64.3% from three-point range in the half, NYU hit a late three-pointer to take a 51-47 lead into halftime. Edwards led the way with 19 first-half points, while fourth-year co-captain and guard Anand Dharmarajan added 14 points all from long range.
In the second half, CWRU quickly regained control, tying the game early and eventually pulling ahead on a 12-3 run to reach a 71-63 lead. The Violets stayed within striking distance, but clutch shots from Dharmarajan, Edwards and first-years forward Alex Vincent and guard Anestis Hadjistamoulou allowed the Spartans to hold off a late NYU rally. CWRU survived a final NYU layup to secure an 87-83 victory, highlighted by consistent scoring from their top contributors throughout the game.
On Sunday, Feb. 1, the Spartans faced the Brandeis Judges in a tense 79-90 loss. CWRU battled back from an early deficit against Brandeis but was never able to take the lead. The Judges jumped out to an 18-9 advantage in the first half, though the Spartans stayed close thanks to a strong bench performance from second-year guard Matthew Ellis, who scored all eight of his first-half points in a short burst. Edwards also contributed with key scoring late in the frame, and Vincent led CWRU with 12 points in the half.
In the second half, Brandeis pushed its lead to 17 points early, but CWRU mounted a significant comeback fueled by fourth-year forward Andrew Fox’s six straight points and a 21-5 run that included 10 unanswered points. An an-one from Edwards narrowed the gap to 62-61, but Brandeis regained composure with timely shots that left CWRU unable to retake the lead.
The men’s team will have another opportunity to face NYU and Brandeis this weekend, this time with the advantage of playing on their home court: Horsburgh Gymnasium.
The women’s team faced two challenging road games this weekend, falling to both NYU and Brandeis. Against NYU, third-year guard Mya Hartjes led CWRU with 16 points and six assists, while fourth-year co-captain and guard/forward Emily Plachta added 12 points and seven rebounds. Fourth-year co-captain and guard Maya Roberts scored a season-high 10 points, and junior forward Maura Schorr contributed eight points and six rebounds. CWRU fell behind early as NYU built a 20-9 lead, but Hartjes and second-year guard Taylor Angielski sparked a rally to close the first period to 21-19. The Spartans briefly took the lead early in the second quarter on a 15-1 run, though NYU closed the half ahead with the score at 43-33.
In the second half, CWRU cut the deficit several times as Hartjes and Roberts helped narrow the gap in the third quarter, but NYU responded with multiple scoring runs to build a 24-point lead by the period’s end. A brief 7-0 Spartan run in the fourth quarter showed some resistance, but NYU extended its lead with an 11-0 stretch and went on to secure a 29-point win.
On Sunday against Brandeis, the Spartans fell 69-77 to the Judges. Hartjes led the team with 16 points, five assists, two rebounds and two steals, while third-year guard Jordyn Call added 13 points, including 10 in the first half. Third-year forward Maura Schorr contributed 12 points and seven rebounds, and Plachta nearly recorded a double-double with nine points and 10 rebounds. The Spartans shot 38.7% overall, 36.0% from three and 66.7% from the free-throw line.
CWRU kept the game close early as the squad answered Brandeis’ runs with three-pointers from Angielski and Hartjes, cutting deficits multiple times and trailing by as few as two in the first half. The Spartans continued the battle in the second and third quarters but were unable to fully overcome Brandeis, who maintained a lead of up to 12 points at halftime and 10 points entering the fourth. In the final period, CWRU outscored the Judges 18-16 and closed the gap to eight points late, but it wasn’t enough to overcome Brandeis as they held on for the win.
Like the men’s team, the women will have another chance to face NYU and Brandeis this weekend, this time playing on their home court.