Brandeis Judges slam gavel on Brewers

As many of us were returning to Poughkeepsie from our turkey-induced stupors, a few Vassar student-athletes had already returned to resume their seasons. On Nov. 29, the men's basketball team traveled to Waltham, Mass. to take on the Brandeis University Judges.

At the Brandeis Red Auerbach Arena, the Brewers fell 79-52 to the Judges. This loss dropped their young season record to 2-3. Despite 31 points scored by sophomore guard Caleb McGraw, the team could not manage to pull off a win. McGraw's 17 first-half points played a key role in allowing the team to remain in close competition with the Judges throughout the beginning of the first half. Sunday also marked the second 30-point game of McGraw's career, with his first coming in the season's debut when he scored 37 against Endicott College in a Brewers win. So far this season, the sophomore guard is averaging 21.8 points per game and continues to play a key role in the team's offensive force.

Although Vassar has its own basketball heroes, Brandeis' basketball program is not without its high-status leadership. Brandeis is a school with a rich basketball heritage, boasting NBA Hall of Fame inductee K.C Jones as a former head coach. This legacy opposed the Brewers, who kept the game close for the first several minutes, trailing just 25-21 with 6:15 to play in the first half. A 9-0 Judges run put the Brewers on their heels—a 13-point halftime deficit that the team could not recover from.

Furthermore, Sunday's matchup against Brandeis was one of many challenging non-conference games for the Brewers this year. The Judges are currently ranked no. 22 nationally according to recent statistics. Additionally, Vassar has already dropped a 91-62 contest to defending runners-up for the National Championship, Richard Stockton College. Vassar still faces no. 25 Amherst College, Williams College and Division I foe College of William and Mary. Head Coach Del Harris cited strategic reasons for playing a tough schedule, including the game against Brandeis. "We want to win championships now. We're trying to get this school to its first ever NCAA tournament, and I think to do that we need to play teams that have been there," said Harris. Although the Brewers lost this game, the experience will undoubtedly help the Brewers down the road.