WALTHAM, Mass. -- The Wheaton College (Mass.) women's basketball team nearly erased a double-digit fourth quarter deficit, but fell short in a 52-48 loss to host Brandeis University in the opening round of the Brandeis University Tip-Off Tournament this evening at Red Auerbach Arena in Waltham, Mass. The Lyons fall to 1-2 on the season, while the Judges improve to 2-0. 

Wheaton held a 51-38 rebounding advantage, but were held to just 28.4% (19-67) shooting from the floor. Brandeis struggled from the field as well, hitting just 34.5% (19-55) of its shots and were 9-21 (42.9%) from the free throw line.

The Lyons faced a 44-33 deficit following a lay-up from first year forward Caitlin Gresko (Howell, N.J.), but Wheaton chipped away at the margin and closed to within 49-48 with 1:53 to play in the game. The Lyons put together a 15-5 run over a seven and a half minute span, fueled by a trio of three-pointers from junior guard Alexis Romer (Delray Beach, Fla.). Neither team could get their offense going in the final two minutes of play with the Judges scoring the last three points of the contest to earn the win.

Romer finished with a career-high 12 points with four trifectas to lead Wheaton, in addition to five rebounds and a steal. First year guard Greta Minos (West Roxbury, Mass.) chipped in with 11 points for her third straight game with double-digit points to begin her career and added three rebounds. First year guard Abby Fernandes (Assonet, Mass.) contributed with eight points, six boards, seven assists and three steals. 

Junior guard Francesca Marchese (Staten Island, N.Y.) led the Judges with 11 points on 4-8 shooting, including 3-5 from three-point range, while senior guard Camila Casanueva (Santa Barbara, Calif.) dropped in 10 points, grabbed six rebounds, handed out three assists and came up with a steal. Gresko ended with nine points, four rebounds and an assist.

Brandeis took an early 10-2 lead, including five points from Marchese, with three and a half minutes gone in the first quarter, but it was short-lived. The Lyons came alive with a 16-4 run, including a three-pointer from first year guard Sydney Ropes (Duxbury, Mass.) to give them a lead that they maintained at 18-14 with 2:09 to go in the quarter. Sophomore guard Selenya Gonzalez (Springfield, Mass.) knocked down a jumper with 1:22 to go in the opening quarter to knot the score at 18-18 for the Judges, but Minos converted a pair of free throws to give Wheaton a 20-18 margin at quarter's end. 

Minos scored the first five points of the second quarter for the Lyons to give them their largest lead of the game at 25-20 with 7:14 showing on the second quarter clock. Brandeis closed out the quarter with a 9-2 run to take a 29-27 lead at the intermission.

Senior forward Sadie Shore (Portsmouth, N.H.) made a lay-up on Wheaton's first possession of the third quarter to pull the visitors even at 29-29, but a three-pointer at the nine-minute mark from Marchese gave the Judges the lead for good. The three-ball ignited a string of nine unanswered points for the home team, capped by a Gonzalez lay-up for a 38-29 advantage with 4:08 remaining in the quarter. Brandeis maintained its lead at 42-33 to end the period.

Wheaton returns to action in tomorrow's consolation game at 12:00 p.m. in Waltham, taking on the loser of the Connecticut College/Husson University match-up. The Judges will play the winner of that game in the championship tilt at 2:00 p.m.