WALTHAM, Mass.—Junior Taylor Russell (Braintree, Mass.) scored 12 points and pulled down a career-high 13 rebounds to help visiting Babson College edge Brandeis University, 56-50, in non-conference women's basketball action on Wednesday night at Red Auerbach Arena.

With its fourth straight win, Babson is now 6-2 overall. Brandeis, which has dropped four of its last five games, falls to 4-4 on the year.

Senior Kristen Ferola (Amherst, Mass.) scored nine points, while junior Giovanna Pickering(Hull, Mass.) added eight points, nine rebounds, four assists and four steals for the Beavers. Seniors Megan Otto (Scituate, Mass.) and Marissa Cicchetti (Mansfield, Mass.) each chipped in with eight points and four boards on the night.

Senior Heather Cain (Gloucester, Mass.) came off the bench to score a game-high 18 points on 7-of-14 shooting for the Judges.

The Green and White made its first three shots and then used a 10-0 run while holding Brandeis without a hoop for over nine minutes to build a 17-6 edge early in the second quarter. Brandeis got as close as 20-13 on a three-pointer by Cain with 4:39 to go in the stanza, but Russell followed with a trey and two free throws to spark a 7-0 spurt that gave the Beavers a 27-15 edge at the half.

Babson took its biggest lead of the night on a layup by Ferola just over a minute into the second half and matched it at 39-23 on a bucket by sophomore Brenna LeGacy (Attleboro, Mass.) with 5:35 to go in the third quarter. The Judges followed with a 13-0 burst to get back within 39-36, but a hoop by Pickering and a free throw by junior Ashley Snyder (Foxboro, Mass.) kept the Green and White in front 42-37 entering the fourth quarter.

Following a basket by senior Jess Coelho (Westport, Conn.), Brandeis used a 7-2 spurt to cut its deficit to 46-44 with 8:34 remaining. A jumper by Snyder and a free throw by Russell pushed the Beavers' lead back to 49-44, but consecutive buckets by Cain made it a one-point game with 4:29 left. Otto and LeGacy followed with back-to-back hoops, and Russell finished a layup two possessions later to make it 55-48 with 1:43 to go.

Babson held the Judges to 6-of-31 shooting (19.5 percent) in the first half, and just one field goal in its final 13 attempts to close the fourth quarter. The Beavers also scored 22 points off of 19 Brandeis turnovers and finished with a 44-43 edge on the glass.

Babson returns to action on December 29 when it takes on Mount Union in the Music City Classic at 12 p.m. at Trevecca Nazarene University in Nashville, Tenn. Brandeis hosts Husson on December 31 at 1 p.m.

GAME NOTES
• The Beavers have won five straight games against Brandeis and now lead the all-time series 23-22.
• Russell's double-double was the first of her career.
• The Green and White is 6-1 this season and has won 28 of its last 31 games when leading at halftime.
• The Beavers have forced at least 18 turnovers in nine straight games, and held their last 10 opponents to below 40 percent shooting.