WALTHAM, Mass. – Freshman guard Jessica McCoy (Cranford, N.J./Cranford) scored a season-high 15 points, but the Case Western Reserve University women's basketball team let a nine-point halftime lead slip away in a 71-58 loss at University Athletic Association rival Brandeis University on Friday night at Red Auerbach Arena.

McCoy went 4-of-5 from the field and 7-of-8 from the free throw line to go along with six rebounds. The Spartans (7-12, 1-7 UAA) shot 62.5 percent (15-of-24) in the first half, but the Judges (11-8, 5-3 UAA) held the visitors to just 16.7 percent (4-of-24) in the second.

A 22-7 run in the opening eight minutes of the second half helped Brandeis to its fifth win a row.

Sophomore post Laura Mummey (Hudson, Ohio/Hudson) also scored in double-figures for the Spartans with 10 points, while junior forward Erin Reynolds (St. Louis, Mo./Webster Groves) and junior wing Brooke Orcutt (Morrison, Colo./Dakota Ridge) each contributed nine.

Maria Jackson and Kasey Dean scored 16 and 14, respectively, for the Judges.

In the first half, the Spartans jumped out to a 13-6 lead thanks to three-pointers by Orcutt and junior point guard Amanda Germer (Malvern, Pa./Great Valley). A layup by senior guard Julie Mooney (Dublin, Ohio/Dublin Jerome) increased the lead to 10 (20-10) at the 11:32 mark, and a layup by Reynolds pushed the advantage to a high of 15 (31-16) with 5:21 left before intermission.

The hosts then closed the opening period on a 14-8 run and trailed 39-30 after a Dean layup at the 40 second mark.

After Brandeis' 9-0 spurt to open the second, the Spartans led for the final time after a Reynolds layup put the score at 46-45 with 15:14 remaining.

The Spartans will look for an immediate bounce back when they travel to New York City to take on the No. 23/24 nationally ranked New York University Violets at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, February 9.