Memphis, Tenn., November 21, 2021 – The Washington University in St. Louis women's basketball team fell just short at Rhodes College by a score of 83-80 on Sunday afternoon in non-conference play.

In a high-scoring game with back-and-forth runs by both teams, the contest went all the way down to wire, but the Bears were unable to tie the game up on a three-point shot as time expired.

WashU drops to 0-3 on the year with the loss and Rhodes moves to 5-1 on the season.

Both teams got off to hot shooting starts in the first period, as Rhodes hit five consecutive three-point field goals and the Bears shot just under 60 percent from the floor in the opening five minutes of play.  

Trailing 26-16, WashU closed out the quarter on a 9-0 run as Lauren Chao added five points off the bench. The Bears' defense caused four turnovers in the final four minutes and got the Lynx out of their rhythm. WashU scored 18 points off turnovers in the game and compiled 15 fastbreak points. 

In the second period, back-to-back threes from Karisa Grandison and Molly Gannon extended the scoring run to 15-0, giving WashU a 31-26 edge.

Rhodes responded with an 11-4 run which put the Lynx up seven at 41-34 midway through the quarter, but WashU had an excellent end to the period using a 13-2 run to take a 47-43 lead at the break.

Chao led the Bears with 14 points on 6-7 shooting along with six boards in the first half. The sophomore totaled a career-high 15 points on Sunday and finished with seven rebounds.

Throughout the third quarter, the contest remained tight on both ends. WashU held on to a 55-53 advantage and then used an 8-2 run to spark its largest lead of the day at 63-57.

The Bears clung on to a 63-62 lead heading into the final quarter. In the fourth, there were eight lead changes and three ties.

Down 79-78, Arnott hit two clutch free throws with 54 seconds left as the Bears went up 80-79.

However, a layup from the Lynx on the ensuing possession gave Rhodes an 81-80 lead and WashU could not answer back as their final two possessions resulted in a turnover and a blocked shot at the buzzer.

In total, Rhodes outscored WashU 21-17 in the fourth, as the Lynx also tacked on five critical offensive rebounds and caused six WashU turnovers.

For the Bears, Jessica Brooks notched her first career double-double of 19 points and 11 rebounds, while also dishing out a team-high four assists. 

Maya Arnott collected 18 points and five rebounds and was 10-12 from the foul line.

As a team, the Bears finished 20-29 in free throws and shot 41 percent from the field.

Molly Gannon and Naomi Jackson both scored nine points apiece. The duo combined for six of WashU's eight made threes throughout the contest.

The Bears are back in action on November 27 against DePauw for the Midwest Challenge in Bloomington, Ill.