DECATUR, Ill. – A close game to start turned into a strong offensive performance for the RV Washington University in St. Louis women's basketball team on Saturday as the Bears used a big second quarter to pull away before securing a 75-55 win over Millikin in Decatur.
The Bears finished the contest with 14 points off turnovers and 14 second-chance points. The Big Blue only had 2 points off turnovers and just a free throw on second-chance points. WashU also led in points in the paint 34-24 and made 3-pointers, 10-7.
The Bears slowly built up their lead in the first quarter, reaching a quarter-high advantage of seven on a pair of made free throws by junior
Amelia Rosin with 1:35 left in the quarter. A Big Blue layup and three in the final minute allowed Millikin to cut the lead down to just two, heading into the second quarter, 17-15.
It did not take long for WashU to show off its offensive capabilities as the Bears quickly extended their lead up to 11 with back-to-back threes by junior
Alyssa Hughes at 7:47 and 7:21. A free throw by junior
Catherine Goodwin, a three by junior
Sidney Rogers, and a layup by Goodwin saw the lead bloom to 17 with 4:25 left in the half. After just over a four-minute scoring drought, Millikin finally cut the lead down to 15 with a layup at 4:59.
The next three and a half minutes saw the teams trade baskets, nearly point-for-point, before WashU closed out the half on a 9-0 run over the final 2:25 to take a 22-point lead into the locker room.
The third quarter saw the lead grow to as many as 26 before Millikin was able to chip away and slowly bring it down to just 19 at the end of the quarter on a last-second shot, 58-39.
Twice in the fourth quarter, the Bears were able to extend their lead to as many as 24, but each time the Big Blue answered. However, they could not get any closer than 17 in the period as WashU held on for the 75-55 win.
Rogers had the game-high in scoring with 25 while she also grabbed eight rebounds and dished out a pair of assists. She ended the game going 6-for-11 from beyond the arc. Hughes (14 points) and Goodwin (12 points) also reached double figures in scoring.
WashU will take a quick break for Thanksgiving before returning to the road for next weekend's Midwest Challenge being hosted by Illinois Wesleyan on Saturday, Nov. 29, and Sunday, Nov. 30. The Bears open on Saturday, Nov. 29 against DePauw at 2 p.m. before playing either the host Titans or Wis.-La Crosse on Sunday.
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