CLEVELAND, Ohio – After a slow start, the No. 13 Washington University in St. Louis women's basketball team used a big third quarter to pick up a 66-52 win over Case Western Reserve on Sunday morning to wrap up the weekend.
After what looked like a hot start for WashU in the first quarter with the Bears leading by five, 6-1, with just over seven minutes on the clock, CWRU began to chip away at the lead before taking their own at 3:05 left in the period.
A layup from junior
Amelia Rosin at 2:47 would give WashU the lead once again, but the Spartans would hit a three with just 53 seconds left in the period to take a 12-10 lead into the second quarter.
The home team would quickly extend their lead up to six less than a minute into the second period. The WashU scoring drought ended with a three from junior
Sidney Rogers at 6:00 to cut their deficit down to just a one-possession game, 19-16.
With the Spartans leading by six with three minutes before the break, a jumper from junior
Lexy Harris and another three from Rogers would see the Bears down by just one point. CWRU responded with a pair of made free throws in the final two minutes of the half to take a 26-23 lead into the locker room.
Once again, less than a minute into the next quarter, the Spartans would see their biggest lead at 32-25 with 9:03 on the clock. That is when the Bears kicked both their offense and defense into a higher gear. Junior
Sydney Starks began a barrage of threes with 8:43 that also started a 13-0 run by WashU.
Starks knocked down back-to-back-to-back threes for the Bears over the next minute and a half to see WashU regain the lead, 34-32. A pair of jumpers by junior
Catherine Goodwin before the media timeout would see the Bears take a 38-32 lead before the Spartans were able to score again.
A layup by junior
Alyssa Hughes, a fourth three-pointer from Starks, and a free throw from Goodwin gave WashU a double-digit lead for the first time on the afternoon. A late three from Hughes would extend the lead up to 11 as the teams went to the benches going into the fourth quarter.
Overall, in the third period, WashU used their 13-0 run to help outscore CWRU 24-10 coming out of the locker room.
The fourth quarter was much more even, still in favor of the Bears, but not until WashU saw its lead bloom up to 20 points with less than four minutes to play. The Spartans would cut their deficit down to just 12, but with just 42 seconds remaining, an offensive rebound and jumper from sophomore
Cecilia O'Grady gave the Bears the final 66-52 win.
Hughes led WashU in scoring with 17 points. She was one of four in double figures as both Starks and Harris finished with 12 points and Goodwin tallied 10. Rosin played a tough game underneath the basket, grabbing a career-high 14 rebounds.
As a team, the Bears led in points off turnovers (7-6), second-chance points (14-13), and points in the paint (26-22).
WashU returns home for the first time in 2026 next weekend when it welcomes in No. 1 and defending national champion New York University on Friday, Jan. 23. Tip-off with the Violets is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. During the double-header with NYU, there will be a special recognition for the No. 1 WashU women's tennis team for winning the 2025 NCAA Div. III National Championship last spring!
-------
Elevating scholar-champions requires resources beyond the institutional budget. Through the W Club, generous alumni, parents, and friends provide unrestricted support that is essential to the extraordinary WashU student-athlete experience—and the ongoing growth and development of the department. Annual support for Athletics allows the Bears to consistently rise to national levels of competition and ensures that our student-athletes enjoy exceptional opportunities as they train, compete, and lead. To make a gift to the Annual Fund for Athletics, please visit our secure online giving form or contact the Athletics Advancement Office at athletics@wustl.edu.
