Washington University’s 25th-ranked women’s basketball team defeated No. 12/15 New York University, 78-71, Sunday at the WU Field House. With the win, the Bears (14-4, 6-1 University Athletic Association (UAA)) move into first place in the conference race at the halfway point of league play.
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NYU opened the game on a 9-2 run behind six points by sophomore Jessica McEntee. Senior Stephanie Ryba gave the Violets a seven-point lead when the Bears called for time. Senior Sarah Schell led the Bears back, though, with a short jumper, a transition runner, and two free throws to draw WU within one at 11-10. Sophomore Halsey Ward gave the Bears their first lead with a little more than 12 minutes left in the half, driving through NYU’s defense and spinning in the lane for two.
Senior Rebecca Parker connected from beyond the arc for a 15-11 WU lead at the midpoint of the half. The Bears led 33-29 at the half, as Schell found senior Sarah Tibesar for a 17-foot jumper as time expired in the half.
Schell led all scorers with 17 points in the first half on 6-of-8 shooting from the field and 5-of-5 from the charity stripe.
The Bears opened the second half on a 15-9 run. Freshman Janice Evans hit a three-pointer, and Tibesar followed with a bank shot in the paint. Sophomore Jaimie McFarlin knocked down an 18-footer to extend WU’s lead to 48-38.
NYU (16-2, 5-2 UAA) bounced back to draw within five points (54-49) when sophomore Gena Brown scored consecutive baskets to force a Bears timeout with 7:29 left in regulation. Schell, who finished with a career-high 32 points and shot 11-of-15 from the field, responded with a three-point play and a turnaround in the lane to boost WU’s lead to 61-52.
Ryba drove lane for two to make it 63-58 with a little more than two minutes to play when WU called timeout. After the break, Schell broke free and hit a long jumper to give the Bears a 65-58 lead.
McFarlin came up big in the clutch with five made free throws in the final minute to help preserve WU’s lead. She finished with 18 points and 10 rebounds for her eighth double-double of the season. Ryba led NYU with 17 points, while Bachman (16 points, 10 rebounds) and McEntee (13, 13) each recorded double-doubles.
Washington U. returns to action at 6 p.m. (ET) Friday, Feb. 2, at NYU in New York, N.Y.