Junior running back Jim O’Brien ran for a career-high 163 yards and three touchdowns as the football team rallied for a 44-37 victory over the University of Chicago Nov. 7.
With the victory, the Bears regained possession of the Founders Cup, which commemorates the first football game played between the two University Athletic Association (UAA) schools. Since the inception of the Founders Cup in 1987, WUSTL has won 17 of the past 23 games.
Prior to the game, WUSTL (4-5, 1-1 UAA) honored its 15 seniors who played their final regular-season home game.
WUSTL closes out the 2009 season Saturday, Nov. 14, at No. 9-ranked Case Western Reserve University.
Women’s hoops tops Division I opponent
Senior forward Zoe Unruh scored 21 points and ignited a 19-5 run late in the second half as the women’s basketball team posted a 84-74 exhibition game victory at Division I Southern Illinois University Carbondale Nov. 7.
Unruh, who was limited to five points in the first half, scored 16 points in the second half on 6-of-11 shooting from the field with four three-pointers. Junior guard Alex Hoover added 18 points and four assists on 11-of-12 shooting from the foul line, while her younger sister Dani Hoover added 12 second-half points.
The Bears shot a sizzling 59.3 percent from the field in the second half while connecting on 5-of-8 from three-point range.
The Bears begin their 31st season of intercollegiate play at 1 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 15, hosting Augustana College at the WU Field House. Following the game, the men’s basketball team also opens its season at 3 p.m. Sunday against MacMurray College.
Volleyball falls in UAA championship match
The No. 3 volleyball team fell short in its bid to repeat as University Athletic Association (UAA) champions, falling 3-0 to Emory University in the championship match Nov. 7.
The Bears advanced to the UAA title match with 3-0 wins over the University of Rochester and Case Western Reserve University Nov. 6 and another sweep over New York University Nov. 7. However, WUSTL struggled offensively against Emory in the championship game, hitting just .150 as a team.
Sophomore middle hitter Lauren Budde led WUSTL over the weekend, tallying 51 kills and 40 digs in the four matches.
Earlier in the week, WUSTL was selected as a regional host for the 2009 NCAA Division III championship tournament. The Bears will welcome seven other schools to the WU Field House for the regional tournament beginning Thursday, Nov. 12.
The winner will advance to the NCAA quarterfinals in University Heights, Ohio, Nov. 19.
Women’s soccer to host NCAA games
Despite losing its regular-season finale to the University of Chicago Nov. 7, the No. 8 women’s soccer team clinched the 2009 University Athletic Association (UAA) championship and earned the conference’s automatic berth into the 2009 NCAA championship tournament.
The Bears could have clinched the conference championship with a win at Chicago, but the loss left them just one point ahead of the University of Rochester in the conference standings. Rochester played Case Western Reserve University to a 0-0 tie later that day and ended up tied with WUSTL for first place. An Oct. 18 victory for the Bears over Rochester gave WUSTL the edge in the head-to-head tiebreaker and the league title. It is the Bears’ fourth straight UAA championship and the seventh overall.
Washington University will host first- and second-round action of the women’s NCAA tournament at Francis Field.
The Bears take on Webster University in the opening round Saturday, Nov. 14, at 11 a.m., followed by No. 20 Illinois Wesleyan University and Carroll University at 1:30 p.m. The winners of Saturday’s games will meet on Sunday, Nov. 15, at 1 p.m. for a berth in the sectional semifinal.
Men’s soccer finishes with winning record
The men’s soccer team lost its season finale at the University of Chicago in an 1-0 overtime loss Nov. 7.
Chicago’s Stanton Coville converted a penalty kick with less than one minute to play in the overtime period to lift the Maroons to victory. A physical game from start to finish, Chicago was whistled for 20 fouls while the Bears committed 18.
A total of six yellow cards were issued, three to each team. Prior to the final game, WUSTL had been issued just six yellow cards all season.
The Bears finish the season with a 9-7-3 overall mark and a 3-4 record in the University Athletic Association.