Washington University’s home game last week against Rochester had all the makings of a classic match-up.

The No. 1 team in Division III faced a hungry sixth-ranked squad that had just lost its first game of the season. If that wasn’t enough, the bleachers were packed to maximum capacity as shirtless, painted fans relentlessly heckled opposing players.

And the players did not disappoint.

Both teams were quick out of the gate, and intensity grew thicker with every ensuing possession. The crowd was nearly silenced at the end of regulation as Rochester launched a potential game-winning shot that rimmed out.

In overtime, the Bears pulled ahead and were able to hold on for a 74-71 victory to preserve their perfect season.

“We knew that if we got a stop at the end of regulation that we would win in overtime,” senior forward Joel Parrott said.

“We have experience,” senior guard Matt Tabash said. “We’ve been in situations like that before, and we never panicked.”

Parrott and Tabash scored 12 and 13 points respectively, while fellow seniors Chris Jeffries and Jarriot Rook scored 18 and 17 points. Overall, the starters shouldered most of the scoring load against an experienced Rochester team that returned all five starters from last season.

Although the Bears picked up an emotionally charged victory against a top national foe, they were still not completely satisfied with the result.

“In the first half we were a little flat,” said Parrott. “We weren’t running our offense, our running game.”

However, after a few halftime adjustments the Bears were able to pick up the running game and pour in fast-break points. By taking the game one possession at a time, the Bears were able to gradually chip away at Rochester’s lead and make a push in the game’s final minutes.

Two days later, the Bears faced another conference foe, Carnegie Mellon. They lacked the glossy record of a Rochester, but the Bears were prepared nonetheless.

“We try to prepare the same way for every game,” said Tabash. “Everyone’s gearing up for the number one team.”

Jeffries led the team in scoring for the 13th time this season as he scored 24 points. He added seven rebounds en-route to a WU school-record 19th consecutive conference victory.

Despite out-rebounding Carnegie Mellon, the Bears still see room for improvement in that department.

In Friday’s game, Rochester grabbed 48 boards to WU’s 34 and also outscored the Bears 21-7 on second-chance points. The Bears know that if they are going to advance deep into the national tournament, they must get more physical in the paint.

In between rebounding drills in practice this week, the Bears also worked on free throws. After shooting 67 percent from the line against Rochester and 69 percent against Carnegie Mellon, the players are looking to fix the problem before it comes back to haunt them.

Despite the close game against Rochester, the Bears are still beating opponents by an average of 20.2 points per game, which is impressive given the fact that they are five games into their conference schedule.

“We’ve had our close games,” said Parrott. “When we blow a team out, it’s when our defense is intense. If we pull it together and play strong defensively come tournament time, I have the feeling we’ll win in the end.”

Coming up this weekend are conference match-ups at home with Brandeis on Friday night and New York University on Sunday afternoon.

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