The eighth-ranked Washington University women’s basketball team extended its winning streak to five games with two conference road victories. The wins improved the Bears’ record to 19-3 (9-2 UAA) on the season. Considering that the team’s only two conference losses came on the road, the Bears are showing that they know how to win away from home.

In Friday’s match-up against Case Western Reserve, junior Hallie Hutchens provided a big boost coming off the bench, pouring in a career-high 23 points. Sophomore Kelly Manning also shouldered much of the scoring load, combining with Hutchens for 30 of the team’s 42 second-half points. The Bears would go on to win 76-58, pulling away late in the game.

The 18-point victory is fairly misleading, as the Bears fell behind Case Western twice early on in the second half. Fueled by a 17-3 run around the nine-minute mark, Coach Nancy Fahey’s squad put Case Western away for good.

The Bears received solid minutes from several substitutes and dominated scoring off the bench 35-7. Another telling statistic is the points in the paint, which the Bears controlled 48-26. Tough play down low from both Hutchens and sophomore forward Danielle Beehler helped the Bears gain this considerable advantage around the basket.

The Bears would have a considerably easier time on Sunday against Emory, winning big 71-47. Having beaten Emory the previous 11 times the two teams have met, the Bears maintained focus and opened the game with a solid 18-4 run. The Bears would eventually carry a 36-23 lead into the locker room and never look back.

Senior guard Lesley Hawley led all scorers with a career-high 28 points on nine of 15 shooting, scoring ten of her team’s first 18 points. In addition, Hawley added thee assists, two rebounds, and two steals. Junior Terri Lakowski and sophomore Kelly Manning added 12 points apiece to carry the Bears offensively. 14 Bears players made it into the game against Emory and eight were able to contribute to the scoring.

While Emory dominated on the glass, pulling down 44 rebounds to the Bears’ 29, coach Fahey’s team was still able to hold their opponents to a meager 47 points. Defensively, the Bears pestered Emory all day, causing a ridiculous 26 turnovers.

This coming weekend will mark the culmination of the Bears’ home schedule with big games against Brandeis and 24th-ranked New York University (NYU). Brandeis played the Bears tough in their last meeting, only losing by six. The match-up against NYU will be interesting, as the Bears were handed their first conference loss the last time the two teams met.

The upcoming games will determine the final UAA season standings as Brandeis, NYU and the Bears all sit atop the conference table with 9-2 records. With a combined eight losses on the season for the three teams, each team will be playing with a lot to lose.

The Bears have proven in the past that they can pull out victories when it matters most, and two victories this week would undoubtedly give the squad needed momentum come NCAA Tournament time.

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