The team defeated No. 11 Illinois Wesleyan University and No. 12 North Central College at the Illinois College Spring Invitational this past weekend, its second of the year, with a score of 686.

“This weekend was definitely a test of mental strength. With those conditions, the tournament became less about who had the best swing and more about who had the best mindset,” sophomore Hannah Buck said. “It would have been easy to just give up, but that’s not the kind of team we are. I just [kept] in mind that everyone was playing the same conditions and tried not to stress about what I couldn’t control.”

Buck and freshman Andi Hibbert led the way for the Bears, sharing medalist honors with identical first-round scores of 80 and second-round scores of 85 on Sunday. For Buck, it was her fourth title of the year and the seventh of her career, breaking her school record for most individual wins in a season. Hibbert finally claimed her first individual victory after finishing in the top 10 five times prior.

The Bears grabbed the lead on the first day with a score of 333, which gave them a comfortable nine-stroke cushion over Illinois Wesleyan. Although the 353 on the second day was the team’s worst 18-hole score of the year, the Titans were unable to catch up, as they posted a 356 to finish 12 strokes behind Wash. U.

In addition to the starting team, which was rounded out by freshman Allyson Chee (85-92, 177), freshman Marcy Koonce (88-94, 182) and sophomore Melanie Walsh (90-91, 181), the Bears also fielded a “green team” that took seventh place with a 36-hole total of 774. Junior Katie Homa (92-94, 186) led the second squad, finishing in a tie for 18th place.

The high numbers came as the result of abnormally high winds that actually threatened the completion of the tournament. Although United States Golf Association rules provide that the wind may move a golf ball at rest and that such a ball is not to be replaced but rather to be played as it lies, the high frequency of ball movement on the greens forced the rules committee to consider suspending play.

“When you see the ball quivering from the wind, you are scared with even the most straightforward of putts,” Hibbert said. She also said that she was able to adjust for the wind with regard to club selection.

The win is just another mark of the golf team’s dramatic transformation between last year’s and this year’s teams. After an impressive fall 2009 campaign, last year’s squad failed to continue its hot streak and did not win a single spring tournament. Buck, a Second Team All-American selection last year, called the first tournament of spring 2010, the Peggy Kirk Bell Invitational in Florida, “a disaster.” She said it added a lot of pressure while greatly damaging the team’s confidence.

Buck added that this year’s freshmen, a solid that possesses a sense of fearlessness after not dealing with last year’s troubles, have definitely helped and that she hopes that this win will serve as another building block.

“I see our team scores only getting lower as the season progresses,” Buck said. “Last spring, we started at the bottom and struggled to play our way back up the rankings. It’s nice to start off near the top this time.”

The season continues next week at the Katman Klassic hosted by No. 2 DePauw University, co-winner of last weekend’s Northern Kentucky University Invitational, where the Bears finished 11th.

Eric Chalifour | Student Life

Senior co-captain Spencer Gay, seen here in a game against Illinois Wesleyan University on Dec. 18, scored a career-high 23 points against Brandeis University on Sunday. Gay is the Bear’s leading scorer this season and averages 15.9 points per game.

The team defeated New York University 80-76 on Friday before trouncing No. 21 Brandeis University 70-36. The Bears now stand at 8-8 (2-3 University Athletic Association) on the season.

The win over NYU also ended a six-game road losing streak for the Bears.

Sunday’s faceoff with Brandeis featured Wash. U.’s best defensive performance of the season by far, as they held the Judges to a dismal 24.1 percent shooting percentage and no points in the last 8:42 of the game.

The Bears shot 52.7 percent from the field, marking their second-best field goal percentage of the season. Senior co-captain Spencer Gay led the offensive charge with a career-high 23 points.

“I think a lot of it had to do with the energy the kids brought to the game,” head coach Mark Edwards said. “We executed offense very well, and our defense played well, so [Brandeis] couldn’t get their baskets, and we did.”

The players attributed the defensive showing to increased focus and a need to prove that the team was better than its sub-.500 record indicated.

“The difference between [Sunday’s] game and the rest of the season was we just flat out had more energy, and we wanted to win that game a lot more than Brandeis wanted to,” said senior Caleb Knepper, a co-captain. “We had so much intensity, and we shut down their offense because we were the aggressors on defense.”

When asked if the team had a particularly good defensive strategy prepared against Brandeis, Knepper explained that sound execution was the key to the sound defensive performace.

“There really wasn’t any [specific defensive scheme],” Knepper said. “We change our defense for every team we play, so [on Sunday] it was more our energy.”

After taking an 11 point lead over the Judges into halftime, numerous Wash. U. players said that the Judges appeared to lose focus and stopped putting their full effort forward in the second half. Brandeis’ missed 13 consecutive shots to end the game.

“I wouldn’t say they quit, but we sure took the competitive spirit out of them,” Edwards said.

The Bears snapped their losing streak on Friday in a close victory over NYU. Neither team led by more than six points at any moment during the game.

The Bears had a few standout performers, including Gay, who led the team with 22 points, and sophomore Ben Hoener, who posted a career-best 18 points. The team also went nine of 16 from three-point range.

“When our players can hit outside [shots], especially when [opponents] are guarding us in a zone, it really is extremely effective in opening up the inside,” junior co-captain Alex Toth said.

Over the course of six minutes in the middle of the second half, Knepper hit four three-pointers, accounting for all the Bears’ points during that stretch.

“I know that my role is to add leadership coming off the bench and show the guys what we need to do in order to win,” Knepper said. “When they give me the ball in a position to score, I know that I am supposed to do that. It’s a pretty easy job to have.”

Knepper and Toth described these two games as a turning point in the season, as the players demonstrated the upside of a team that has been consistently strong on defense all year but has not lived up to the program’s extremely successful reputation.

“This weekend, more so than any other wins we had, we really felt like we needed to come out and not just win because we’re used to winning or because we felt like we needed to, but come out [and] be who we are going to be the rest of the season,” Knepper said. “I definitely think it was a turning point for us, and we’ll hopefully be able to keep that ball rolling for the next game coming up at home this weekend.”

The Bears will look to continue their winning streak this weekend at the Wash. U. Field House, with games on Friday at 8 p.m. against Carnegie Mellon University and at noon on Sunday against Case Western Reserve University.

Matt Lee | Student Life

Senior Cody Costakis plays against an Emory University defender on Oct. 3rd at home.

Two games into University Athletic Association play, the Red and Green (9-0-3) have faced two of the toughest teams in a conference in which four of eight teams are ranked among the nation’s top 25 (last weekend, the Bears delivered No. 9 Emory University its first tie). With the points from Sunday’s victory over CMU, the team is in a three-way tie with the Emory and New York University for the top spot in the UAA.

“Looking at our schedule before the UAA [part of the season] started, I knew our first two games would be critical,” senior midfielder Cody Costakis said.

The Tartans went undefeated in their first eight games and were ranked as high as No. 2 in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America weekly poll. According to sophomore forward Zachary Query, the Bears had prepared for a distinctive Carnegie Mellon offense.

“We worked a lot in the week prior at being able to manage their attack. They’re really unique in the sense that they use their midfielders a lot in their attack, so they tend to overwhelm our defense with more players than they’re used to,” Query said. “We took a slightly more defensive formation, and that really paid off. We really were able to shut them down and frustrate them.”

The Tartans bested the Bears in shots 7-3 in the first half, but Wash. U. responded with a 5-3 advantage in the second. After 90 scoreless minutes, the team entered its fourth overtime game of the season.

“Last season, we had a lot of ties. Something that we’re really used to is just really hunkering down and getting through games because our defense is incredible,” Query said. “We were really upset and annoyed last week with Emory, how we didn’t score in overtime and they had most of the possession. We went out and really attacked Carnegie Mellon and had three attacks in a row before they had a single one.”

Those attacks would set up Costakis’ golden goal to earn the Wash. U. victory. Junior Dylan Roman set up the play, serving the ball to fellow junior Patrick McLean, who found Costakis less than four minutes into the first overtime period.

“I don’t think we made any adjustments [going into overtime], but [Roman] started the overtime period, and before we scored, he had three 80-yard runs down the sideline,” Costakis said. “A lot of credit goes to him for how we played in overtime.”

With the victory, the Bears have already matched last season’s win total. According to Costakis, the team’s mentality has driven the squad toward better results.

“It’s a mentality thing. Last year, we had a comparable amount of skill,” Costakis said. “During the off-season, there were a number of us working on our mental attitudes…the fact that we’ve won games in overtime, in the last few minutes, or even come from behind says something.”

The Bears now head into a demanding weekend road trip in which they will face Case Western Reserve University on Friday and head to No. 15 University of Rochester on Sunday. Query noted that while the last two games saw the Bears adjust their style of play to their opponents, this week’s strategy may depart from that trend.

“We really prepared to try to manipulate our game to handle them, and the same thing [occurred] with Carnegie Mellon. We tried to pick out the things that they were doing so that we were ready for it,” Query said. “I think this week we’re really going to focus on developing our own style of play, really imposing the way we play on to the opponents.”

The Red and Green play at 7:30 p.m. EDT on Friday in Cleveland and 1:30 p.m. EDT on Sunday in Rochester for their final two road games of the season. The team then returns home for a five-game home stand that begins Oct. 21 against Principia College.

Nathaniel Margolies | Student Life

Junior wide receiver Easton Knott celebrates on the sideline after scoring the game-winning touchdown. The Bears defeated No. 19 Wabash College 24-20 on Saturday.

Senior quarterback Stephen Sherman took a three-step drop from the 18-yard line and let the ball fly down the left sideline. Junior wide receiver Easton Knott brushed off a defender as the ball dropped into his hands in the back left corner of the end zone, tiptoeing inbounds for the winning touchdown catch.

“By that point in the game, we knew that we only had a few shots [left] in the endzone and that we needed to make them count,” Knott said. “We lined up, and I was one-on-one with one of their corners. [Sherman] looked over and had faith that I could beat him deep and threw a perfect ball. I just ran by the defender and caught it.”

Sophomore kicker Eric Chalifour added the extra point, to cap an eight-play, 67-yard drive, giving the Washington University football team a 24-20 lead over No. 19 Wabash College with 1:10 left in the game, a lead the Bears would hold onto for the upset win.

“I’ve been telling our kids we’ve got a good football team, and to be competitive in a game like this, we had to at least be a good football team,” head coach Larry Kindbom said. “It was really just a matter of focusing one play at a time. More than anything else, I thought our leadership was tremendous. Bottom line is our guys played and didn’t stop believing.”

That leadership came from all different positions. Sherman finished 18-28 with 266 yards and two touchdowns; senior H-back Sam Kentor threw some punishing blocks and caught three passes for 30 yards off play-action fakes; junior linebacker Nick Hillard recorded 15 total tackles, including 11 solo, three for loss, and one sack, while junior Austin Morman punted five times for a 45.6 yard average, including two punts downed inside the 20-yard line and a long of 59 yards.

Nathaniel Margolies | Student Life

Running back Jim O’Brien fights through a tackle against Wabash. O’Brien ran 18 times for 76 yards and caught two passes for 68 yards, including a screen pass then went for a 63-yard touchdown to close the first half.

With Wabash trailing after sophomore Chris Castelluccio’s 13-yard touchdown run gave Wash. U. a 7-0 lead, the Little Giants (4-1) tied the game at 7-7 with just 31 seconds left in the first half. Quarterback Chase Belton threw a 1-yard pass to running back Derrick Yoder for the score.

Even with so little time until intermission, the Bears (3-2) were not content to enter halftime tied. Senior tailback Jim O’Brien caught a screen pass at the 37-yard line, shuffled behind his offensive linemen, bounced outside and sprinted to the end zone for a 63-yard touchdown, giving the Red and Green the lead, as well as momentum heading into halftime.

“It was a great play call, because when I caught the pass, there was no one around me,” said O’Brien, who tallied 141 total yards on 20 touches in the win. “I started running to more open space but went back in to follow the line, and that sucked the defense in. The line made huge blocks, which allowed me to cut outside again and into the end zone.”

After the break, the Little Giants turned to their backup quarterback and began a comeback. After Chalifour’s 18-yard field goal gave Wash. U. a 17-7 lead, Wabash scored 13 unanswered points and gave the Bears the ball back with 4:37 left, setting the stage for Knott’s touchdown.

However, the game was not over yet. Afert Wabash advanced the ball to the Bears’ 34-yard line, freshman safety Tate Byers broke up a near-perfect pass with his outstretched fingers in the endzone with five seconds left. On the next play, senior cornerback Nick Vom Brack ended the game by leaping and breaking up a pass in the endzone, sealing the win.

“As a defense, we are growing together,” Hillard said. “We are just out there with our crew playing football, just having fun. Our D-line is nasty up front, which really opens things up for us at the linebacker level. People underestimate our [defensive backs]; they are the reason there’s nowhere to throw. We trust each other to be where we need to be, so it allows us to really fly around.”

Next week, the Bears look to push their record to 4-2 as they travel to College of Wooster in Wooster, Ohio at 1 p.m. The Fighting Scots (3-2) lost to Wabash 21-17 on Sept. 11.

Matt Lee | Student Life

Freshman Jessica Johnson challenges Emory goalie Kaele Leonard in the second half of a scoreless game against Emory on Oct. 3. After Scoring two goals against Carnegie Mellon yesterday, Johnson is now tied for the team lead with four goals this season.

After having trouble scoring in the first half of the season, the Washington University women’s soccer team’s put its offense on display in a 3-2 win over Webster University and in a 4-0 victory over University Athletic Association opponent Carnegie Mellon University.

The Bears faced the Tartans on Sunday, Oct. 10 in Pittsburgh, Pa. After 25 minutes of play, Wash. U. put its first goal into the CMU net. Freshman Kate Doyle dribbled the ball down the far side of the field and made a long cross to sophomore Allie Betley, who tapped the ball past Tartan goalkeeper Anya Rosen. It was Betley’s first goal of the season.

“I thought my goal created a spark, and we were all pumped and were playing harder and tougher,” Betley said. “This led into the second half, where we scored three goals.”

The team sealed its victory in the second half with those three scores. Junior captain Emma Brown scored unassisted at the 58:45 mark. She is tied for the team lead with four goals this season.

“We were able to keep possession, the defense stayed organized, and we finished the opportunities we had,” sophomore defender Nicole Martin said.

Freshman Jessica Johnson scored the next two goals for the Bears. “I’ve been having some trouble scoring, so it was really nice to finally put some in the back of the net,” Johnson said.

Johnson scored her first goal of the game in the 73rd minute on cross from Betley, who dodged around a Tartan defender and crossed the ball into the middle of the field to sophomore Lauren Clatch. Clatch tapped the ball to Johnson, who ripped the ball into the back of the net.

“It’s nice to see a freshman come into her own,” head coach Jim Conlon said.

The team’s final goal was assisted by sophomore goalie Caitlin Heim. After Heim corralled a ball sent into the box, she quickly booted it down the field. Two Tartan players headed the ball, but Johnson picked it off. Rosen charged out at Johnson, who shot around her.

“The Carnegie keeper played very well, but we just happened to get a couple balls into the back of the net,” Conlon said.

All the three components of the game—offense, defense and transition—are coming together for the Bears. “We finally put everything [together] today, and we clicked,“ Johnson said. Wash. U. outshot CMU 13-12 and took four more corner kicks.

The win was the team’s sixth shutout victory of the semester.

“Scoring four goals is amazing, but also the fact that we were able to keep the shutout for 90 minutes and remain unscored [on] in conference play is a big success,” Martin said.

During their game against Webster University on Thursday, Oct. 7, the Bears controlled the first part of the game. Johnson gave Wash. U. a 1-0 lead at the 26:23 mark, with a goal off an assist from Brown. The Bears held onto their 1-0 lead going into the second half after outshooting the Gorloks, 9-1.

Eight minutes into the second half, junior Lee Ann Felder pushed the lead to 2-0, scoring off of a penalty kick.

However, Webster tied the score with goals from senior Megan Niederschulte at 78:41 and junior Morgan Milfield at 84:52.

“We had a lapse in the second half, which was disappointing to be up 2-0 and then tied 2-2,” Conlon said.

The Bears rallied with just over a minute remaining off a goal from Johnson, assisted by freshman Becky Berels.

“It wasn’t our best game, but we came away with a win. But we really built off that and applied it to our game against Carnegie Mellon,” Betley said.

Wash. U. (6-5-1) will continue conference play against Case Western Reserve University (8-3-1) on Friday, Oct. 15, in Cleveland, Ohio.

Castelluccio’s run was Wash. U.’s first touchdown of the game, giving the Bears a 10-0 lead they would never give back.

The team rolled back to an even record Saturday night in front of a crowd of 2,128, who weathered the cold, rain and wind to see a 36-6 victory over Westminster College (2-2). Wash. U. (2-2) played its most complete game of the season, as the offense racked up 418 total yards while the defense forced four turnovers, giving head coach Larry Kindbom his 160th career victory.

“I think we put our first full game together, especially on defense,” said senior defensive lineman Greg Larson, who led the defense with seven tackles and 1.5 sacks. “With the exception of the one long touchdown, our secondary completely shut down the Westminster wide receivers. The linebackers were flowing to the ball really well, and the D-line had a great night in being able to get to the quarterback.”

Offensively, balance was the story: The Bears ran 32 passing plays and 42 running plays. Sherman threw for a career-high 229 yards and two touchdowns, and senior wide receiver Tom Gulyas caught the 100th pass of his career, finishing with six receptions for 88 yards.

“The big night in the passing game can be attributed to the offensive line and the wide receivers,” Sherman said. “When the line is allowing me to stand comfortably in the pocket, we’re bound to have a big night. The entire receiving corps made tough catches all night and gained substantial yardage after the catch.”

Wash. U. took the lead with 4:49 left in the second quarter after sophomore Eric Chalifour connected on a 27-yard field goal, capping a seven-play, 47-yard drive. Earlier in the drive, Sherman completed a 43-yard pass to the Westminster 17-yard line to sophomore wide receiver Drew Sexton on third and 14.

“Our offensive line gave [Sherman] all the time he needed to go through his reads and make the right choices,” said Sexton, who finished with three catches for 74 yards and a touchdown. “The receivers found openings, and after that, it was just pitch and catch, the same as we work in practice.”

Sherman threw both of his touchdown passes in the third quarter. On the first, Sherman rolled out to his right and lobbed the ball to the corner of the endzone, where Sexton beat double coverage, leaped and caught the pass, getting a foot down for the touchdown. Later in the quarter, Sherman threw a 24-yard strike to junior Easton Knott, who made a diving catch in the back of the endzone.

“Every week, we have the same goal in mind, no matter who we play,” Sexton said. “We regrouped [from last week], and coach Kindbom kept telling us we were close. We were hungry for a big home win. It clicked with this team.”

Off this weekend, the Bears will take on No. 20 Wabash College on Saturday, Oct. 9, at Francis Field at 1 p.m. The Little Giants (3-0) are coming off a 31-14 win over the University of Chicago.

Matt Lee | Student Life

Junior Pat McLean celebrates after scoring a goal against Greenville on Sept. 10. MacLean scored two goals against Wheaton this past Saturday.

The Washington University men’s soccer team is off to its best start since 1995 after its most recent win. But the Bears (7-0-2) needed some second half offense on Saturday to best the Wheaton College Thunder.

Although Wash. U. held a 5-2 advantage in shots in the first half, the Thunder took an early lead when forward Drew Golz scored his first goal of the season in the 14th minute. The Bears were scoreless for the remainder of the half, leaving them with only their second halftime deficit for the year.

“[Playing from behind is] something that we dealt with already against Illinois Wesleyan, so we knew we had the ability to come back from that,” senior captain Alex Neumann said. “That was something we really concentrated on, not panicking, continuing to play our game—move the ball around, keep it on the floor and not feel too pressured by the fact that we were down 1-0—and I think that really paid off in the end.”

With a quick passing style, Wheaton forced the Bears to make some adjustments.

“They had a lot of through balls where they would play to one guy and then another player would kind of run across and intercept it,” junior forward Patrick McLean said. “It’s really hard to change your game to defend [that style]; we ended up having to use a lot of really physical play in the back…physicality kind of made up for their skill in passing.”

In the second half, the Bears staged their comeback. Their scoring began in the 55th minute with an unassisted goal from McLean, but he wouldn’t stop at one score. He followed up with another goal in the 87th minute on an assist from sophomore forward Zachary Query.

“[The second goal] was a lot more poor defense. Query had the ball to start off, and he was 25 yards away from me, and his man was already marking him…my [defender] stepped closer to him, like another 10 yards or so, which was just way too far,” McLean said. “That left an open gap for a through ball. Query had a really good ball in, and I was just in behind, and it was really simple from there, just put it through the keeper’s side.”

McLean now leads the team with five goals and 10 points. Query is second in team points after scoring three goals and providing two assists.

As the Red and Green approach the start of University Athletic Association (UAA) play this weekend, they move into a challenging portion of their schedule. According to Neumann, Wheaton provided a preview to a more intense style of play.

“The game was played at a lot higher tempo than most of the games we’ve played this season…they play a lot like Carnegie Mellon does; I thought it was a great precursor to the UAA and really let us get a look at what this conference is and what it’s going to look like,” Neumann said.

In their Sept. 22 game against Fontbonne, 25 Bears saw playing time. Senior midfielder Cody Costakis scored the go-ahead goal with approximately 10 minutes remaining in the first half, and freshman Jeremy Kirkwood added his first goal in a Wash. U. uniform for insurance. Both goalies, senior Andrew Serio and freshman Jonathan Jebson, shared time in the net for the shutout.

“In terms of the Fontbonne game…that’s always a battle—the two teams really like playing against each other, and we had to make sure we were pumped up and ready to go,” Neumann said.

On the season, the Bears have outscored their opponents 20-3. Increased offensive output combined with experience on the back line have proved a successful combination.

“I think we’ve had a great contribution from both of our goalkeepers, Andrew and Jonathan. They’ve both just been playing really well back there. Combined with the senior leadership that we’ve been able to take out of most of the back four; myself, Harry, Randy, we’ve all been playing back there for years,” Neumann said. “[Freshman] Nik Patel has sort of gelled right into the unit…but even more than that, we’ve have a much bigger concentration on team defense this year.”

The Bears return home to face Emory on Sunday, Oct. 3. at 1:30 p.m. on Francis Field.

The Boot Hill Casino in Dodge City, Kan., is the first of its kind in the country—a casino where the slot machines and table games are all owned by the state. (Scott Canont | Kansas City Star | MCT)

The first time I gambled, my eyes anxiously followed the slot machine’s spinning cherries. It was stressful and exciting­­­. But it was also illegal: I was about 8 at the time. I was promptly escorted from the small casino and returned to my parents.

Since then, I’ve continued to respect the glamour, exhilaration and fickleness of Lady Luck only from afar. That is, until I made a trip to Lumière Place Casino, where I once again experienced gambling firsthand.

First of all, the place is massive. There are rows and rows of different types of machines and card-game tables that I’ve never heard of. Honestly, the casino can be a little intimidating unless you’re prepared for it. But there are simple steps you can follow to have a good time without losing the shirt off your back.

First, leave any money you don’t want to lose at home. You can always tempt your willpower, but honestly, it’s safer to bring only what you can afford. Second, beware of the reasonably priced drinks being sold by pretty ladies in short skirts. Sure, a few drinks are fine, but remember: cheap drinks lead to more drinks, which leads to less rational gambling. Third, know that despite the apparent variety of the slot machines ringing through out the casino, they are all essentially the same. But thanks to evolving technology, they no longer have levers and they print out paper vouchers instead of spewing out coins—in my opinion, a downgrade.

Fourth—and this is the big one—know when to walk away. There’s always a brief “Oh my God, oh my God” moment of pulsing adrenaline when you realize you have won. And it’s freaking awesome. But you have to quit while you’re ahead.

“It’s so intense,” said senior Colin Stomberski, after part of him told him to keep playing, and another part told him to walk away.

If you don’t really feel like gambling, there are other forms of entertainment at the casino as well. There are shows almost every night, and they range from Elvis impersonators to big-name bands. There are also several sleek bars with modern decors that are great for relaxing. You can also partake in my favorite casino pastime: people watching. You’d be surprised by the things superstitious people do or the things losers say.

The bright lights and promise of winnings at Lumière attract people like moths. If you’re over 21, check it out. It can give you a hell of an adrenaline rush. The 10 dollars I left with were the easiest I’ve ever made, but they were also the most nerve-wracking.

Other happenings:

Repeal of Prohibition Beer Festival: April 17

Schlafly Bottleworks, 7260 Southwest Ave., noon – 5 p.m. A beer festival with music and food. $30 at the door.

Cardinals’ Season Opener: April 12

Busch Stadium. Even if you don’t have tickets to the game, there will be events happening at bars and restaurants around the stadium.

Greater St. Louis Jazz Festival: April 16-17

UMSL, 8 p.m. See big names in jazz perform. Tickets $20-$35.

Matt Mitgang | Student Life

The women’s basketball team celebrates their national championship victory on Saturday. After losing in the last two title game appearances, the Bears succeeded this time, winning the program’s fifth title.

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — After a third appearance in the championship game in four years, Jaimie McFarlin and the veteran Washington University women’s basketball team would not be denied.

“Even when I was shooting those last free throws, I was thinking [that] it’s still not over,” McFarlin said. “I just couldn’t believe it until the confetti started falling, and it was real confetti, not the confetti in my dreams. To get to the goals that you set, it feels so good.”

The No. 6 Bears rallied behind a tenacious defense to control the entire game against No. 4 Hope College, taking the game and the 2010 NCAA Division III national championship 65-59. The title is the fifth in program history and first since 2001.

“Once you are fortunate enough to experience one and then it’s been about 10 years, you realize how hard, how special, how much you must have a little left, how fortunate you are to have that magical chemistry, and you try so hard…Once you separate yourself, you realize how special this is,” Head Coach Nancy Fahey said.

Junior Alex Hoover scored a career-high 18 points, including 10 of 11 free throws.

“She made a ton of clutch plays,” Fahey said of Hoover. “I know she led us in scoring, but I think you need to pick up where those points actually came. She’s very confident and runs the team, so when she was on the free-throw line, I’ll take that any day.” Fahey was also named D3Hoops.com National Coach of the Year.

Matt Mitgang | Student Life

Jaimie McFarlin goes around Erika Bruinsma to get off a shot. McFarlin ended her Wash. U. career with a 14 point, 15 rebound performance and was named Most Outstanding Player of the tournament. (Matt Mitgang | Student Life)

After being shut out 10-0 by Amherst to start the semifinal game, McFarlin made sure the University scored on its first possession with a quick jumper. In her final game for the Bears, McFarlin scored 14 points and racked up 15 rebounds, leaving her with 1,012 career rebounds at the University. She was awarded tournament Most Outstanding Player.

“I think we just came out knowing that you have to do four minutes at a time. If you win the first four minutes, then you go to the next four minutes,” McFarlin said. “Those media timeouts actually helped to make the game into smaller pieces, so I think we did that really well.”

No team led by more than six points in the first half, while the University took a 24-20 lead into halftime.

Hope fired back in the second half, briefly taking the lead on a basket by junior Carrie Snikkers. But baskets by senior Zoë Unruh, junior Kathryn Berger and Hoover staked Wash. U. to a 39-33 lead with 13:20 to go. It would hold for the remainder of the contest. Hope would cut the deficit to four with less than a minute to go on a three-pointer by senior Jenny Cowen, but Hoover and McFarlin locked up the victory at the free-throw line, bringing Washington University the national title.

Despite some rocky possessions, the Bears rallied around a tough defense to control the tempo and remain ahead for most of the game. The Red and Green held the Flying Dutch to just 19.4 percent shooting in the first half and allowed Hope to shoot just 31.3 percent for the entire game.

“With the turnaround that we talked about, there’s not much that you can do in preparation except what we’ve done in the past, and that was our poise defensively, and they did it,” Fahey said. “They just did a lot of things right at the right time, and I’m really proud of them.”

Snikkers led all scorers with 22 points and 10 rebounds. “I don’t think that we played a poor game,” said Brian Morehouse, head coach of Hope. “I just think that they played a little bit better than we did. They really made big free throws going down the stretch.”

The path to the championship game, as any, was no easy feat.

“It was our want for it that got us here,” senior Stacey Niese said.

Click here for video that captures the team’s and the fans’ intensity from the beginning of the championship game to after the buzzer.

The University rolled over Maryville College (Tenn.) 81-67 and No. 13 Thomas More College 80-64 in the first two rounds before defeating Mount Union College 76-57. In a rematch of last year’s national championship game, the Red and Green fought off a comeback by No. 5 George Fox University and earned a national semifinal spot with their 59-52 win.

The national semifinal contest against No. 1 Amherst proved to be the biggest hurdle, and a spot in the national championship game was in doubt from the beginning. The Lord Jeffs jumped out to a 10-0 advantage before Berger responded off the bench with a bucket. The Bears hung in but went into the locker room down 28-20.

The Red and Green, faced with a large deficit with just seven minutes left in the game, took over the game. “It was to the point that it was now or never,” McFarlin said. “If we were going to make a run, we had to do it then because they were too good offensively [for us] to make a run later.”

Back-to-back three-pointers by Unruh and Schaeperkoetter made the semifinal a one-point game. Berger then gave the Bears the first lead of the game with just over three minutes to go on a free throw. The teams would tie four times in the final five minutes, and a missed jumper by McFarlin sent the game into overtime.

The University got off to a quick lead in the extra period on a three-pointer by Unruh, and the team never looked back. The Bears outscored the Lord Jeffs 22-11 to win the game 86-75.

The senior class at the University leaves with an overall record of 99-21, a national title and two second-place finishes. “They deserve every second of it,” Berger said. “They care about this team more than anything.”

For the seniors, it was the third time that gave them the ultimate honor. “To end your career on such a high note, I can’t ask for more,” senior Janice Evans said.

“It was a perfect way to end,” said Unruh, who was also named to the all-tournament team. “That’s how we built our season.”

Check out an audio slideshow of the game.

Sophomore Dylan Richter moves around an Augustana College defender on Dec. 12. In Sunday’s away game against Carnegie Mellon University, Richter scored 15 points as the Bears won 81-60. (Matt Mitgang | Student Life)

Coming off of four straight games decided by five or fewer points, the Washington University men’s basketball team finally got some room to breathe. The Bears handed Carnegie Mellon University their 12th loss of the season with an 81-60 rout on Sunday in Pittsburgh.

For most of the first half, the game was tight, but in the last 4 minutes and 54 seconds, the Bears erupted for a 12-3 scoring run to enter the break with a 43-29 lead.

“We started running a little more, we got the wings ahead of the guards, and that really helped us out,” graduate student Sean Wallis said. “We were able to make some shots and finish some layups around the basket, so that put it out of reach after we picked up the tempo of the game.”

Wallis recorded a team-high 17 points in the rout.

“I think Sean brings the best out of the other players,” head coach Mark Edwards said. “He orchestrates the team. It’s a great gift that he has. I couldn’t be happier with the way that he’s playing in his fifth year.”

In the second half, the Tartans could not get within 14 points, as the Bears continued pouring onto the lead.

“I think they have a tough time keeping up with us and being able to keep track of all the stuff that we ran, and it showed,” Wallis said.

Sophomore Dylan Richter and junior Spencer Gay contributed 15 points and eight points, respectively, en route to the victory.

Gay, who was recently promoted to the starting lineup, has been rewarded for his elevated performance with increased playing time.

“It’s a lot easier to be ready to play as soon as I step out on the court as a starter,” Gay said. “I feel like it brings defensive intensity to get boards.”

Despite this considerable victory, Edwards knows that teams are always especially ready to face the notoriously talented Bears.

“It’s important to realize  that when we play teams this year, they are looking at us as an opportunity to establish themselves, to knock off the two-time defending champion, or whatever,” Edwards said. “We get everybody’s best game, and that’s kind of fun. We enjoy that.”

Sunday’s game was the second of a four-game road trip for the Bears. On Friday, the Red and Green bested Case Western Reserve University 66-61, led by Gay’s 16-point performance. Gay made three out of four free throws down the stretch to preserve the win. Next weekend, the Bears will travel to the University of Rochester and Emory University before returning home on Feb. 5 to face Rochester again.

“These two games next week are really big for us,” Wallis said. “If we can sneak out of next week with two more wins, that would really put us in a good position trying to win this conference.”