Scott BresslerThe second time around, 18th-ranked New York University was the better team. After defeating the Violets 78-71 at the Field House last weekend, NYU (18-2, 7-2 UAA) entered the rematch looking for revenge and crushed the Bears 83-58 in New York.
By Sunday however, 11th-ranked Washington University (15-5, 7-2 UAA) had regained its composure, as the Lady Bears defeated Brandeis University (15-4, 5-4 UAA) 51-45 in Boston.
NYU 83, WASH. U. 58
Friday’s game was the Red and Green’s worst performance of the season. They never held the lead and trailed by as many as 29 points. More tellingly, the Bears shot an abysmal 33 percent from the free-throw line and their usual suffocating defense was not a factor, as the Violets shot over 52 percent on the night.
“We got flustered early. NYU is an intense environment and we let some of the hype get into our heads,” said sophomore Halsey Ward. “Unlike the previous game against NYU at home, we did not bring the kind of defensive focus that we needed in order to stop NYU.”
Ward proved to be the only bright spot of the night for the Bears. Coming off the bench, she scored a career-high 12 points. In all, Wash. U.’s bench had a solid night, scoring 30 of the team’s 58 points.
“At this point in conference play, every game becomes more important. Having a deep bench with clutch players is an asset of our team,” said sophomore Jaimie McFarlin.
“We pride ourselves on having a deeper bench than other teams,” added Ward. “When our bench comes in, we are still maintaining a certain level of intensity and finesse established by the starters.”
WASH. U. 51, BRANDEIS 45
The Bears played with a much higher level of both physical and mental intensity on Sunday. They limited the Judges to just 29 percent shooting on the afternoon. The game was even closer than the final score revealed, as the lead changed seven times during the game and Brandeis held the lead with under two minutes remaining.
Senior guard Sarah Schell played a crucial role in sealing the win, going 5-of-6 from the free-throw line in the last 23 seconds. The Lady Bears’ defense did its part as well, holding the Judges scoreless for the final 2:10 of the game.
McFarlin led the Bears with 15 points and 10 rebounds, achieving her ninth double-double of the season. “We played great defense against Brandeis and let that feed our scoring,” said Schell.
The win versus Brandies put the Bears back on track after the disappointing loss to NYU. The team remains tied for first place in the UAA with five games remaining in the season.
They return home this weekend to face Emory University on Friday and Case Western Reserve University on Sunday. Tip-off is scheduled for 6 and 2 p.m. respectively.