The tenth-ranked Washington University women’s basketball team (7-1) defeated Loras College 55-50 on Friday evening behind some strong bench play. After sophomore Jordan Rettig scored the first basket for the Bears, Loras responded with a 9-0 run to take a 7-point lead.

The Washington University men’s basketball team opened its 2011-12 season with a 91-64 win against MacMurray College on Tuesday. “You never know what to expect when you open the season,” head coach Mark Edwards said. “We’ve been working hard, but we haven’t had any type of opportunity to compete against someone from outside.

The Washington University men’s club water polo team claimed its first Division III club national championship this past weekend. The Bears traveled to Hamilton College in upstate New York to participate in the tournament. “This year’s team has been very positive and focused,” captain Eric Potter, a senior, said.

The Washington University men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams split victories this past weekend against DePauw University Saturday, Oct. 29, with the women’s team taking a 168-126 win while the men’s fell 173-120. The women’s side won 11 events overall, with sophomores Chi Pham and Meghan Lam taking two victories each. Pham won the 200-yard freestyle (1:58.

The Washington University swimming and diving teams squared off against some of the best talent in the state this past weekend. In the annual Show-Me Showdown on Oct. 8, hosted by the University of Missouri on Oct. 8, the Bears faced six other in-state teams. “It is a very competitive meet,” head coach Brad Shively said.

Sophomore Corinne Rauck won the Kalamazoo Open this weekend at the ITA Fall Central Regional Championships held at Kalamazoo College. “As a whole, the team had a really good showing,” sophomore Katie Helfgott said. “But, out of all of us, Corinne did the best.

While the rest of Washington University enjoys another typical weekend, the school’s tennis programs gear up to host the Intercollegiate Tennis Association’s Central Regional Tournament. Men’s tennis head coach Roger Follmer and women’s tennis head coach Kelly Stahlhuth worked diligently to prepare for the arrival of 30 different schools.

The No. 17 Washington University women’s tennis team (12-3) traveled to Madison, Wis., for the 2011 Midwest Invitational as the fifth seed and finished in third place overall with victories over No. 11 Gustavus Adolphus College and No. 14 DePauw University. The team’s only loss came to No. 3 University of Chicago.

If this weekend’s matchups in Texas are any indication, then the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Division III top-25 rankings are spot on. The Washington University men’s tennis team lived up to its No. 5 ranking, defeating No. 11 Trinity University and No. 6 University of California, Santa Cruz but falling to No. 4 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps.

The No. 16 Washington University women’s tennis went 5-1 over four days of play in Orlando, Fla. last weekend to improve to 8-2 on the yong season. “It was a successful week; we had the great weather we wanted,” head coach Kelly Stahlhuth said. “We had a lot of matches, which is what we needed. It was nice to spend a week together and gain more unity.