Unfortunately for WashU, their magic ran out on Friday, March 8, when the Bears faced off against the No. 13 Trine University Thunder in the third round of the tournament. The Thunder dominated the whole way, ending the Bears season with an 86-65 loss.

After his game-winning shots, Oliff sat down with Student Life to discuss that high-pressure situation, his adjustment to college basketball, his experience as a Jewish college athlete, and his interests off the court.

Oliff stayed confident, like the Bears have all year in clutch situations, and sank both shots to give the Bears a 68-67 lead that they would not relinquish. After a failed full-court heave from Illinois College, the rambunctious WashU student section stormed the court as the Bears stamped their ticket to the Sweet Sixteen.

The Bears not only earned a spot in the tournament field, but obtained hosting privileges in the first and second rounds, one of just 16 teams to do so.

The script for the Washington University Men’s basketball team has been pretty much the same lately: overcome early struggles, make clutch shots, and leave with a win. That’s the pattern they’ve been following for much of the past season, and it’s one they followed once again in their regular-season finale against the University of Chicago. 

As they defended their home court down the stretch, the Bears pulled out a 72-61 win, a result that will likely go a long way towards locking up their at-large bid in the NCAA DIII tournament. The Bears extended their win streak to three on Feb. 18, topping Brandeis University 56-53 to bring their UAA record to 7-6.

After making the flight from Atlanta to upstate New York, the Bears showed up ready to play on Sunday, Feb. 11. From the opening tipoff to the final whistle, the Bears put on a clinic, riding a 15-0 start, a rebounding performance for the history books, and lockdown defense to a 75-61 victory. 

The Bears have become used to comebacks in their tight UAA season, but as the clock wound down, they were unable to pull out a win this time. Carnegie Mellon held on for a 79–73 victory. Two days later, on Feb. 4, the Bears’ struggles were compounded by a 74–59 loss to No. 10 Case Western Reserve University.

The sharpshooting junior sat down with Student Life to talk about his locked-in summer, learning from older players like Jack Nolan, and advice he would give to the Student Life basketball team as they search for rec league glory.

Sunday’s win against a UAA-leading Case Western squad, along with a win Friday night against the gritty Carnegie Mellon University Tartans, capped off a season-defining weekend for the Bears.