First-year Sidney Rogers drives to the basket in the Bears’ first matchup against Rochester. (Bri Nitsberg | Student Life)

“Our goal has been the same all season, and that is to get better every day. It is important for us to see each game as an opportunity to get better,” said Jessica Brooks, a senior guard on the Washington University women’s basketball team.

Over the last month, Brooks and her teammates’ goals have come to life. WashU started conference play in the competitive University Athletic Association (UAA) 1-3, including home losses to Emory University and the University of Rochester. Since then, however, the Bears had rattled off five straight wins before their trip to Atlanta and New York, catapulting them up the UAA standings and reviving their chances of an at-large NCAA tournament berth.

This past weekend, the team had a chance to show off their improvement. They took full advantage of it, dominating No. 19 Emory and Rochester on Feb. 9 and 11, avenging their close losses from earlier this season. 

The two victories spurred on their seven-game winning streak, moving the team into a tie with the University of Chicago for second place in the UAA. The Bears and Maroons trail only No.1 New York University, the top-ranked team in the nation, who will travel to St. Louis this weekend with a 22-0 record. 

WashU v. Emory 

On Friday evening in Atlanta, the game kicked off with much energy. Both teams played neck-and-neck throughout the first quarter, and the teams were tied at 17 in the final minute. First-year guard Sidney Rogers made a layup with two seconds left, giving the Bears a two-point lead to end the quarter. 

To start the second quarter, WashU went on a 14-2 run to take a 33-19 lead. After Emory scored a few baskets, Brooks, who led the team with 18 points in the game, scored six straight, spurring the Bears. The half ended with WashU leading at a score of 41-27. 

“I think all of us are getting more comfortable and confident playing with and for each other which has shown up in big wins for us,” Brooks said.

At the beginning of the second half, the Eagles went on a seven-point run. Though the Bears’ offense got going as first-year center Lexy Harris scored five, the Eagles narrowed the gap throughout the quarter. With two minutes remaining in the period, the Bears’ lead was down to just 49-47. The Bears scored the last five points of the quarter, giving them momentum heading into the final ten minutes.

Brooks led the Bears in the game’s final quarter, scoring six additional points to gain a 62-49 lead with 5:30 remaining. Emory scored some late baskets, but the Bears held on for a 72-61 victory. 

Brooks, Rogers, and Harris all earned double-digit scoring totals, with 18, 16, and 15 points respectively, leading the Bears to their sixth straight win in UAA competition and head coach Randi Henderson’s 100th victory at WashU. 

Henderson praised her team after the milestone accomplishment. 

“I believe our team played really well defensively. We guarded and rebounded extremely well, and we stayed the course through the highs and lows of the game and, most importantly, never gave up. We stuck together.” 

WashU v. Rochester 

On Sunday, the Bears continued their UAA campaign in upstate New York against the Rochester University Yellowjackets. 

The game started slowly for the Bears, as they only hit three shots in the first quarter. Despite the quarter ending with WashU seven points behind at 13-6, the Bears did not give up.  

After Rochester extended their lead to 11 points, the Bears dominated the rest of the second quarter. Harris and first-year guard Sidney Starks led a 14-3 run, giving the Bears a 28-20 lead with 1:35 left. WashU went into halftime up 30-24.

In the second half, WashU maintained their dominant offense. The Yellowjackets tried to catch up, but to no avail, as the Bears ended the third quarter at 55-39. 

Though Rochester attempted to go on a scoring run in the fourth quarter, the Bears responded with a run of their own and strong defense, ending the matchup with a score of 70-55 in favor of WashU.

Led by Harris, who finished with 14 points and six rebounds, WashU outscored Rochester 42-20 in the paint. The Bears also shot 8/18 from beyond the three-point arc, led by pairs of threes from Brooks and Starks.

Brooks finished with 20 points, tallying at least 20 for the fifth time this season. Goodwin finished with 11 total points in addition to a game-high five assists, while Starks and fellow first-year Alyssa Hughes scored eight and seven, respectively, off the bench. 

“Our team is focused on getting better each week. Our players are being intentional in our practices and with their extra work [for future games],” Henderson said at the end of the weekend.  

Their improvement will be put to the test, as they battle against the No.1 team in the UAA and country, NYU, in their return to home court on Feb. 16 to celebrate Black History Month. They will then take on Brandeis University on Sunday, Feb. 18. 

“NYU is a great team, but we are also a great team. It is exciting to host them this [upcoming] weekend, and we as a team are ready for another opportunity to stack our habits and goals we have been working towards all season,” Brooks said in anticipation of the matchup.