Senior guard Hayden Doyle scored 15 points off five second half 3-pointers. (Bri Nitsberg | Managing Photo Editor)

It was a strong first game for the No. 4 WashU Bears men’s basketball team. After finishing last season with an NCAA Division III Sweet 16 loss to Trine University, WashU opened the 2024-2025 season with a decisive 75-53 win at home against Rhodes College. 

“First games are typically not Picassos,” head coach Pat Juckem said. “We’ve got some work to do offensively, but I liked how we defended and rebounded.”

The first half saw the Bears shake off some rust, as they shot just 28% from the field, 14% from the 3-point range, and a dismal 45% from the free-throw line. That inefficiency led the Bears to quickly fall behind 10-1 after just a few minutes of play. Credit the Bears’ strong defense and rebounding for keeping the team afloat and allowing them to finish the half with a five-point lead.

Rebounding and defense was the story for the Bears, as the team out-rebounded Rhodes by 12, including an incredible 19 offensive boards for WashU. Senior forward Drake Kindsvater and junior center Calvin Kapral led all players with 11 rebounds each, but it was senior guard Yogi Oliff who stood out the most with nine rebounds, an incredibly high number for a guard. His rebounding ability allowed the Bears to start the fastbreak more quickly and score 16 points in transition.

“[Oliff] has remarkable instincts,” Juckem said. “He’s always kind of around the ball … we unleashed him more for offensive rebounding. We needed to create more second-chance opportunities, and we made an adjustment. He had some monster games down the stretch last year. When guards rebound the basketball, that’s ideal because now the guys that are best at pushing the ball in transition already have the ball.”

First-year Connor May goes up for a contested basket. In his first college game, May played 22 minutes, the fourth most on the team. (Bri Nitsberg | Managing Photo Editor)

The Bears ran away with the game in the second half, led by senior guard Hayden Doyle, who hit five 3-pointers in the half. He, along with Kindsvater, led the team with 15 points.

“[It was] a little bit of a slow start, but it’s the first game, [so it’s] not gonna be pretty,” Doyle said. “We liked the shots we were getting. Coach just told us to stay confident. We got out in transition well, and defense led to offense.”

The Bears, as a whole, seemed to shake off the rust coming out of the first half, with a much improved 45% shooting from the field and 44% from the 3-point line. The improved efficiency, along with strong defensive play, culminated in a team performance that matched the squad’s nationally-ranked pedigree.

The second-half blowout allowed the Bears to open their bench, with five first-years making their debuts. First-year forward Connor May led the group in playing time and scoring, logging  22 minutes and scoring 14 points. He impressed in his debut and looks to be a part of the rotation going forward.

“We wanna contribute any way we can,” May said. “It was, overall, a great experience; the fans, the court, it was awesome.”

WashU will look to keep up the positive momentum in these early weeks of the season before conference play begins. These opening games are vital to establishing chemistry and helping everyone learn their new roles on the team. The Bears will be back in the Fieldhouse at home next Friday, Nov. 15, against the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology.