Junior forward George Gale dunks the ball in the Bear’s win over Transylvania. (Bri Nitsberg | Managing Photo Editor)

The No. 20 WashU men’s basketball team is headed to the Division III Sweet 16 for the third season in a row. On Friday, March 6, the Bears showed they can win games in multiple ways, advancing via a blowout win over Transylvania University featuring a balanced scoring performance in the opening round. The next night, Saturday, March 7, the Bears pulled out a tight 74-71 win over No. 21 University of Wisconsin–Whitewater led by sophomore forward Connor May’s 29 points to punch a Sweet 16 ticket.

With the opening weekend victories, the Bears extend their win streak to seven, making them one of D-III’s hottest teams. However, their momentum will be put to the test against the No. 3 University of St. Thomas. WashU handed the Celts their only loss of the season at the Lopata Classic in November, but St. Thomas has rattled off 25 consecutive wins since then and will be a tough matchup in Texas on Friday, March 13.

Round of 64: WashU v. Transylvania

WashU started its tournament journey against Transylvania, a team the Bears have only played once before. Unlike 2009, when the Pioneers upset the then-No. 1 and two-time defending national champion Bears, WashU took care of business this time.

Transylvania hung around early, taking its only lead of the game 14-13 10 minutes in. From there, however, the Bears quickly pulled away. Anchored by a 12-point scoring run, WashU shut down Transylvania the rest of the first half, entering the break up 37-20.

The Pioneers came out of the break looking to narrow the deficit, but after a back-and-forth start to the half, WashU again showed their class. With solid shooting, quick ball movement, and a strong rebounding performance, the Bears scored 45 points in the second half to solidify an 82-47 victory.

The story of the game was the combination of WashU’s stout defense and Transylvania’s poor shooting performance holding the visitors to just 47 points, the second fewest tally WashU has ever allowed in a playoff game. Transylvania shot 18/59 from the field, a poor 4/25 from three-point range, and a dismal 7/24 on free throws.

“We picked a really bad time to have our worst offensive night, and I think a lot of that has to do with WashU’s defense,” Transylvania head coach Brian Lane said after the game. “They were tremendous. We’ve been a team that could find the mismatch here and there, and we were struggling.”

Offensively, WashU relied on a balanced effort, with 11 different players scoring points as the Bears rotated through their bench in the second half. Senior Yogi Oliff, junior Ryan Cohen, first-year Theo Rocca, and sophomores May and Anthony Przybilla all hit double-digit point totals, but no one scored more than Rocca’s 12. Unlike the 2024-25 Bears, whose offense was led by two standout seniors, the 2025-26 WashU roster relies on a number of players to share the offensive load as they did Friday night.

“Today we were super balanced, and I think that just shows the unselfishness of our team,” Oliff said. “We don’t really care who scores, but it’s the ‘we’ over ‘me.’”

Physicality was a key element of the game, and size was a strength for WashU. The Bears outrebounded the Pioneers 56-29 and outscored them 44-28 in the paint. After the game, Cohen credited the preparation of a difficult season in the elite UAA conference.

“The UAA is super physical, there’s a lot of size on every team, so we’ve seen all the size before.” Cohen said. “[Transylvania junior forward] Hunter Barr is probably one of the biggest guys in his conference, but we had guys who are the same size as him, so we see it every Friday and Sunday for the last seven or eight weeks, so we’re prepared for it on that end, rebounding and defensively.” 

Round of 32: WashU v. Wisconsin-Whitewater

WashU gallivanted back to the Field House the following day for a matchup wherein the Bears faced more significant challenges.

From the tipoff, both teams brought intensity, with WashU taking an initial 7-2 lead. Although Whitewater was able to take a marginal lead at 18-14 eight minutes in, the score remained tight for much of the first half. The Bears then began to break away at the end of the half to take a 9-point lead at 40-31. 

Out of the gate in the second half, the Bears looked to lock down the game, but Whitewater continued to push offensively. Despite coming within a point of WashU twice in the final two minutes, ultimately, the Warhawks were unable to tie the game. Four points from Przybilla in the final two minutes sealed a 74-71 win for WashU. 

“We had a lead, but they’re a good team, they’re going to make a run,” May said after the game. “So when that does happen, just maintain composure.” 

Defensively, WashU held Whitewater junior guard Collin Madson, who averaged 18 points per game this season, to 14. Though Przybilla was largely tasked with guarding Whitewater’s star, he credited the team effort.

“If I got caught in a screen, I had the ability to switch with any of them,” Przybilla said. “I can trust any of the guys on the team to have my back and guard as well.”

The entire weekend, and especially this game, WashU’s younger players emerged with intensity. May led with 29 points, one shy of his season high. Przybilla and Josh Kim followed, scoring 14 and 11, respectively. While they have more time to get experience under their belt, overall, the underclassmen have blended well into the overall unit. 

“I don’t even think about our age, it doesn’t matter, we’ve got a great group,” head coach Pat Juckem said. “We are operating 15 as one.”

Now, WashU returns to the Sweet 16 for the third consecutive year, matching up against St. Thomas in Houston on March 13. The Bears previously faced the Celts and narrowly came out with a 54-53 win, but St. Thomas has won every game since their November matchup. 

“They’re a great team and we’re excited to have the opportunity,” Juckem said. “Just like us, we’ve evolved so much, and that’s four months ago. I have no idea, I just know that no one’s beat them since.”