Senior Kathryn Berger drives baseline against New York University on Friday. Berger scored 16 points against the Violets and 19 points against Brandeis University on Sunday.

The Red and Green (20-4, 11-2 UAA) defeated NYU, 68-50, at the Wash. U. Field House on Friday before outmatching Brandeis on Sunday, 79-47.

The Bears, No. 9 in the D3hoops.com Top 25 poll, were glad to return to their home court. They had played four consecutive games on the road.

“We always are very confident, very comfortable at home, and so these two wins are very important, especially going into playoffs,” senior co-captain Alex Hoover said. “We needed to take care of business.”

The Bears shot 50 percent from the floor in the first half to open a 43-22 lead over the Judges. Senior captain Kathryn Berger led the charge with 17 first-half points on 6-of-8 shooting, including 3 of 5 from three-point range. Berger scored a game-high 19 points in the victory.

Sophomore Annie Sayers and freshman Jordan Rettig both finished the game with 10 points, and Hoover added six assists to move within 16 assists of the school record of 427 set by 2007 graduate Sarah Schell. Sixteen players got playing time for the Bears, and 13 scored.

In the only tense moment of the game, Brandeis sophomore Samantha Anderson committed an intentional foul on Wash. U. junior Bethany Morrison. Morrison sunk both free throws and then made one of two additional free throws for a technical foul called on the Brandeis bench.

With the win, the Bears’ home winning streak now stands at 40, a streak that began during the 2008-2009 season.

“We just wanted to make sure we were hustling and we played as hard as we could and that the kids responded that way,” head coach Nancy Fahey said. “I wanted every loose ball to be a Wash. U. loose ball and to play with a passion and a focus; that’s all we can ask.”

The Red and Green also started off quickly against NYU, shooting 50 percent from the floor in the first half and 46.3 percent on the game. Berger led the charge with 16 points and eight rebounds, and Hoover added 11 points and eight assists.

With the game tied, 12-12, Berger connected on a three with 9:30 remaining in the first half to give Wash. U. the lead for the rest of the game. The Bears ended the half on 20-8 run to go into halftime with a 32-20 lead and create some distance between them and the Violets.

The Bears close the season at home against the No. 8 University of Chicago Maroons at 1 p.m. Saturday. The Maroons (21-3, 13-0 UAA) clinched the outright UAA title Sunday with a victory over NYU and defeated the Bears in both teams’ conference opener on Jan. 8.

“We need to win this game just to make sure that we get a good spot in the tournament and also to make a statement,” Hoover said. “It’s going to be a good confidence booster going into the tournament, so we need to be ready for Saturday.”

“What we’re trying to focus in on is just playing our best basketball and then see what happens,” Fahey said. “We know Chicago. We realize they won the conference and congratulate them, but let’s play.”