In arguably the biggest win in the history of the men's basketball program at Case Western Reserve University, graduate student guard Mitch Prendergast knocked down a pair of three pointers in the final 90 seconds to help the Spartans secure a 75-70 win over third-ranked Washington University (Mo.) on Sunday afternoon and give the team sole possession of second place in the University Athletic Association.

With the win, the Spartans now stand at 15-2 overall on the season, including a 5-1 mark in UAA games. CWRU sits just half a game back of first-place Emory at the halfway point of the conference schedule. Washington dropped to 14-3 overall and to 4-2 in the UAA.

The win was just the Spartans' sixth-ever against Washington, and its first since the 2014-15 campaign. It was the first home win for CWRU against the Bears since the 1989-90 season.

Prendergast led all scorers in the game with 18 points, connecting on six-of-14 shots overall and three-of-nine attempts from long range, while adding four rebounds, three assists and two steals. Junior forward Cole Frilling finished with 15 points and six rebounds, and graduate student forward Brian Hines turned in one of his best games to date as a Spartan, shooting six-of-six from the floor and finishing with 12 points, six rebounds and a pair of blocks. Graduate student guard Griffin Kornaker added nine points and team-highs with six assists and three steals.

Hines helped the Spartans survive a cold shooting start, accounting for all of the team's six points over the first eight minutes of the game and keeping the game within reach 10-6. However, the Spartans quickly found their touch from the floor, as Prendergast knocked down a three and a layup on back-to-back possessions that gave CWRU its first lead of the game, 11-10, with 11:07 remaining. It started a 21-5 run for the Spartans that put the team ahead by 12, 27-15, with 6:03 to play in the period. CWRU would lead by as many as 13 points in the first half, going ahead 33-20 on a jumper by Frilling with 3:34 left in the half, but the Bears closed the gap to seven points, 39-32, by halftime.

After shooting just three-for-10 from the floor to start the first half, the Spartans shot 13-21 to close out the frame.

A three pointer by senior guard Robert Faller gave the Spartans an 11-point lead, 46-35, with 15:04 to play in the game, and after the Bears pulled the game back within six, CWRU expanded its lead back to 11 again with 10:50 remaining, when sophomore forward Hunter Drenth converted a traditional three-point play to set the score to 54-43. Washington continued to battle back, and pulled within a point, 67-66, on a three by Hayden Doyle with 1:47 left. However, Prendergast answered with a three of his own on the next possession to expand the Spartans' lead back to four, and then after a pair of free throws by WashU, Prendergast connected on another three with 13 seconds remaining to put the Spartans ahead 73-68.

Doyle knocked down two more free throws for the Bears to get his team back within two with seven seconds left, but Kornaker knocked down two free throws of his own with six seconds left, and stole the ensuing inbound pass to cement the win for CWRU.

The Spartans finished the game with a decisive edge from the free throw line, connecting on all 12 of their attempts, compared to just 16-of-23 (69.6%) from the line for the Bears. CWRU made all 18 of its free throw attempts during its two games this weekend.

CWRU finished the game shooting 43.1% (28-of-65) overall and 25.9% (seven-of-27) from three-point range, while the Bears shot 39.0% overall (23-of-59) and 28.1% (eight-of-21) from behind the three-point line. Justin Hardy and Charlie Jacob each scored a team-high 26 points for WashU.

The CWRU women also defeated WashU on Sunday afternoon, marking the first time ever that the Spartan men and women had swept a doubleheader against the Bears.

With the UAA schedule at its halfway point, the Spartans will be on the road next weekend, continuing their conference schedule at the University of Chicago on Friday night and with a rematch at Washington on Sunday afternoon.