Behind a program record nine blocked shots from sophomore forward Umar Rashid, the #19 Case Western Reserve University men's basketball team cruised to a 90-75 win over #22 Washington University in St. Louis on Friday night at Horsburgh Gymnasium.
Rashid broke the program record with nine blocked shots in the game, including six blocks in the first half. He bested the mark of seven set by former Spartan David Thompson on February 23, 2013, against Washington (Mo.). Rashid broke the record on his eighth block of the game with 11:46 left in the game and finished the contest with seven points, four rebounds, and two steals.
The Spartans improved to 12-2 overall and 2-2 in University Athletic Association contests, while the conference leading Bears fell to 12-3 overall and 3-1 in the UAA. The 15-point win is the largest in program history over WashU.
Graduate student guard Mitch Prendergast led all scorers with 26 points, shooting 12-for-17 (70.6%) from the field and adding two rebounds and two blocks, the first of his career. Graduate student guard Danny Frauenheim dished out a team-high seven assists, adding 17 points and a team-high six rebounds, and senior forward Cole Frilling scored 15 points and added five rebounds.
After WashU made the score 10-8 in favor of the hosts six minutes into the first half, Case Western Reserve went on an 11-2 run to lead 21-10, capped by a layup from Prendergast. After the Bears twice cut their deficit to five, three-pointers by Rashid and junior forward Daniel Florey put the Spartans back up by 11 points with 7:06 left in the first period. A minute later with the Spartans leading by seven, CWRU went on a 16-1 run over the next five minutes to open up a 22-point lead. Following a WashU buzzer-beating three-pointer, the Spartans led by 19 at the half, 45-26.
After the break, CWRU scored the first six points of the second stanza to open up a 25-point advantage, 51-26. A jumper by junior forward Ian Elam with 12:56 left in the game gave the Spartans a 29-point lead, 68-39, their largest of the night. A Prendergast three-pointer with 5:29 left in the game gave Case Western Reserve an 86-60 lead, prompting both coaches to empty their benches for the remainder of the contest.
Overall, the Spartans shot 58.7% from the field and limited the Bears to just 43.7% shooting and 33.3% from beyond the arc. In the first half, WashU made just 27.0% of its shots. CWRU, which forced 13 turnovers, scored 24 points off WashU mistakes. The Spartans, who never trailed in the game, scored a season-high 50 points in the paint.
The Spartans will look to remain unbeaten at Horsburgh on Sunday, as the team hosts the University of Chicago at noon.