Delaware, Ohio, December 30, 2010 – The No. 4 Washington University in St. Louis women's basketball team used a 19-2 run midway through the second half to break a 43-43 tie on its way to a 71-59 victory over Bluffton University on Thursday afternoon in the consolation game of the Ohio Wesleyan University Bishop Classic Tournament in Delaware, Ohio.

Washington University stepped up its defensive pressure to start the second half, limiting Bluffton to just 1-of-9 shooting to start the period as the Bears stretched their three-point halftime lead to seven points, 42-35, five minutes into the action.

The Beavers used three-point shooting to get back into the game. Kim Meyer and Francena Tate each sunk a long-range bucket to cut the WUSTL advantage to just one, and Brittany Stagmaier scored on a lay-up with just under 12 minutes to play to knot the score at 43-43.

Just as she did in the first half, junior point guard Bethany Morison sparked a crucial scoring run for the Red and Green. Morrison scored twice to give the Bears a four-point lead and move the momentum permanently back in Washington University's direction.

Bluffton went nearly five minutes without a point during the decisive WUSTL run. Senior Kathryn Berger contributed seven points over that stretch and sophomore Kristin Anda chipped in six.

Anda finished the game with a career-high 14 points, 10 of which came during the second half. Morrison also reached a new career-high in scoring, with 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting, and Berger led all scorers with 15 points.

Morrison sparked an 11-2 Washington University scoring run over the final three minutes of the first half to help the Bears erase a six-point deficit and create their 32-29 halftime cushion.

Washington U. held a 19-15 lead with just over eight minutes to play in the opening period, but experienced a 5:21 field goal drought while Bluffton went on a 12-2 run and surged ahead 27-21. The Bears missed three field goals and turned the ball over five times as Bluffton grabbed its largest lead of the game.

Bluffton's Jessica Beatty banked in a three-pointer to break a 21-21 tie, and the Beavers increased their lead to six with a three-pointer from Tate on their next possession.

Morrison snapped the Bears out of their offensive funk with a three of her own, and added a lay-up a minute later to pull her team within one. Washington U. scored three times during the final minute of the half with two baskets from Anda and another from junior Claire Schaeperkoetter to create the halftime advantage.

Kylee Burkholder led Bluffton with 10 points and seven rebounds while Meyer and Stegmaier each chipped in nine points apiece. The Beavers hit 9-of-30 three-point attempts (30.0 percent) and shot 35.6 percent from the field, while Washington U. finished shooting 41.9 percent but with just a pair of three-pointers.

Washington U. (9-2) returns to action on Saturday, Jan. 8, when it heads to Chicago, Ill., to commence its 2011 University Athletic Association (UAA) campaign against the University of Chicago. Game time is scheduled for 1 p.m. at the Gerald Ratner Athletics Center.

Bear Notebook: With nine rebounds on Thursday, Berger moved past Chanda Jackson (1988-92) for eighth place in school history with 593 boards in her career … Washington U. outrebounded Bluffton 41-40, and has now outrebounded 10 of its 11 opponents so far this season … Bluffton snapped the Bears' five-game streak of holding their opponents to fewer than 50 points.