ST. LOUIS, Mo. – It was almost like a home game for the No. 15 Washington University in St. Louis women's basketball as it traveled across the road for a game at Fontbonne on Tuesday evening. Bouncing back after the weekend, the Bears got the 93-35 win over the Griffins at Mabee Gym.
Graduate Jessica Brooks led all scorers with 17 points and recorded third double-double of the season with 11 rebounds. She was one of five Bears in double-figures as sophomore Lexy Harris (16), junior Nailah McBeth (14, sophomore Sidney Rogers (11) and sophomore Alyssa Hughes (10) all hit the mark.
It was all WashU from the start with the Bears outscoring the home team 30-7 in the opening 10 minutes. After senior Brenna Loftus made a layup just nine seconds into the contest, the Griffins hit a three-pointer for their only lead of the game at 9:32. WashU retook the lead at 9:16 for good.
A three pointer by sophomore Catherine Goodwin at 4:50 in the first put the Bears up by double-digits, 17-5. After a pair of free throws by the Griffins at 4:33 WashU sent on to score the final 10 points of the quarter.
Leading 30-7 to start the second quarter, the Bears would hold Fontbonne scoreless for 5:51, including the first 1:18 of the second period. WashU saw its lead extended to 30 for the first time on a Harris layup with 3:46 left in the first half.
A layup from Hughes at 2:22 saw the Bears' lead pushed to 36, the largest in the first half. Hughes would make the final two points of the half with just over a minute remaining that saw WashU lead 50-15 at the break.
The two teams came out of the locker room ready to make shots as they would trade basket-for-basket for nearly the first six minutes of the period. Brooks then started a 10-0 run for the Bears with a jumper at 3:47 and it was capped with a jumper from first-year Ava Blagojevich at 2:00.
The Griffins would score the next five points to end the period with WashU leading 73-31.
A pair of Harris free throws at 7:41 left in the game saw the lead get back up to 47 and 48 points. A three pointer by Rogers with 43 seconds left gave the Bears the largest lead of the contest and would finish with the 93-35 win over the Griffins.
WashU led in several categories including points off turnovers (34-7), rebounds (56-21), assists 21-7), steals (12-3), bench points (40-0), second change points (22-0) and points in the paint (62-6).
The Bears have won the past 23 meetings dating back to the 2001-02 season and lead the overall series 44-5.
WashU has a week to prepare for its next contest on Tuesday, Dec. 17 when they travel to another opponent from the SLIAC when it visits Greenville. The non-conference contest tips off at 7 p.m.