Junior Sidney Rogers receives a pass against Carnegie Mellon. (Bobby Kaplan | Staff Photographer)

On Jan. 16 and 18, the WashU women’s basketball team traveled to Carnegie Mellon University and Case Western Reserve University. WashU lost to Carnegie Mellon with a late Tartans scoring run and rebounded to defeat Case Western two days later. 

One month later, in a replay of these University Athletic Association (UAA) fixtures, history repeated itself. The No. 16 Bears fell to Carnegie Mellon 72-59 on Feb. 13 and withstood a late Spartans attack to defeat Case Western 81-76 on Feb. 15. 

While the loss to Carnegie Mellon hurt the Bears’ NCAA Power Index rating and their chances to host games in the upcoming NCAA tournament, they still have a chance to strengthen their resume in the upcoming weeks. With just three games left in the regular season, the Bears enter a crucial stretch on a high note after beating Case Western.

“Being in the UAA and having back-to-back games means that you can’t linger on your losses,” junior center Lexy Harris said. “We didn’t think about [the loss to Carnegie], and we didn’t let it impact the way we played against Case Western.” 

Carnegie Mellon 72, WashU 59

In the first 35 matchups between WashU and Carnegie Mellon since the Tartans started their women’s basketball program in 2007, the Bears won every single time. But in the four games they’ve played since last season, Carnegie Mellon has flipped the script and gone 4-0. 

The first quarter was a low-scoring affair, with Harris and junior guard Catherine Goodwin producing most of WashU’s offensive production. The defensive game continued until the tail end of fourth quarter, when Carnegie Mellon broke away. The Tartans went on a 21-0 run to end the game, stunning the Bears by forcing six turnovers, shooting 64% from the field, and knocking down three timely 3-pointers in the final quarter.

Harris recorded a double-double in the win with 20 points and 12 rebounds. Goodwin scored 12 points but otherwise, the team struggled to produce offensively. 

WashU 81, Case Western 76

The Bears rebounded nicely to beat a struggling Case Western team, managing the Spartans’ late offensive outburst. For most of the contest, WashU kept a narrow lead over Case Western. They led by 8 points at halftime, thanks to a rebounding effort which Harris fronted. 

“The points come with rebounds,” Harris said. “We’re ensuring that we play super physically, having a lot of effort, and making sure that we’re playing hard.” 

The Bears narrowly stayed ahead for the entire game, save for a 47-second Case Western advantage in the second quarter. Harris led the way once again, recording 27 points and 12 rebounds for her second double-double of the weekend. Junior guards Sidney Rogers and Alyssa Hughes both recorded three 3-pointers, while senior forward Jordan Rich led the Bears with 14 rebounds.

With six seconds left in the fourth quarter, the Spartans made a final push to take the lead, coming within one possession of the Bears. With two timely free throws from Goodwin, however, the Bears sealed their 81-76 victory. 

Next weekend, the Bears will travel to face No. 1 New York University (NYU) on Feb. 20. NYU recently broke the 1998-2001 WashU women’s basketball teams’ record for the longest consecutive win streak in Division III women’s basketball history, and the Bears are looking for revenge after falling to NYU on Jan. 23. The Bears believe that if any team can break NYU’s 84-game streak, it’s them.

“I really think we’re the team that’s going to beat NYU’s streak,” Harris said. “I think it’s super exciting to have the chance to beat them on their home court.”

The Bears will also face Brandeis University on Feb. 22 before closing the regular season against the No. 19 University of Chicago on Feb. 28.