The No. 21 men’s basketball team improved its overall record to 5-0 with three victories a week ago. The Bears posted an 85-62 victory over Fontbonne University Tuesday at home, and then posted a pair of wins over Austin College (94-63) and Simpson College (71-66) Friday and Saturday at the Snyder Classic in Lincoln, Neb.
Senior center Robert Burnett recorded the second double-double of his career with a career-high 19 points and 11 rebounds in the win over Fontbonne. Junior guard Alan Aboona added a career-best 17 points, while junior forward Chris Klimek chipped in with 13 first-half points and eight rebounds. Klimek and Aboona were each named to the Snyder Classic All-Tournament Team. Aboona set a tournament record with 18 assists in the two games, while Klimek averaged 22.5 points per game.
Washington University hosts the 29th Annual Lopata Classic Friday-Saturday, Nov. 30-Dec. 1, at the Field House. No. 8 Illinois Wesleyan University, Tufts University, Wilmington College and WUSTL will take part in the two-day event. Illinois Wesleyan and Tufts take the court at 6 p.m. Friday, followed by WUSTL and Wilmington at 8 p.m.
Women’s basketball splits games against top-25 opponents
The No. 9 women’s basketball team suffered its first loss of the season against No. 4 DePauw University Saturday, but bounced back with a big win over No. 21 Coe College Sunday at the Titan Tip-Off Tournament in Bloomington, Ill.
The Bears were edged by DePauw, 60-59, on a pair of free throws for the Tigers with 6.1 seconds left. WUSTL shot 50 percent from the field in the loss, but DePauw finished with 18 points on 29 free-throw attempts, while the Bears were 3-of-5 from the line. Sophomore guard Maddy Scheppers (11 points, four steals) and sophomore forward Melissa Gilkey (10 points) led WUSTL in scoring.
WUSTL had 13 different players score in the Bears’ 81-46 win over Coe Sunday. The Bears made nine three-pointers in the game and shot 49.2 percent from the field, while outrebounding the Kohawks, 50-26. Scheppers (16 points), Gilkey (14 points), and freshman guard Jordan Thompson (10 points) each scored in double figures to lead the Bears to the win.
Washington University returns to action Saturday, Dec. 1, at Elmhurst College. Tip-off is scheduled for 4 p.m. in Elmhurst, Ill.
Swimming & diving sweeps team titles at IWU Invitational
The men’s and women’s swimming & diving teams combined to win 13 events as both teams finished first at the Illinois Wesleyan University Invitational Nov. 17 in Bloomington, Ill. Washington University won eight events and scored 149 points to finish first in the women’s team standings ahead of runner-up Illinois Wesleyan (121). On the men’s side, the Bears won five events and scored 135 points to edge Augustana College, who finished second with 134.
The WUSTL women posted 11 of the top-12 finishes in the 200 freestyle, led by junior Jennifer Tartavull (2:00.01) and freshman Grace Counts (2:00.82) who finished first and second, respectively. Freshman Sophie Gan (1:09.95), Tartavull (1:10.33), and junior Connie Shao (1:12.32) all posted season-best times to sweep the top-three spots in the 100 breaststroke. WUSTL also swept first through third in the women’s 200 individual medley, with freshman Kristalyn McAfee (2:12.67) and junior Chi Pham (2:14.17) posting season bests to finish first and second, while sophomore Katrina Leyden (2:18.79) placed third.
On the men’s side, sophomore Luke Dobben (49.75), and freshmen Kaisen Yao (50.13) and RJ Petrella (50.17) each swam season-best times to finish first through third in the 100 freestyle. WUSTL swept the top-five spots in that event. Junior Brian Carpenter and sophomore Jake Ritchken finished first and second in the 100 breaststroke with times of 1:00.22 and 1:03.02, respectively. Senior Brendan Morin also won an individual event for the WUSTL men, finishing first in the 50 freestyle with a time of 22.19. The 200-medley relay team of freshman Luke Duschl, Carpenter, freshman Reed Dalton and sophomore Matt Nutter won the event with a time of 1:38.26, while the team of Yao, Ritchken, Morin and sophomore Will Miller placed second in 1:39.48. WUSTL picked up its fifth event win in the 200-freestyle relay.
McAfee (1:00.54) and sophomore Hannah Chase (1:01.11) each recorded season bests to place first and second, respectively, in the 100 butterfly for the WUSTL women. In the 500 freestyle, sophomore Sara Taege posted a season-best time of 5:17.69 to win the race, while junior Grace Murray finished third with a season-best time of 5:24.91. Freshman Hannah Lillioja won the 100 backstroke in a time of 1:01.33. The WUSTL women also swept the top-two finishes in both the 200-medley and 200-freestyle relays. Freshman Katie Anderson, Tartavull, freshman Amanda Stadermann and senior Veronica Tse teamed up to win the 200-medley relay in 1:52.63, while the team of Pham, Gan, Chase and McAfee placed second in 1:53.56.
The Bears return to action at the Wheaton Invitational Friday-Saturday, Nov. 30-Dec. 1, in Wheaton, Ill.