From Washington University Athletics
The No. 20-ranked Washington University in St. Louis men's basketball hit 12 three-pointers and shot 52.1 percent from the field as the Bears posted a 97-75 win over New York University Friday at the WU Field House in St. Louis. The 97 points were a season-high for Washington University.
Washington U. improved to 18-5, 7-5 in the University Athletic Association (UAA), while New York dropped to 16-7, 7-5 in the UAA. The University of Chicago, New York and Washington U. are tied for second in the conference standings, one game behind first place Emory University with two games remaining.
Senior point guard David Fatoki led all five starters in double figures with his fifth career double-double with 26 points and 10 assists, while junior guard Luke Silverman-Lloyd added 18 points on four threes.
Senior forward Matt Palucki had 17 points and nine rebounds, while senior forward Nick Burtjust missed a triple-double with 12 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists. Junior forward Mitch Styczynski added 10 points.
Washington U. outrebounded New York, 39-36, and had a 25-10 advantage in points off turnovers. The Bears also had a season-high 13 steals and nine blocks in the win.
It was the backcourt play of Fatoki and Silverman-Lloyd that gave Washington U. a double-digit lead seven minutes into the contest. The duo had 13 of the Bears first 20 points, including back-to-back threes by Fatoki, as Washington U. built a 20-9 lead with 13:27 to play.
Sophomores Clinton Hooks and Peter Rankowitz came off the bench and hit a pair of key three-pointers midway through the second half. Hooks' three fueled a 7-0 run as the Bears took their largest lead of the half at 38-24 with 3:36 to play.
Washington U. shot 50 percent (17-of-34) from the field and hit 7-of-13 three-pointers to build a 44-35 halftime lead. Palucki (11 points), Fatoki (10 points, six assists) and Silverman-Lloyd (10) all scored in double figures for the Bears, who had a 12-3 advantage in points off turnovers.
The Bears scored the first seven points of the second half to jump in front 50-35. A three-pointer by Silverman-Lloyd pushed the advantage to 55-38 with 16:41 to play and force a timeout by New York.
Fatoki scored five-straight points, including his fourth three of the game, to push the lead to 67-45, and then Styczynski sealed the win with a two-handed flush to make it 75-53 with 8:23 to play.
Hakeem Harris led all scored with 30 points on five three-pointers, while Even Kupferberg (12) and Patrick Burns (11) also scored in double figures. New York shot 42.6 percent (26-of-61) from the field and had 18 turnovers in the loss.
Washington U. continues a three-game home stand against Brandeis University Sunday, Feb. 20, at Noon.
Bear Notebook: Washington U. leads the all-time series with New York, 42-14, and the Bears have won five of the last six meetings … 2003 graduate and two-time All-American Chris Jeffries was honored at halftime of the women's game for his induction into the Washington U. Sports Hall of Fame … Head coach Mark Edwards picked up career win No. 625 … New York entered the game first in the UAA in three-point field-goal percentage defense (.299) and rebounding margin (+8.1) … Palucki passed Dustin Tylka (1999-2003) for 15th on the all-time scoring list with 1,192 points, and is now fourth in all-time rebounding with 706.