From Washington University Athletics
Five different players scored in double figures to lead the No. 9-ranked Washington University in St. Louis women's basketball team to a 92-68 win at Westminster College (Mo.) in the season opener Saturday afternoon.
The Bears jumped out to a 12-7 lead in the opening five minutes of the game, but the Bluejays rallied to within 18-17 on their third three-pointer of the quarter. Senior Jordan Thompson answered with a triple to spark an 8-0 run that also included a three by sophomore Natalie Orr to build a 26-17 lead. Westminster made another three, but a jumper by Thompson gave the Bears a 28-20 lead after the first quarter.
A three by Thompson and a free throw by senior Amanda Martinez extended the Bears' lead to 35-20 in 90 seconds into the second quarter. Westminster cut the deficit to 11, but WashU went on a 12-3 run, including two more three-pointers by Orr, to make it a 49-29 advantage with three minutes left in the first half. The Bears went into halftime with a 51-36 advantage after shooting 47.8 percent from the field.
A three-point play by junior Zoe Vernon pushed WashU's lead to 62-39 with 7:16 to play in the third quarter. The Bluejays cut the lead to 18, but that was as close as they could get the remainder of the contest as WashU finished with the 24-point win.
WashU finished with 43.5 percent shooting (37-85) in the game, while Westminster shot 38.9 percent (21-54). The Bears finished with a 45-36 rebounding advantage, and forced 26 turnovers by the Bluejays, outscoring them 31-11 in points off turnovers.
Orr equaled her career-high with 17 points, including 5-of-6 from three-point range to lead the Bears. Vernon added 16 points and four assists, while Martinez notched the first double-double of her career with a career-high 15 points and 10 rebounds. Thompson and junior Lily Sarros added 12 points each. Sarros also finished with eight rebounds, including seven on the offensive glass, while Thompson had four assists and four steals.
WashU (1-0) returns to action with a pair of games at the Chicago/WashU Classic Friday-Saturday, Nov. 20-21. The Bears face University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point at 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 20, in Chicago.
Bear Notebook: The Bears are 26-4 in season openers under head coach Nancy Fahey, including wins in each of the last eight … It was the first meeting between WashU and Westminster … The 92 points was the highest single-game scoring total for WashU since a 96-67 win at the University of Chicago Jan. 5, 2013 ... The Bears had 10 different players score in the game.