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Bears Overcome Slow Start in Win at Brandeis

Bears Overcome Slow Start in Win at Brandeis
Posted: Feb 21, 2020

From Washington University Athletics

The Washington University in St. Louis women's basketball team overcame an 18-point first quarter deficit in a 72-60 road win at Brandeis University Friday in Waltham, Mass.

Freshman Sammi Matoush scored 20 points on 8-of-14 shooting from the field, including 4-of-7 from three-point range, while sophomore Samantha Weaver tied her career high with 18 points and seven rebounds. Freshman Molly Gannon (13 points, five assists) and senior Kristina Schmelter (12 poitns, nine rebounds) also scored in double figures.

WashU shot 41.3 percent (26-63) from the field in the win and hit 12-of-13 from the free-throw line.

WashU won its fourth-straight game to improve to 14-9 and 7-5 in the University Athletic Association (UAA), while Brandeis suffered its seventh loss in its last eight games and fell to 13-10 and 3-9 in the league.

Brandeis jumped all over WashU in the first quarter building a 20-2 lead. The Bears hit just 1-of-10 from the field to start the contest.

The Judges led 27-11 after one quarter as Brandeis his 11-of-16 shots, including 5-of-8 from beyond the arc.

Matoush got the hot hand for WashU as she canned a three and scored inside the paint to highlight a 7-0 run as the Bears cut the lead to 29-18. The run for WashU extended to 18-2, and Gannon's three made it a two-point game (31-29) with 1:57 to play before half.

WashU outscored Brandeis 18-8 in the second quarter, limiting the Judges to 23.5 percent (4-17) shooting.

Brandeis led 35-29 at the half as Gannon had eight points and Matoush added seven. WashU shot 34.4 percent (11-32) from the field and hit just 3-of-14 from three.

The Bears opened the third quarter on a 19-4 run to take the 48-39 lead. Matoush and Weaver scored the first 12 points of the quarter for WashU. The Bears shot 50 percent (9-18) from the field in the third and took a 50-43 lead to the fourth.

Matoush hit a three to get the lead to double figures (55-45), and then sophomore Hayley Semple's corner three with the shot clock expiring made it 63-51.

Hannah Nicholson led Brandeis with 14 points and 11 rebounds.

BEAR NOTEBOOK: WashU leads the all-time series with Brandeis 59-5, and the Bears have won four of the last five meetings … The Bears outrebounded Brandeis 45-32.