Senior forward Rebecca Parker paced the Red and Green with 15 points and 14 rebounds. Sophomore guard Jill Brandt also added a career-best 16 points, while freshman wing Zoë Unruh scored in double figures for the second-straight day with 12 points and nine boards.
The Bears held a 53-40 advantage on the boards, but hit just 34 percent of their field goal attempts (including 15 percent from beyond the three-point arc) and 44 percent of their foul shots.
Central, which went 10-for-27 from three-point range, took a one-point lead (29-28) into the break at halftime and outscored WU, 51-41, in the second frame.
Washington U. returns to action Tuesday, Nov. 21, when it hosts Blackburn College. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. at the WU Field House in St. Louis.