The Bears jumped out to an early 9-2 lead with 16:51 left, converting on four of their first five shots. Washington U., which is averaging 8.2 three’s made per game, dialed long distance early and often in the first half as junior Scott Stone hit his first of three from beyond the arc to put the Bears up 21-7.
Sophomore Neal Griffin and junior Calvin Williams connected on three’s on back-to-back possessions to give the Bears a 33-14 lead with 6:49 left.
WU held a 45-30 advantage at halftime after converting on 8-of-20 from three-point range. Senior Rob Keller led the Bears with 13 first-half points while Stone added 11. WU shot 52.9 percent from the field in the first half and held Case Western Reserve (5-16, 1-9 UAA) to a 25.7 percent clip.
In the second half, the Bears pounded the ball inside to junior Mike Grunst and freshman Troy Ruths. Grunst scored two buckets early in the half and was replaced by Ruths, who scored eight quick points to give Washington University its largest lead of the game 68-45 with 9:11 remaining.
Keller led the Bears with 17 points and seven rebounds, while Stone and Ruths added 11 points apiece. Senior Anthony Hollins led the Bears with eight rebounds in the victory. Mason Conrad led Case Western Reserve with 15 points and seven boards.
Washington University (14-8, 6-5 UAA) returns to action Friday, Feb. 18 at home against Carnegie Mellon University. Tip-off is set for 8 p.m. at the WU Field House.