The Maroons led 8-6 early behind a three-pointer apiece from junior Jennifer Kaiser and sophomore Korry Schwanz. WU (21-4, 11-3 UAA) reeled off nine straight points thereafter to build a 15-8 lead and force a UC timeout with 15:06 left.
Junior Alicia Herald corralled an offensive board and scored a put-back to start the run. Senior Kelly Manning connected from beyond the arc in the left corner, and classmate Hallie Hutchens broke ahead of the pack for a transition lay-up. Junior Danielle Beehler knocked down a pull-up 15-footer the next trip down the floor, when the Maroons whistled for time.
Chicago would not go away, though. Kaiser connected again from three-point range, as the Maroons fought back to knot the score at 29-29 at the 3:33 mark. Junior Susie Gutowski highlighted UC's 21-14 run, hitting 7-of-8 free throws and totaling nine points.
The last three minutes of the first frame belonged to Washington U., as it ended the half on a 16-3 run to take a 45-32 halftime advantage. Junior Katie Benson started the WU run with a triple from the right wing. After a pair of foul shots by Beehler, Benson hit another three-point field goal. Manning scored on a driving lay-up and a pull-up jumper the next two trips. Sophomore Sarah Schell drove the lane for two and Manning closed out the half with two more free throws just before the buzzer.
Manning led all scorers with 16 points at the break, while Gutowski paced the Maroons with 10 points.
The game tightened up early in the second half. After WU's flurry to close out the first frame, the teams combined for just nine points through the first six-plus minutes of the second period. Washington U. broke the game open with a 10-3 run to open the half, forcing a Chicago (16-9, 9-5 UAA) timeout at the 12:44 mark. WU's defense limited UC to just xx second-half points.
Senior Leslie Berger tallied career-high and team single-game record 13 assists and no turnovers. Her 13 assists also broke the UAA record. Hutchens recorded her sixth double-double of the season with 10 points and 11 rebounds, while Manning netted a game-high 25 points. Schwanz led UC with 17 points.
WU , which entered the day tied with Brandeis University at 10-3 in the UAA, gained sole possession of the conference crown as Brandeis lost at New York University. The Bears will make their 16th-straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament; the full Tournament field will be unveiled Sunday, Feb. 27 at 9 p.m. via the Internet at www.ncaasports.com.