Leading 12-11, the Bears reserves scored 10 of the next 12 points to take a 22-13 lead and force a Maryville timeout. Junior Calvin Williams and sophomore Neal Griffin connected from beyond the arc, and freshman Troy Ruths notched a pair of buckets during the run.
WU stretched its lead to 29-15 at the 5:55 mark behind another trey and fastbreak lay-up by Griffin. After the Saints whistled for their second timeout, the Bears outscored the Saints 10-7 the rest of the way to take a 39-22 halftime lead. Senior Rob Keller led all scorers at the break with 12 points on 5-for-9 shooting from the field.
Washington U.’s lead grew to 28 (59-31) with about 12 minutes remaining in the game.
Ruths finished with 12 points and six rebounds on 6-of-6 shooting, while freshman Jim Grabowski added 11 points and six rebounds. Williams registered eight points, while Griffin also finished with eight. Keller notched a game-high 19 points on 8-of-13 from the field. Marcus Henderson led Maryville in scoring with 11 points, leaving him as the only Saint in double figures.
Washington U. shot 50 percent from the field (34-of-68) and held Maryville to 30.8 percent shooting. The Bears also held a 48-34 advantage on the boards and an 11-3 edge in blocked shots.
Washington University (8-3), which is two wins shy of 1,000 all-time wins in the 99-year history of the program, opens University Athletic Association (UAA) play on Jan. 8 at the University of Chicago. Tip off is set for 3 p.m. in the Windy City.