The Bears took control of the paint early, jumping out to a 9-2 lead and forcing a Gorloks timeout at the 16:01 mark. Sophomore Troy Ruths opened the game with a baby hook shot from eight feet out and also capped off the run with a reverse lay-up. Webster responded with an 8-0 run of its own, sealed by a three-pointer from the left wing by junior Tim Timmerman.
Nikitas bounced back with his own 8-0 run for the Bears. His scoring streak started with a free throw; he followed with a 15-footer along the right baseline, a breakaway lay-up and a three-pointer from the right wing to give WU a 17-10 lead. Freshman Sean Wallis, who finished with six points, four rebounds and four assists, assisted on the last two Nikitas baskets.
After Webster (0-3) trimmed Washington U.’s lead to 23-21, the Red and Green went on a 17-7 run to close out the first half with a 40-28 advantage. Freshman Tyler Nading led the Bears with nine points and four rebounds in the half, while Ruths and Nikitas each added eight points. Junior Scott Spinner led Webster with nine points in the first frame, and Timmerman chipped in with eight points.
Nikitas, who grabbed seven rebounds, continued his strong play in the second half. He scored the last five points of a 7-0 Washington U. run to give his team a 62-43 lead with 10:40 left on the clock. Nading finished with a season-high 13 points and six rebounds, while Ruths registered 13 points and nine boards. Spinner led the Gorloks with 18 points on 8-of-11 shooting from the field.
Washington University (1-2) returns to action Friday, Nov. 25 at 5:30 p.m. (PST) Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges in Claremont, Calif.