Unruh, who was limited to five points in the first half, scored 16 points in the second half on 6-of-11 shooting from the field with four three-pointers. Junior guard Alex Hoover added 18 points and four assists on 11-of-12 shooting from the foul line, while her younger sister Dani Hoover added 12 second-half points.
The Bears shot a sizzling 59.3 percent (16-27) from the field in the second half, while connecting on 5-of-8 from three point range. For the game, Washington U. shot 47.5 percent (28-59) from the field and hit 20-of-25 from the foul line.
“We wanted to come out here tonight and compete and we did. When we ran our system, we were very successful and got open shots,” said Washington University head coach Nancy Fahey. “We hit some big shots and made our free-throws in the second half, and did not fold when SIU responded with a run.”
Washington U. led 7-6 early in the first half after a runner by junior Jenny Lloyd, but SIU-Carbondale’s defense forced two turnovers by the Bears that resulted in a 6-0 run to build a 12-6 advantage.
Sophomore Bethany Morrison, a transfer from Dartmouth College, came off the bench and nailed a three-pointer from the wing, and then after a defensive stop, Alex Hoover hit a three from the top of the key to trim the lead to one at 14-13. After another miss by the Salukis, junior Janice Evans nailed two free-throws to extend Bears’ run to 8-2 giving WU the 15-14.
Back-to-back three-point plays by Evans and Morrison ignited an 11-4 run, capped by a three-pointer from the corner by Unruh, gave Washington U. its largest lead of the half at 28-21 with 4:49 remaining. The host Salukis ended the half with a 12-4 run as SIUC took a 33-32 advantage to the locker room.
Evans led all scorers with nine points in the first half, while Hoover and Morrison added six points each. Washington U. shot 37.5 (12-32) percent from the field in the opening 20 minutes of play, and forced 12 turnovers.
The Bears hit their first four shots of the second half, including two three-pointers from the wing by Unruh, as WU regained a 40-35 lead. Washington U. turned the ball over on seven of its next eight possessions, and SIUC responded with an 8-2 run to knot the score at 48-48 with 11:58 left.
WU continued to struggle on the offensive end going almost five minutes without a bucket, before Unruh’s fourth three-pointer of the game which cut the SIUC advantage to 56-53. The three by Unruh started the decisive run and Washington U. would never relinquish the lead. The Bears hit 11-of-12 from the free-throw line in the final four minutes of play.
Stephany Neptune led SIU Carbondale with 25 points and 15 rebounds, while Teri Oliver and Eboni Crayton added 16 points each. The Salukis committed 26 turnovers in the loss, and outrebounded Washington U., 41-29.
Washington University begins its 31st season of intercollegiate play at home on Sunday, Nov. 15, hosting Augustana College (Ill.). Game time is set for 1 p.m. at the WU Field House.