BOX SCORE
SATURDAY COVERAGE: LIVE STATS / VIDEO
ST. LOUIS, Mo. -- Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology relied on a strong defensive effort to remain competitive with No. 10 ranked Washington University, before the Bears battled their way to a 59-35 women's basketball victory in the Fightin' Engineer women's basketball season opener on Friday night.
Rose-Hulman held the nationally ranked Bears to just 35% from the field and 20% from three-point range to remain within striking distance for much of the evening. The balanced attack for Washington University proved the difference, with Melissa Gilkey scoring a game-high 13 points.
Maddy Scheppers added 12 points for Washington University, and Alyssa Johanson also reached double figures with 10 points for the Bears.
Sophomore Josie Schmidt paced Rose-Hulman with eight points and seven rebounds. Junior Carrie Morris contributed seven points, and senior Gracie Gibbs joined sophomore Jamie Loving with six points each. Gibbs added seven rebounds on the evening.
Rose-Hulman held Washington University to just 26 points in the first half to trail 26-16 at the break. The Bears opened the second half with a spurt to secure control of the contest, however.
Rose-Hulman stands 0-1 on the season, while Washington University improved to 2-0. The Fightin' Engineers face Denison University at 5 p.m. on Saturday in the consolation game of the Washington University McWilliams Classic.
