Case Western Reserve University junior guard McKenna Gross scored a career-high 21 points, but it was not enough for the Spartans, who suffered a 95-64 loss to Washington University (Mo.) on the road in St. Louis, Missouri on Sunday afternoon.

The loss dropped the Spartans to 7-13 on the season, including a 2-7 mark in the University Athletic Association, and resulted in a split of the season series with the Bears, who improved to 11-8 overall with a 5-3 conference record.

Gross shot seven-of-15 overall and made four-of-eight attempts from behind the three-point line to surpass her previous career-best of 19 points, scored against Carnegie Mellon during the 2019-20 season. She added two rebounds and two assists in the game. Sophomore forward Kayla Characklis scored 17 points on eight-of-14 shooting and collected a team-high eight rebounds, and junior guard/ forward Isabella Mills finished the game with 12 points, seven rebounds and a steal and two blocks.

CWRU led early in the game, going ahead 11-10 on a pair of free throws by sophomore forward Preet Gill with 3:28 to play, but the Bears closed the period out on a 9-0 run, and extended their lead by scoring the first five points in the second period to go ahead 24-11. WashU went on to take a 53-28 lead by the end of the half. The Spartans outscored the Bears 23-19 in the third quarter, as Characklis erupted for 12 points and four rebounds during the period, but Washington would expand its lead again in the fourth, en route to the win.

CWRU finished the game shooting 37.3% (22-of-59) overall and 25.0% (six-of-24) from long range, while connecting on 70.0% (14-of-20) free throws during the contest.

Case Western Reserve will return home from its brief two-game road swing for a pair of games for Throwback Weekend at Horsburgh Gymnasium in Cleveland next weekend. The Spartans are scheduled to face New York University on Friday night, followed by a Sunday afternoon matchup against Brandeis University.