St. Louis, Mo. - Host Washington University outscored DePauw, 20-6, in the third quarter to move from a halftime tie to a 14-point lead on the way to a 47-41 victory over the Tigers in the Midwest Challenge championship game.

DePauw, ranked 17th in the latest coaches' poll and 19th by D3hoops.com, dropped to 3-2, while the Bears, ranked 12th in the coaches' and ninth by D3hoops.com, improved to 4-1. 

The Tigers connected on just 2-of-12 first-quarter shots, but trailed only, 8-5. DePauw rallied in the second half to knot the halftime score at 17-17. During the second quarter, DePauw hit 42.9 percent and held the Bears to 25 percent.

Washington scored eight straight to start the second half as the Tigers committed turnovers on each of their first three possessions. The Bears' defensive pressure forced DePauw into nine turnovers in the quarter as the hosts led by as many as 18 before taking a 37-23 lead into the final stanza.

The Bears pushed the lead back to 17 early in the fourth before the Tigers scored nine consecutive to cut the margin to 41-33 with 4:25 remaining. Washington's Zoe Vernon hit a three to push the lead back to double digits, but Abby Keller scored a bucket and Maya Howard hit four straight free throws to trim the deficit to 44-39 with 54 seconds left.

Washington's Amanda Martinez hit a pair of free throws and the Tigers were unable to convert on the offensive end. Martinez made one free throw at the 27-second mark to expand the lead to 47-39. DePauw's Claire Ryan added the game's final points on a steal and layup with 10 seconds remaining.

Maya Howard paced the Tigers with 13 points, while Taylor Howard grabbed nine rebounds. 

Martinez led Washington with 13 points and four assists with Lily Sarros hauling down eight rebounds.

Both teams shot 32.7 percent from the field with DePauw connecting on 1-of-7 from three-point range to the Bears' 5-of-18. The Bears held a 37-35 edge on the boards, while DePauw committed 19 turnovers to Washington's 17.

The Tigers open the home portion of their schedule on Wednesday, December 2, when they host Millikin at 6 p.m.