1/3 - WHITMAN 58, GEORGE FOX 50: Turnover-Plagued Bruins Drop NWC Opener at Whitman
WALLA WALLA, Wash. - An inability to put the ball in the basket and too many turnovers proved costly to the George Fox University Bruins as they dropped their Northwest Conference women's basketball opener 58-50 to the Whitman College Missionaries Friday night (Jan. 3) here at the Sherwood Center.
The Bruins never trailed in the first half, building up 8-point leads twice before settling for a 26-22 halftime lead. The Missionaries rallied to take the lead midway through the second half and took a 6-point lead at 50-44 on a free throw by Lizzy Washburn with 3:53 left. Baskets by Darby Cave and Amy Fitch and a pair of free throws by Sarah Myhre brought the Bruins to a 50-50 deadlock with 2:05 left, but they missed all four of their shots the rest of the way. Denise Kirstein broke the tie with a free throw and Mandee Romero hit a critical 3-pointer with 1:11 left, giving Whitman an insurmountable 54-50 lead.
The Bruins played excellent defense, holding the Missionaries to 29% shooting (16-55) and out-rebounding the home team 50-29. The George Fox offense never got cranked up, however, shooting only 32% (16-50), including a 2-16 night from 3-point range, and a turnover deficit of 27-8 gave Whitman too many extra opportunities to come back.
Cave posted her second double-double of the season with 19 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Bruins, hitting 9-10 from the free throw line, while Fitch and Kellie Thomas chipped in with 10 apiece. Fitch and Liz Clark had 8 rebounds each.
Leyla Khastou had 11 points to pace the Missionaries, with Miryia Libbey and Megan Higgins adding 10 each. Higgins also had 7 rebounds and 5 assists, while Kirstein had 7 steals.
George Fox dipped to 5-5 overall while Whitman improved to 3-6. The win snapped a string of 13 straight losses by the Missionaries to the Bruins, and was the first time George Fox coach Scott Rueck has ever lost to Whitman in seven seasons. The Missionaries' last win over the Bruins was on Jan. 19, 1995, ironically by an identical 58-50 score.
The Bruins continue their eastern Washington swing Saturday at pre-season conference favorite Whitworth College in Spokane, while the Missionaries entertain Pacific University Saturday. Both games are at 6:00 p.m., followed by men's games at 8:00 p.m.