1/24 - GEORGE FOX 60, WILLAMETTE 39: Bruin Defense Clamps Down on Bearcats
SALEM, Ore. - In their best defensive showing of the season, the George Fox University Bruins held Willamette University to only 13 points in the second half and posted a 60-39 win over the Bearcats in a Northwest Conference women's basketball game Friday night (Jan. 24) here at Cone Fieldhouse.
For the first seven minutes of the game, the host Bearcats held the lead, although never by more than four points. Kim Leith's three-pointer with 12:29 left in the half broke a 12-12 tie and gave the Bruins a lead they would not relinquish. George Fox held its biggest lead of the half at intermission, 37-26.
The Bruins stretched that lead to 18 at 50-32 on a short jumper by Liz Clark with 10:51 left. Over the next seven minutes, the Bruins went scoreless but held the Bearcats to only five points during that same span. Darby Cave finally broke the dry spell with a left hook at the 3:36 mark, and the Bruins went on to up their lead to 21, the final margin, on a layup by Brittanie Strutz with 29 seconds left.
The George Fox defense held Willamette under 50 percent shooting in every category: field goals (.288, 17-59), three-pointers (.063, 1-16), and even free throws (.444, 4-9). The Bruins connected on .480 from the field (24-50), .500 on threes (5-10), and .700 on free throws (.700). The Bruins also held a big lead in rebounds, 45-25.
Leith and Clark led a balanced Bruin attack with 10 points each, Sarah Myhre led the way on the boards with 8, and Emily Ruggles had 4 assists
For the Bearcats, Rosie Contri and Simmie Muth scored 10 apiece, and Deanna Lund grabbed 8 rebounds.
With their third straight win, the Bruins improved to 11-6 overall and 6-2 in the conference. The Bearcats fell to 7-9 overall and 1-6 in the league.
George Fox is off until next Friday (Jan. 31), hosting Whitman College at 6:00 p.m. to kick off Homecoming weekend. Willamette hosts first-place Pacific Lutheran University Saturday (Jan. 25) at 6:00 p.m.