2/28 - WHITMAN 68, GEORGE FOX 62: Whitman Clinches Tie for NWC Title with Closing Win Over Bruins
WALLA WALLA, Wash. - A 7-0 run over a 3-minute span in the closing moments enabled the Whitman College Missionaries to break away from a 57-57 tie and go on to clinch a share of the Northwest Conference women's basketball championship with a 68-62 win over the George Fox University Bruins Saturday night here at the Sherwood Center.
By virtue of a Pacific Lutheran University loss to Pacific University and a University of Puget Sound win over Linfield College Saturday, PLU was bumped from a share of the title and the Missionaries tied with UPS. It is the Loggers who will gain the NWC's automatic berth, however, by virtue of a coin flip, and Whitman must hope for an at-large bid.
George Fox led only twice in the game, at 5-4 on a 3-pointer by Liz Clark with 17:06 left in the first half and at 31-30 on a jumper by Amy Fitch with 17:35 to go in the game, but the Missionaries could never put the Bruins away completely until late in the game. Kellie Thomas' 3-pointer knotted the game 57-57 with 3:43 left to play, but Denise Kirstein broke the deadlock with a free throw with 2:33 left, Laura Vertatschitsch nailed a three at 1:49, Lizzy Washburn hit a jumper at 0:53, and Vertatschitsch added a free throw at 0:44 for a 64-57 Whitman lead. The Bruins got no closer than five thereafter.
Kim Leith led the Bruins with 16 points, Thomas scored 15, and Clark added 12. Sarah Myhre came off the bench to grab 7 rebounds, but the Bruins were out-rebounded for one of the few times this season, 43-34. Thomas had 5 assists. Senior post Darby Cave scored 6 points and finished her career 6 points shy of 1,000 for her four years at George Fox with 994.
Sarah Laird scored 15 to lead the Missionaries, Washburn had a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds, and Vertatschitsch scored 11. Washburn and Vertatschistsch had 4 assists apiece.
George Fox ends its season at 13-12, the Bruins' 11th straight winning season, and 7-9 in the conference. Whitman is 19-6 overall and 13-3 in the league while hoping for one of six at-large bids to be given to "Pool C" teams, which include runner-ups from all conferences.