1/21 - GEORGE FOX 50, PUGET SOUND 42: Bruins Cut Down 16th-Ranked Loggers with Stellar Defense
NEWBERG, Ore. - Holding the Northwest Conference's top scoring team almost 30 points below their season average, the George Fox University Bruins knocked off the University of Puget Sound Loggers, ranked 16th in the latest D3hoops.com poll, 50-42 in women's basketball Friday night here in the Wheeler Sports Center's Miller Gym.
After Jessica Roberts hit the first two buckets of the game to give the Loggers the early lead, the Bruins went on a 12-3 run to go in front and eventually built a nine-point lead at 25-16 on a three-pointer by Kellie Thomas with 6:23 left in the half. The Loggers responded with a 9-0 run, capped by a Morgan Harter driving layup, to tie the game 25-25 with 2:48 to go, but a three-pointer from the right wing and a baseline jumper by Leith put the Bruins back on top. Roberts hit a short jumper at the buzzer to cut the Bruins' halftime lead to 30-27.
Leith hit a three, Liz Clark made two baskets, and Robin Taylor sank a shot as the Bruins opened the second half with a 9-0 run to seize control at 39-27, and the home team led anywhere from eight to 12 points the rest of the way. The George Fox defense held the Loggers, who held the league's best marks of 70.5 points a game and a .462 shooting percentage, to only 15 second-half points and a .217 (5-23) shooting mark in the period. The Bruins also forced 23 turnovers in the game from the Loggers.
Clark scored a game-high 17 points for the Bruins, 13 in the second half, and Leith added 16, 13 in the first half. Clark led the Bruins with 6 rebounds and 4 steals, while Clark, Thomas, and Karissa Boyd had 3 assists apiece.
Angie Straw and Kilty Keaton paced the Loggers with 11 points each, while top scorer Lindsay May, averaging 16.3 per game, was held to 4 points. Straw grabbed a game-high 9 rebounds as UPS controlled the board 36-29. Sarah Carnahan had 6 assists.
George Fox, snapping a five-game losing streak to the Loggers, improved to 10-4 overall and 4-1 in the conference. Puget Sound, the defending conference champion and pre-season favorite to win it again, fell to 11-3 overall and 2-3 in the league.
The Bruins host NWC-leading Pacific Lutheran University Saturday at 6:00 p.m., and a win over the Lutes would give them a tie for first in the conference. The Loggers go to Linfield College Saturday, also at 6:00 p.m., and both are followed by men's games at 8:00 p.m.