2/19 - GEORGE FOX 60, PACIFIC LUTHERAN 59: Bruins Rally from 17 Down in Second Half to Stun Lutes
TACOMA, Wash. - Kelly Turner's potential game-winning shot rimmed in and out at the buzzer, enabling the George Fox University Bruins to hang on after rallying from a 17-point second-half deficit to stun the Pacific Lutheran University Lutes 60-59 in a crucial Northwest Conference women's basketball game for both teams Saturday night here at Olsen Auditorium.
With the come-from-behind victory, George Fox's fifth straight win, the Bruins are now 18-5 overall and remain in first place in the conference at 12-2 with two games remaining, both at home next week. Pacific Lutheran, which entered the evening only a game-and-a-half behind the Bruins in 3rd place, falls to 13-9 overall and 9-4 in the league. The Lutes must win their three remaining games and have the Bruins lose twice to have any chance of tying for the NWC title.
The Lutes scored the last six points of the first half for a 32-20 lead at the break, and a layup by Emily Voorhies and a three-pointer by Aundi Kustura gave the home team a 17-point lead at 37-20 a minute into the second half. But the Bruins rallied behind Kim Leith, who scored 14 consecutive points in a span of three minutes to cut the difference to four points, 49-45. Liz Clark's lay-up with 6:05 remaining tied the score at 51-51, completing a 31-14 run.
Kelly Turner made two free throws with 4:43 left for a 53-51 Lute lead, but George Fox tied the score on Leith's jumper with 4:29 remaining. Clark made one of two free throws with 3:42 left to put the Bruins in front 54-53. Turner's jumper at the 2:42 mark put the Lutes back in front, but Clark hit a three-pointer with 2:18 left for a 57-55 Bruin advantage. Kezia Long made two free throws with 1:43 left to tie the score.
Kustura sank two free throws with 1:02 remaining for a 59-57 PLU lead, but Leith converted a three-point play with 51 seconds left to put the Bruins in front 60-59. The Lutes missed two shots in the final 33 seconds, including Turner's 13-footer at the final horn.
Leith finished with 28 points, 25 in the second half, and Clark had 20 for the Bruins. Erin Powers hauled down a career-high 14 rebounds as the Bruins dominated the backboards 42-34. Kellie Thomas had 4 assists and Clark made 3 steals. The Bruins prevailed despite being out-shot from the free throw line, PLU making 16-20 to only 6-11 for George Fox. Ten three-pointers - 5 each by Leith and Clark - helped the Bruins come back.
Kustura scored 15 points, Turner 14, and Long 11 for PLU, with Long also grabbing 11 rebounds. Turner and Mallory Mann had 5 assists apiece.
George Fox hosts Pacific University Tuesday at 6:00 p.m. Pacific Lutheran will host Willamette University Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. to complete a game that was suspended earlier in the season when the lights on the PLU campus went out with about four-and-a-half minutes remaining and Willamette holding a 47-42 lead. The make-up game is an important one in the conference standings because of the tie-breakers that may be necessary if George Fox, PLU, and Whitworth College end up in some combination of ties atop the league.