12/22 - GEORGE FOX 75, KALAMAZOO: Bruin Defense Harasses Hornets to Win Desert Shootout Title
LAS VEGAS, Nev. - An aggressive George Fox University defense pressured Kalamazoo College into 25 turnovers, made 17 steals, blocked 5 shots, and held the Hornets to 20% shooting, leading the Bruins to a 75-39 romp in the championship game of the D3 Desert Shootout women's basketball tournament Wednesday afternoon here at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas' Lied Gym.
Liz Clark's three-pointer gave the Bruins an early 3-0 lead, but the Hornets tied it on a three by Angie Neu. The Bruins then regained the lead on a three by Tiffany Behary at the 17:11 mark and never trailed again. The Bruins held the Hornets scoreless for over nine minutes while scoring 16 points to stretch their lead to 29-11 with 4:49 left in the half, and were up by 22 at the break, 39-17. Kalamazoo made only 4-27 (.148) from the field in the first half.
The Bruins blanked the Hornets for over six minutes in one second-half span, and eventually took their largest lead of 39 at 68-29 on a three-pointer by Robin Taylor with 8:34 left to play. Making the Bruins' effort even more impressive was the fact that Kalamazoo had beaten defending national champion Wilmington (Ohio) earlier in the season.
Taylor and Kim Leith scored 15 points each to lead the Bruins, and Clark chipped in with 11. The Bruins nailed 12-29 three-pointers and were a perfect 11-11 from the free throw line. Melissa Marek-Farris grabbed 9 rebounds off the bench as the Bruins out-rebounded the Hornets 51-41, and also had 3 blocked shots. Behary, Clark, and Karissa Boyd had 4 assist apieces, and Clark made a game-high 4 steals.
Kalamazoo had no one in double figures in points, Ashley Riley's 9 the high for the Hornets. Stefanie Salasky had a game-high 10 rebounds. The Hornets ended the game making only 11-54 (.204) from the field and just 1-16 from three-point range.
George Fox is now 5-2 after winning its fifth straight and second Desert Shootout in as many appearances in the tournament (the Bruins also won here in 2000-01), while Kalamazoo slipped to 6-3. The Bruins return to action in the Grand Canyon Classic in Phoenix, Ariz., Dec. 30-31, taking on the College of New Jersey Thursday at 2:00 p.m. and Neumann College Friday at 12:00 noon.