12/31 - GEORGE FOX 104, NEUMANN 32: Bruins Knout Knights as Leith Lights It Up in Arizona
PHOENIX, Ariz. - Behind a record-setting 30 first-half points by Kim Leith, the George Fox University Bruins scored the game's first 10 points, built up a 41-point halftime lead, and flogged the Neumann College Knights 104-32 in their second game of the Grand Canyon Trip Sports Classic Friday afternoon here at Glendale Community College.
Three-pointers by Tiffany Behary and Leith, two free throws by Erin Powers, and a Leith layup gave the Bruins a 10-0 lead two-and-a-half minutes into the game, and the Bruins extended it to 57-16 at the half. Leith hit 10 field goals, including 6 threes, one short of the school record of 7 by Christy Brock vs. Whitman on Jan. 8, 1999, and made 4-4 free throws to set a George Fox record for most points in a half. She added another field goal early in the second half to finish with a career-high 32 points while playing only 21 minutes. Her 32 points equaled the 7th-best single-game total in Bruin history.
With the game comfortably in hand, Bruin coach Scott Rueck was able to give his reserves plenty of playing time, and 14 of the 15 Bruins who played scored, although Leith was the only one in double figures. The Bruins' largest lead of the game was the final 72-point margin, which came on a Jaime Hubka layup with 1:08 left in the game.
The win was the 149th in Rueck's nine season at George Fox, and the first time one of his teams broke the 100-point barrier. The Bruins' 104 points was one short of the all-time high of 105 vs. Western Baptist on Nov. 20, 1992, while their 72-point margin of victory was the second-largest ever, behind only a 76-point win, 104-28 over Columbia Christian on Jan. 30, 1993.
Leith also grabbed 8 rebounds in leading the Bruins to a 49-38 edge on the boards, and had 4 steals as the George Fox defense made 25 steals and forced the Knights into 42 turnovers. Karissa Boyd had a game-high 5 assists off the bench. The Bruins made 14-32 three-point attempts, setting a new George Fox record for most three-point tries (the old record was 31 at Lewis & Clark on Feb. 8, 2000) while falling two three-pointers shy of the record of 16 in that same Lewis & Clark game.
Kirsten Patton had 15 points and 10 rebounds to lead Neumann, while Mary Kate Devine chipped in with 10 points. The Knights hit only .255 from the field (13-51), .063 (1-16) on threes, .333 (5-15) from the free throw line, and made only 3 assists.
George Fox completed its non-conference play with a 6-3 record, while Neumann falls to 1-7 with its 6th straight loss. The Bruins open Northwest Conference play Friday, Jan. 7, at Whitman College in Walla Walla, Wash., game time at 6:00 p.m., followed by the men's game at 8:00 p.m.