Press Release
12/18 -GEORGE FOX 57, BRIDGEWATER 41: Bruins Beat Eagles for Second Win vs. Ranked Opponent
HONOLULU, Hawaii - For the second time in as many opportunities this season, the George Fox University Bruins knocked off an NCAA Division III nationally-ranked team as they upset the 16th-ranked Bridgewater College Eagles of Virginia 57-41 in the Hoop-n-Surf Classic women's basketball tournament Monday night here at the McKinley High School gym.
The Bruins also defeated the University of Puget Sound 58-50 on Dec. 2 when the Loggers were ranked 17th in Division III. It was the first loss of the season for Bridgewater (6-1), the favorite in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference this year, while George Fox improved to 5-4.
Shannon Scales hit a three-point basket to give Bridgewater a 3-0 lead one minute into the game, but it was the only time the Eagles would lead. After ties at 3-3 and 5-5, Katy Campbell hit a layup with 15:57 left in the half to put the Bruins ahead for good. A jumper by Nicole Hudson gave the Bruins their largest lead of the half at 33-20 with 2:45 left, and it was 33-24 at the break. Melissa Marek-Farris had 11 first-half points to pace the Bruins to their big lead.
Buckets by Jessica Timberlake and Jennifer Saunders to open the second half enabled the Eagles to get within five at 33-28, but with Kaleigha Ramey scoring 13 second-half points, the Bruins again pulled away. Robin Taylor's layup with 12:44 left made it a 12-point game at 44-32, but the Eagles made one last run and again closed within five at 46-41 on a jumper by Amy Childs with 6:41 to go. It was the last time Bridgewater would score, however, as the George Fox defense tightened down. A trey by Ramey and a layup by Taylor made it 51-41 with 4:04 left, and the Bruins were not threatened again.
Ramey, in her first start of the season, led all scorers with 18 points, hitting 7-10 from the field including 3-3 from three-point range. Marek-Farris had her second double-double of the season with 16 points on 5-7 from the field and 11 rebounds, and Taylor scored 10 points. With Campbell adding 11 rebounds, the Bruins dominated the boards 42-27. Hudson passed out four assists and had three steals while scoring nine points. The Bruins shot .465 (20-43) from the field while holding the Eagles to only .268 (15-56).
Childs was the only Eagle in double figures with 10 points, Scales had six rebounds, and Katy Herr-Lovell handed out three assists. Scales and Herr-Lovell had three steals apiece.
George Fox returns to action following the Christmas holidays in the Pacific Lutheran University Tournament Dec. 29-30 in Tacoma, Wash. The Bruins play Thompson Rivers University of Canada in a non-counting game Friday at 5 p.m., then take on the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh Saturday at 3 p.m.