Press Release
12/29 - GEORGE FOX 74, THOMPSON RIVERS 40: Bruins Whip WolfPack in PLU Classic Exhibition
TACOMA, Wash. - Breaking open a close game by scoring the first seven points of the second half, the George Fox University Bruins went on to out-score the Thompson Rivers University WolfPack 45-18 in the second half en route to a 74-40 win in the Pacific Lutheran University Classic women's basketball tournament Friday evening here at PLU's Olson Auditorium.
Because Thompson Rivers of Kamloops, British Columbia, is a member of the Canadian Interuniversity Sport league and plays most of its games against Canadian teams, the game goes down as an exhibition game for George Fox and does not count on the Bruins' record for NCAA purposes. The Bruins' record remains at 5-4, while the WolfPack fell to 1-12.
After spotting the WolfPack an early 4-0 lead, Robin Taylor hit a three-point basket and Elise Kuenzi a layup for a 5-4 Bruin lead. Kellen O'Grady's jumper gave TRU its last lead at 6-5 before Taylor hit a pair of buckets to put GFU up 9-5 six minutes into the game, and the Bruins never trailed again. A layuo by Kelsi Leach gave the Bruins their largest lead of the half and a 29-22 lead at the break.
A layup by Melissa Marek-Farris, a pair of free throws by Kaleigha Ramey and Kuenzi, and another free throw by Marek-Marris pushed the George Fox advantage to 36-22 to open the second half, and the lead was never less than double digits the rest of the way. The 34-point margin at the end was the Bruins' biggest lead of the game.
Taylor led all scorers with 15 points and Marek-Farris added 10. Last year's point guard, Tiffany Behary, who missed the first nine games of the season while attending Oregon State University for a semester, had nine points off the bench by hitting 3-4 three-pointers, with two assists and three steals, in her first game back. Marek-Farris had a game-high eight boards as the Bruins held a 49-35 rebound advantage. The defense made 15 steals in forcing 31 TRU turnovers. All 15 available players saw action for the Bruins; starter Katy Campbell was held out with a sore ankle.
Alix Stupich had eight points to lead the WolfPack, and Jaclyn Cummings had a team-high seven rebounds. O'Grady handed out four assists, and Kali Ellis made three steals.
George Fox was scheduled to play the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh in the PLU Classic Saturday at 3 p.m., but that game, as well as the PLU-UWO game Friday, was canceled when the Titans were unable to complete their trip to Tacoma due to the closure of the Denver airport by heavy snow. Thus, the Bruins' next game will be Friday, Jan. 5, when they host Whitman College at 6 p.m. in a Northwest Conference contest, followed by the men's NWC game at 8 p.m. Thompson Rivers will play Pacific Lutheran Saturday at 5 p.m. as planned.