Press Release
12/18 - GEORGE FOX 72, CAL STATE-EAST BAY 46: Bruins Pound Pioneers in CalLu Consolation
THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. - With six different players contributing to a 16-0 run over the final four minutes of the first half, the George Fox University Bruins sprinted away from the California State University-East Bay Pioneers for a confortable 72-46 win in the consolation game of the Posada Royale #1 Women's Basketball Tournament Tuesday afternoon here at California Lutheran University's Gilbert Arena.
East Bay took its only lead when Ashley Butler opened the game with a jumper 24 seconds in, but a basket by Katy Campbell and a layup by Tiffany Behary put the Bruins up 4-2 and they never trailed again. Campbell hit a three-pointer at the 14:33 mark of the half to break a 6-6 tie for good, and the Bruins took their first double-digit lead on a Behary three with 6:39 left to make it 25-15. It was 28-19 when the Bruin scored 16 points in four minutes to close out the period with a 44-19 advantage. Kelsi Leach had five of the Bruins' 16 points in that span on two free throws and a three-pointer.
George Fox continued to build on its lead at the start of the second half, out-scoring East Bay 18-6 to go up by 37 points, 62-25, on a three by B.B. Gardner with 11:38 remaining. The Bruins made wholesale substitutions shortly thereafter and the Pioneers responded with a 19-0 run, cutting the margin to 18 at 62-44 with 4:05 left. A basket by the Bruins' Elise Kuenzi at 3:47 restored order, however, and the Bruins ended the game with a 10-2 run over the last four minutes.
Campbell was the only Bruin in double figures with a game-high 12 points, but three others - Behary, Leach, and Lindsay Keener - had nine each. Melissa Marek-Farris had seven rebounds to lead the Bruins to a 40-32 edge on the boards. Behary added five assists and three steals. George Fox was red-hot from the field in the first half, hitting 16-28 for a .571 mark, and finished the game at .464 (26-56).
Amy Elliott had 10 points to pace the Pioneers, while Butler scored eight and had a game-high nine rebounds. East Bay was held to a .346 shooting percentage on 18-52 from the field.
In the championship game later in the evening, William Smith College, which had edged George Fox 61-58 on Monday in the first round, knocked off tournament host California Lutheran 79-64.
Campbell was named to the All-Tournament Team, along with tourney MVP Marisa Vespa and Stephanie Czajkowski of William Smith, Maggie Neville and Johanna Rothermel of California Lutheran, and Elliott of California State-East Bay.
George Fox (6-1), ranked 16th in the latest D3hoops.com poll and 18th in the WBCA poll, is off until Friday, Dec. 28, when the Bruins visit Northwest University in Kirkland, Wash., for a 6:00 p.m. non-conference game. California State-East Bay (4-5) next takes on Lewis & Clark College in the Puget Sound Tournament on Saturday, Dec. 29, at 4:00 p.m.