GEORGE FOX 77, FDU-FLORHAM 48: Bruins Take Surf ‘n Slam Opener over Devils

SAN DIEGO, Calif. – Keisha Gordon posted a double-double of 22 points and 11 rebounds as the nationally-ranked George Fox University Bruins opened the Surf ‘n Slam Women’s Basketball Classic with a 77-48 win over the Fairleigh Dickinson University-Florham Devils Monday evening here at Point Loma Nazarene University’s Golden Gym.

George Fox, ranked 13th in the latest WBCA NCAA Division III poll and 14th by D3hoops.com, improved to 7-2 overall with its fourth straight win.  The Bruins were playing their first game since defeating Pacific Lutheran University on Dec. 4.  FDU-Florham slipped to 6-3 with its second straight setback. 

The Bruins scored the first six points of the game on baskets by Megan Arnoldy, Gordon, and Hayley Cusick, and never trailed.  Kandace Johnson hit a three-pointer three-and-a-half minutes in for the Devils’ first points and Meghan Lentine drained a jumper to bring the New Jersey team within in one at 6-5, but the Bruins pulled away with consecutive goals by Gordon, Arnoldy, Cusick, and Hannah Munger that made it 14-5 with 12:30 left in the period. 

After the Devils closed within four at 14-10 on a three by Lanie Andrews with 11:12 remaining, the Bruins held them scoreless for the next five-and-a-half minutes while extending the lead to 21-10 on buckets by Cusick and Munger and a three by Arianna Mohsenian at the 7:13 mark.  Mohsenian added two more treys before the half ended, the last with seven seconds left, to give the Bruins a 35-22 advantage at the break.

Shaleah Alston hit a trio of threes early in the second half, twice bringing the Devils within nine points of the Bruins, the last at 40-31 with 16:47 left.  Eight unanswered points by the Bruins, however, featuring back-to-back threes by Gordon and a jumper by Arnoldy boosted the lead back to 48-31 with 15:31 to play, and the Devils got no closer than 13 the rest of the way.  FDU went the final 9:10 without a field goal as the Bruins built 29-point leads three times in the waning minutes, including the final score.

Gordon’s double-double was her second this season and third of her career, and she added six assists and five steals.  Cusick had 15 points, hitting 5-7 from the field and 5-6 from the line, along with six steals and three blocked shots.  Arnoldy finished with 10 points.  Munger just missed a double-double with nine points and nine boards and passed out a career-high six assists, while Mohsenian had nine points on her three first-half threes.  George Fox shot .484 (30-62) from the field for the game to .320 (16-50) for FDU-Florham, and dominated the glass 47-25.

Alston was the only Devil in double figures with 15 points; no one else had more than six.  Shealyn Taggart pulled down 11 rebounds for FDU-Florham, along with three assists and three steals.  Brittany Mathes also had three assists.   

NEXT: George Fox continues in the Surf ‘n Slam Classic Tuesday against St. Mary’s College of Indiana at 3:00 p.m. ... Fairleigh Dickinson-Florham is off Tuesday, then plays St. Mary’s Wednesday at 5:00 p.m. ...  George Fox, FDU-Florham, and St. Mary’s constitute the “Surf” division of the Small College portion of the tournament (there is also an NCAA Division II tournament going on as well).  Bethany Lutheran College and host Point Loma, part of the “Slam” division, were to play Monday at 7:00 p.m. following the GFU-FDUF game.  The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater is the third team in the “Slam” division.  Teams from each division will be paired up for the finals on Thursday, based on each team’s finish in its division.