WHAT’S BRUIN: Women’s Basketball News & Notes 2/2

Links: Quick Facts / Roster / Schedule & Results / Statistics / Press Releases

Multimedia: Live Stats / Video / KFOX Radio 

Overall Record: 20-0 (Home 10-0, Road 7-0, Neutral 3-0)

NWC Record: 11-0, 1st (Home 6-0, Road 5-0)

HIGHLIGHTS:

* Coming Up: Bruins Finish 5-Game Home Stand with Pacific Friday

* Recent Games: Bruins Win 3 Straight Including Lewis & Clark Rematch

* Gordon Wins BAA Award for 4th Time, HM for NWC Weekly Honors

* Polls: Bruins Remain No. 3 in Both D3hoops and WBCA National Polls

* Bruins Stretch Home Streaks vs. NWC Opponents to 47 in a Row

* NCAA Stats: Munger and Gordon Both Ranked in Top 20 in FG Pct.

* NWC Stats: Bruins Lead Conference in 9 Statistical Categories

* Career Lists: Gordon Now No. 2 in All-Time Scoring, 4th in Assists

* Coming Up: Bruins Finish 5-Game Home Stand with Pacific Friday

- Fri., Feb. 3, 6:00 pm - vs. Pacific University (10-8, NWC 3-7), Newberg, Ore.

NEWBERG, Ore. – Putting the finishing touches to a five-game home stand and a stretch of seven out of eight at home, the third-ranked and unbeaten George Fox University Bruins will host the Pacific University Boxers on Friday, Feb. 3, at 6:00 p.m. in their only game for the next nine days.

The Bruins are now 20-0 overall and 11-0 in the conference after three wins in five days over Whitworth University, Whitman College, and Lewis & Clark College.  The Bruins hold a two-game lead over second-place L&C as they try to close in on a sixth straight NWC championship.

The George Fox-Pacific game will be part of an NWC doubleheader, with the men’s game following at 8:00 p.m.

Tickets:  Ticket prices for basketball games at the Wheeler Sports Center / Miller Gym are $6 for adults and $3 for non-GFU students and seniors 55 and over.  Children 6 and under who are not in school are free.  George Fox faculty, staff, and students are admitted free with valid GFU ID; the ID covers immediate family members for George Fox employees.

Multimedia: George Fox will provide live audio internet coverage through campus station KFOX, live video through Stretch Internet, and live stats for both games Saturday; see the George Fox links above.  

* Upcoming Opponents:

Pacific (10-8, NWC 3-7, 6th T): The Boxers from Forest Grove, Ore., were picked to finish 8th in the pre-season NWC coaches’ poll ... The Boxers started off 5-0 but have dropped five of their last six, the latest a 67-47 setback at Puget Sound on Jan. 28 as heather Hitch scored 16 points ... Series record (since 1981): George Fox leads 40-24 (21-10 home, 19-14 road) ... The Bruins have won the last 17 meetings and 30 of the last 31, including a 65-55 win in Forest Grove on Jan. 7 in this year’s first game ... Pacific’s last win in the series was 59-54 in Forest Grove on Feb. 8, 2003 ... Pacific by the numbers: Scoring (63.9 ppg, 6th in the NWC), Defense (56.8 ppg, 3rd), FG% (.400, 5th), 3-pt FG% (.306, 5th), FT% (.662, 6th), Reb Avg. (38.1 rpg, 7th) ... The Boxers have two double-figure scorers: F Erica Schultz (14.8 ppg, 62th), F Paige Jensen (11.0 ppg, 16th) .... Jensen is the top rebounder (8.7 rpg, 3rd) ... Jensen and Schultz are the assists leaders (2.1 apg, 16th T) ... Coach Sharon Rissmiller (Portland ‘01) is in her 5th season at Pacific and is the sister of former Bruin All-American Nancy Rissmiller ... Next game: Feb. 4 vs. Willamette, 6 p.m.

* Recent Games: Bruins Win 3 Straight Including Lewis & Clark Rematch

Jan. 27 - at George Fox 75, Whitworth 48

Hannah Munger posted her ninth double-double of the season and 34th of her career and the Bruins doubled the Whitworth Pirates in rebounds en route to a 75-48 win Friday.  Munger scored eight of the Bruins’ first 10 points as the home team built a 10-3 lead at the 13:52 mark.  Megan Arnoldy’s layup with 10:42 left made it 19-8, and the Bruins’ lead never dipped into single digits again.  The Bruins’ lead hit 21 when Munger put back a missed shot for a 35-14 lead with 1:49 to go in the period, and they led 37-20 at the half.  Munger hit the first basket of the second half and the Pirates got no closer than 17 the rest of the way.  The lead eventually hit 33 on a McKenzie Wolfe layin that made it 69-36 with 6:53 remaining.  Munger finished with 19 points and 10 rebounds, leading the Bruins to a huge 52-26 margin on the glass, including 24 on the offensive end.  Arnoldy added 12 points and Keisha Gordon 11.  Gordon and Jami Roos passed out four assists apiece.

Jan. 28 - at George Fox 82, Whitman 51

Keisha Gordon tossed in 21 points and became the second-leading scorer in George Fox won 82-51 over the Whitman Missionaries Saturday afternoon.  Gordon hit 7-of-7 field goal attempts, including a pair of three-pointers, and 5-of-8 free throws to boost her career points to 1,542, passing former All-American Katie (Greller) Lacey, who had 1,524 from 1997-2001.  The Missionaries’ only lead was 2-0, but Hayley Cusick’s spinning layup tied the game moments later and ignited a 9-0 Bruin run that included a Hannah Munger layup, another Cusick drive, and a three by Megan Arnoldy.  The Missionaries climbed back within four points five times, the last at 21-17 with 9:17 left in the half, and then Gordon went to work.  Over the next four minutes, the Bruins out-scored the visitors 14-2, with Gordon contributing three layups, a three-pointer and an assist as the lead climbed to 35-21.  Two Gordon free throws with 2:45 left gave the Bruins their largest lead of the half at 41-23 before settling for a 44-29 score at the break.  Munger and Cusick scored the first two baskets of the second half to push the lead to 19 and the Missionaries got no closer than 15 thereafter.  The Bruins posted their largest lead of 31 points at 82-51 on a drive by Kylee Parker with 50 seconds remaining. Whitman committed 30 turnovers as the Bruins made 13 steals.  Munger scored 13 points, and Cusick and Dacia Heckendorf had 10 each.  Arnoldy and Munger had six rebounds apiece, Arnoldy and Cusick had three assists each, and Gordon made five steals.

Jan. 31 - at George Fox 54, Lewis & Clark 41

Led by Hannah Munger’s double-double of 16 points and 12 rebounds, the third-ranked Bruins rallied from 10 down at the half for a 54-41 win over the seventh-ranked Lewis & Clark Pioneers Tuesday evening.  The Bruins moved two games ahead of L&C in the conference standings.  The Pios used a 9-0 run to go up 12-4 with 12:22 left in the half, and built a 29-19 halftime lead by hitting 12-of-13 free throws.  After an early exchange of baskets in the second half, the Bruins finally pulled within three points on a three by Arianna Mohsenian and a Hannah Munger free throw to make it 33-30 with 12:43 remaining.  A pair of free throws boosted the Pios’ lead back to five, but Munger fueled an 8-0 Bruin run with two baskets and a free throw to give the Bruins a 38-35 lead with 8:53 to go.  Megan Arnoldy hit a three and Keisha Gordon drove in for two to build the lead to six at 43-37 with 5:22 to play.  Arnoldy twice hit baskets to boost the Bruin lead to nine, the last at 50-41 with 1:18 to play, and gave George Fox its largest lead and final score of 54-41 on a pair of charity tosses with 12 ticks left.  George Fox out-scored Lewis & Clark 35-12 in the second half by limiting the Pios to a .143 shooting percentage (5-35) while the Bruins were making half of their shots (12-24).  The final marks had the Pios making .213 (13-61), including only 1-13 on threes, and the Bruins at .404 (19-47).  Munger, who also had five blocks, recorded her 10th double-double of the season and 35th of her career.  Arnoldy added 14 points, and Gordon grabbed 12 rebounds while passing out five assists.  Jami Roos scored nine points and had three assists, and Mohsenian scored eight with three blocks.  Hayley Cusick picked up three steals. 

BRUIN BITS:

* Gordon Wins BAA Award for 4th Time, HM for NWC Weekly Honors

While becoming the No. 2 scorer in George Fox history, wing Keisha Gordon has been named the Bruin Athletic Association Women’s Athlete of the Week for the fourth time this season and received honorable mention for the Northwest Conference Women’s Basketball Student-Athlete of the Week for the week of Jan. 23-29. 

Gordon, a senior from Vancouver, Wash., scored 11 points on 4-8 field goals and 3-3 free throws in a 75-48 win over Whitworth on Jan. 27, adding 7 rebounds, 4 assists and a steal.  In an 82-51 win over Whitman on Jan. 28, she tallied 21 points on 7-7 from the field, including 2-2 on three-pointers, and 5-8 from the line, with 3 rebounds, 5 steals, and an assist.  For the week, she scored 32 points (16.0 ppg) on 11-15 field goals (.733), including 2-4 (.500) on threes, and 8-11 (.727) on free throws, with 10 rebounds (5.0 rpg), 6 steals (3.0 spg), and 5 assists (2.5 apg).  She boosted her career total in points to 1,542, 87 behind No. 1 Melody Groeneveld-McMaster’s 1,629 (she added six points in Tuesdays’ win over Lewis & Clark).

Gordon currently ranks 2nd in the conference in field goal pct. (.544, 20th nationally) and steals (2.8 spg), 3rd in assist/turnover ratio (1.6), 5th in assists (3.0 apg, T), 7th in 3-pt pct. (.365), 9th in scoring (13.2 ppg), and 11th in rebounding (6.2 rpg).  She has been the BAA Women’s Athlete of the Week four times this season, and honorable mention for NWC honors four times as well.

The George Fox Athlete of the Week Award for both men and women is presented throughout the Bruin sports seasons by the Bruin Athletic Association, whose mission is to provide George Fox student-athletes with an outstanding athletic and academic experience and to strengthen the overall competitiveness of the Bruin athletics program. For more information about the organization or to become a member, visit the Bruin Athletic Association website.

2011-12 Bruin Athletic Association Women’s Athletes of the Week

Sept. 5-11 - Melanie Gaither (Soccer)

Sept. 12-18 - Kelsey Morrison (Golf)

Sept. 19-25 - Megan McGrew (Golf)

Sept. 26-Oct. 2 - Kate Freiheit (Cross Country)

Oct. 3-9 - Stephanie Kerr (Volleyball)

Oct. 10-16 - Courtney Hochstetler (Cross Country)

Oct. 17-23 - Megan McGrew (Golf)

Oct. 24-30 - Tiffany Burk (Volleyball)

Oct. 31-Nov. 6 - Patti Reeves (Volleyball)

Nov. 7-13 - Courtney Hochstetler (Cross Country)

Nov. 14-20 - Jami Roos (Basketball)

Nov. 21-27 - Keisha Gordon (Basketball)

Nov. 28-Dec. 4 - Keisha Gordon (Basketball)

Dec. 5-11 - Jami Roos (Basketball)

Dec. 12-25 - Keisha Gordon (Basketball)

Dec. 26-Jan. 8 - Hannah Munger (Basketball)

Jan. 9-15 - Jami Roos (Basketball)

Jan. 16-22 - Megan Arnoldy (Basketball)

Jan. 23-29 - Keisha Gordon (Basketball)