Box Score

NEWBERG, Ore. - Katy Campbell posted her fourth double-double of the season with 15 points and 10 rebounds, leading the George Fox University Bruins to a hard-fought 45-39 win over the University of Puget Sound Loggers in a clash of nationally-ranked Northwest Conference women's basketball teams Saturday evening here at the Wheeler Sports Center's Miller Gym.

It was the first meeting of the year between the 18th-ranked Bruins and the 23rd-ranked Loggers, who tied for the conference championship last year and are picked 1-2 in the league again this season.

The Bruins scored the first point of the game on a free throw by Campbell before the Loggers reeled off eight unanswered points - a jumper by Morgan Harter, a three-pointer by Laura Hirsh, and then a layup and free throw by Hirsh - and never trailed again in the first half. The Bruins tied it twice in the period, 10-10 and 22-22, but Loggers scored the final six points of the half and led 28-22 at the break.

Harter had 12 points and Hirsh nine in the first half as Puget Sound shot .455 (10-22). George Fox, which managed only a .276 (8-29) shooting percentage, was led by Melissa Marek-Farris with eight points and Campbell with seven.

A jumper by Marissa Cain to open the second half gave Puget Sound a 30-22 lead, the largest either team would have. Another basket by Cain with 14:32 left made it 34-29 Loggers - and then the Bruin defense tightened up, holding the visitors scoreless for the next 10 minutes.

Campbell's three-pointer from the right wing tied the game 34-34 at the 13:10 mark, and Tiffany Behary drained a three from the left side to give George Fox its first lead since the opening seconds with 12:31 remaining. A Kaleigha Ramey driving layup made it 39-34 with 10:50 left, but then the Bruins had trouble finding the basket as well, not connecting again until a Marek-Farris layin with five minutes left upped the count to 41-34.

Layups by Hirsh and Claire Ely brought the Loggers within three at 41-38 with 2:25 to go, but a pair of free throws by Marek-Farris and Jaime Hubka in the last minute prevented any Logger comeback.

The Bruins held the Loggers to a .192 (5-26) shooting percentage in the second half, out-scoring them 23-11, and to .313 (15-48) for the game. The Logger defense was equally as stingy, limiting the Bruins to .320 (16-50) for the game. George Fox owned a decided advantage on the boards, however, 41-29, including 12 on the offensive end.

In addition to Campbell's big game, Marek-Farris just missed a double-double of her own with 14 points and nine rebounds. Campbell led the Bruins with four assists, and Marek-Farris, the league leader in blocked shots, rejected four Logger tries.

Harter was held scoreless in the second half but still led the Loggers with 12 points, while Hirsh tallied 11, but only two in the second half. Cain had a team-high five rebounds, and Chelsi Shaw passed out three assists.

George Fox (10-1, NWC 2-0) visits Willamette University Saturday at 6 p.m., while Puget Sound (8-3, NWC 1-1) is back in action Tuesday, traveling across town to play Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Wash., at 6 p.m. Both games will be followed by NWC men's games.