Box Score           

NEWBERG, Ore. – Setting a new team record for the most wins in a row, the 14th-ranked George Fox University Bruins pulled out a 52-47 win over the University of Puget Sound Loggers in the last minute for their 13th straight victory in Northwest Conference women's basketball action Saturday evening here at the Wheeler Sports Center's Miller Gym.

With the win, the unbeaten Bruins improved to 13-0, bettering the mark of 12 in a row won by last year's team from Dec. 18 through Feb. 1. George Fox also took over sole possession of first place in the conference at 4-0, breaking a tie with idle Pacific Lutheran University.

The game was a defensive battle throughout, as befitting two teams nationally ranked in defense (George Fox was 12th at 50.1 points allowed and Puget Sound was 20th at 51.5).  Neither team could mount more than a three-point lead until late in the first half.  The Loggers scored nine points in a row on a pair of three-pointers by Jocelyn Riordan and one by Chelsi Shaw to take a 20-14 lead with three minutes left, but the Bruins scored 12 unanswered points to close the half with a 26-20 lead.  Elise Kuenzi ignited the run with a conventional three-point play and Kristen Shielee capped it with a jumper at the buzzer.

The Bruins maintained a tenuous lead between four and seven points for most of the second half, but the Loggers finally tied it 43-43 on a Natasha Ludwig jumper with 4:12 to go, and took a 44-43 lead on a free throw by Ludwig with three minutes left.  The Bruins responded with a driving layup by Keisha Gordon with 2:36 left to regain the lead at 45-44, only to have Ludwig hit another short jumper in the lane for a 46-45 Logger lead at the 1:00 mark. 

Sage Indendi sank a three from the top of the key to put the Bruins up 48-46 with 44 seconds left.  The Loggers' Karen Chase hit the first of two free throws with 29 seconds left but missed the second, only to have the rebound go out of bounds off the Bruins.  Claire Ely then missed a go-ahead three from the left wing, got her own rebound and drove inside, but was called for traveling with 19 seconds left, giving the ball back to the Bruins. 

Kuenzi, who set a Bruin record for free throw percentage two games ago when she hit 13-13 at Whitman, was fouled and hit both ends of a one-and-one with 17 seconds to play for a 49-46 Bruin lead.  She then blocked a potential tying three by Ludwig with nine seconds left, and hit two more free throws with five seconds left to ice it.

Both teams struggled to find their shooting touch under the intene defensive pressure, the Bruins hitting .373 (19-51) from the field while the Loggers shot only .269 (18-67).  A 42-41 edge on the glass, including 21 offensive rebounds, enabled the Loggers to get 16 more shots than the Bruins, keeping them in the game.  The Bruins made 16 turnovers, the Loggers 12.

Kuenzi led all scorers with 13 points and Indendi added 12 for the Bruins, Shielee grabbed 12 rebounds and blocked four shots, and Indendi and B.B. Gardner passed out three assists apiece. 

Shaw was the only Logger in double figures with 12 points, Ludwig had a team-high nine rebounds, and Ely passed out five assists and made three steals.

George Fox returns to action Tuesday, hosting Pacific University, while Puget Sound (8-5, NWC 2-2) goes to Whitworth University Friday.  Both games tip off at 6:00 p.m., followed by NWC men's games at 8:00 p.m.