Box Score
TACOMA, Wash. – Clinching no worse than a share of
their third straight Northwest Conference women's basketball
crown and fourth in five years, the 5th-ranked George Fox
University Bruins stayed unbeaten in 21 games with a 49-38 win over
the University of Puget Sound Loggers Saturday evening here at
Memorial Fieldhouse.
In moving to 21-0 on the season, the Bruins raised their
conference record to 12-0 with four games left.
The Loggers, 14-7 overall and 8-4 in the NWC, are in second place,
and would have to win out while the Bruins lost all their remaining
games to gain a tie for the title. George Fox
will have home-court advantage for all NWC Tournament games by
virtue of their season sweep of Puget Sound.
With both teams playing tight, aggressive defense, neither team
could get into an offensive rhythm early in the
game. George Fox hit only one of its first eight
shots and Puget Sound only one of 15, the Loggers getting more
shots due to capturing eight offensive rebounds.
The Bruins finally began to see a little daylight when Sage Indendi
completed a three-point play to put them ahead 7-5 with 6:30 left,
and Keisha Gordon followed with a three-point goal from the top of
the key to make it 10-5 with six minutes to go.
After a Karen Chase free throw brought the Loggers within four at
12-8 with 3:13 left before halftime, the Bruins reeled off nine
unanswered points to build a 21-8 lead with 37 seconds
left. A layup by Kristen Shielee and two jumpers
and a three by Gordon contributed to the Bruins' run before
Natasha Ludwig's driving layup for UPS brought the Loggers
within 11 at 21-10 at the break.
The Bruins' hot streak at the end lifted them to a .346
shooting percentage (9-26) for the half, but the Loggers continued
to struggle, making only 4-29 for a .138 mark.
Gordon dominated the game in the second half, scoring 10 points in
the first 10 minutes of the period as the Bruins built up a
17-point lead of 38-21 with 9:30 to play. The
Loggers got not closer thereafter than the final score, which they
got by hitting a three and a layup in the final minute for the last
points of the game.
Gordon led all scorers with 23 points for the Bruins, hitting 9-12
from the floor, and Shielee added 14 on 7-11
shooting. The Bruins hit .550 (11-20) in the
second half to finish with a .435 mark (20-46) for the
game. Gordon also nabbed seven rebounds and
handed out three assists, the same number as Sage Indendi.
Claire Ely scored 12 points and Chase 11 for the Loggers, who
ended with a .230 shooting percentage (14-61).
Chase had a double-double with 11 rebounds, leading UPS to a 40-35
advantage on the boards, including 19 on the offensive
end. Andrea Edwards had three assists and
Caitlyn Faidley made four steals.
George Fox coach Scott Rueck also
picked up his 249th career victory with the win, and can earn his
250th Tuesday when the Bruins visit Pacific University at 6:00 p.m.
for a chance at the outright NWC title. He is
249-85 in his 13th season with the Bruins. Puget
Sound hosts Whitworth Friday at 6:00 p.m. Both
women's games will be followed by NWC men's games at
8:00 p.m.
