WALLA WALLA, Wash. - Successfully passing their first Northwest Conference road test of the season by holding their opponents to a .278 shooting percentage, the nationally-ranked George Fox University Bruins downed the Whitman College Missionaries 60-49 in women's basketball action Friday evening here at the Sherwood Center.

George Fox, ranked 10th in the WBCA poll and 12th in the D3hoops.com poll, improved to 10-2 overall and 3-0 in the conference with its sixth straight win and eighth in a row over the Missionaries.  Whitman slipped to 6-6 overall and 1-2 in the NWC.

Taking advantage of six Whitman turnovers in the game's first eight minutes, George Fox jumped out to a 12-5 lead, Elise Kuenzi sparking the outburst by scoring the Bruins' first three baskets.  They extended the lead to 17-8 on a layup by Hannah Munger with 7:54 left in the period before the Missionaries fought back.

A three-pointer by Hilary White, a conventional three-point play by Rebecca Sexton, and a jumper by Kelly Peterson pulled the home team within two at 18-16 with 4:29 left.  The Bruins scored the last eight points of the half, however, five of them on a three-pointer and a jumper by Keisha Gordon, to take a 10-point lead of 26-16 into the break.

Gordon scored six of the Bruins' first eight points to open the second half on two baskets and subsequent free throws as the visitors built an 11-point lead of 34-23 with 16:21 to play.  Whitman hung close with long-range shooting, Dawna Mello and White each bringing the Missionaries within five points with three-point shots.  The Bruins responded each time, first with a basket by Kuenzi and then with a three by B.B. Gardner, who hit another from downtown to boost the Bruin lead back to 11 at 48-37 with 8:22 to go.

The Bruins continued to pull away as Arianna Mohsenian hit a trey and Munger sank a layup to give the Bruins a 14-point lead of 55-41 with 4:40 left.  The Missionaries climbed within nine as Sexton scored every point in a 6-1 run that cut the George Fox advantage to 56-47 with 1:09 remaining, but Gordon drained four free throws in the final 1:07 to seal the victory.

Gordon scored 18 points and Breezy Rinehart-Young came off the bench to add 10 for the Bruins, who shot .400 (20-50) from the field for the game.  Kuenzi, who had nine points, pulled down seven rebounds as the Bruins held a 37-36 edge on the glass.  Gardner and Gordon each had three assists, while Gardner also picked up four steals.

Sexton led all scorers with 21 points, including 11-11 free throws, and White chipped in with 14 for the Missionaries, who were 15-54 from the floor but 13-13 from the line.  Michelle Krall had seven rebounds, four assists, and two steals to lead the Missionaries in each of those category.

NOTES: George Fox continues its eastern Washington swing Saturday at Whitworth University, tipping off against the Pirates at 6:00 p.m. ... Whitman entertains the Pacific University Boxers Saturday, also at 6:00 p.m. ... Both are conference games that will be followed by NWC men's contests at 8:00 p.m.