NEWBERG, Ore. – A near-record night of free throw shooting enabled the George Fox University Bruins to open the second half of their Northwest Conference women's basketball schedule with an 87-46 win over the visiting Willamette University Bearcats Tuesday evening here at the Wheeler Sports Center's Miller Gym.

The Bruins connected on 32 of their 46 free throw attempts in the game, with nine different players sinking shots, falling one made free throw and one attempt short of tying their single-game records.  George Fox made a record 33 charity tosses against Chapman University on Dec. 13, 2008, and attempted 47 shots from the line against Central Washington on Nov. 19, 1993. 

George Fox scored the first three points of the game on a free throw by Megan Arnoldy and a layup by Hannah Munger and never trailed.  Another Arnoldy free throw gave the Bruins their first double-digit lead of 15-5 with 12:16 left in the half.  The Bearcats responded with a 7-0 run on baskets by MacKenzie Lamson, Alex Zenna, and Kaileigh Westermann and a Westermann free throw in a span of 37 seconds, cutting the margin to 15-12.  

A putback by Munger ended the Willamette streak and ignited an 8-0 Bruin outburst featuring two free throws and a three-pointer by Carly Towne that boosted the George Fox lead back to double figures at 23-12 with 8:08 remaining.  After Westermann hit a jumper, Carrie Myers hit a three to give the Bruins a 12-point lead of 26-14 with seven minutes left, and the George Fox lead remained in double digits the reset of the way. 

The Bruins led 41-23 at the half, and extended their lead to 20 as Munger scored the first basket of the second half a minute in off a rebound.  The George Fox lead continued to blossom throughout the period, eventually peaking at 41 points on a Jordin Ketelsen three that made it 87-46, the final score, with 37 seconds left.

Keisha Gordon led the Bruins with 15 points, giving her 1,095 for her career and moving her past Katy Campbell (1,093, 2004-08) into ninth on the all-time George Fox scoring list.  Arnoldy added 13 points, and Towne scored a career-high 11 along with a game-high four assists.  Arnoldy and Munger pulled down eight rebounds apiece as the Bruins dominated the glass 51-27.  Arianna Mohsenian had five of the Bruins' 15 steals. 

Lamson was the only Bearcat in double figures with 15 points.  Westermann led the visitors on the boards with six rebounds, and Zennan handed out four assists.

The Bruins improved to 13-5 overall and 7-2 in the conference with their 16th consecutive win over the Bearcats.  The win also moved the Bruins into sole possession of second place in the conference, half a game ahead of the University of Puget Sound and half a game behind Lewis & Clark College, who were both idle Tuesday.  Willamette fell to 2-14 overall and 1-8 in the league.

NEXT: George Fox hosts Pacific Lutheran University Friday in their only game of the coming weekend, then Willamette welcomes the University of Puget Sound on Saturday.  Both games tip off at 6:00 p.m., followed by NWC men's games at 8:00 p.m.