SALEM, Ore. – Returning to the hardwood after a nine-day layoff, the nationally-ranked George Fox University Bruins showed no signs of Thanksgiving holiday rust as they rambled past the Corban University Warriors 66-36 in a non-conference women's basketball game Tuesday night here at the C.E. Jeffers Sports Center.

The Bruins, who are ranked 12th in this week's NCAA Division III national poll by D3hoops.com and 18th in the USA Today / ESPN / Women's Basketball Coaches Association poll, improved to 5-0.  The Warriors fell to 3-5.

In the opening five minutes, George Fox built an eight-point lead of 14-6 on a three-pointer and layup by Hayley Cusick and a three by Jami Roos, playing for the first time this season after missing the Bruins' first four games with a sprained ankle.  Corban used a 9-4 run over a span of eight minutes to pull within three points at 18-15 on a jumper by Julia Young with 7:08 on the clock, but the Warriors would get no closer.

An 18-3 run by the visiting Bruins over a span of nearly seven minutes helped George Fox build an 18-point lead of 36-18.  Dacia Heckendorf fueled the rally with a pair of three-pointers.  Corban scored the final points of the first half on a lay-in by Tara Vanweerdhuizen for the difference at halftime of 36-20.

George Fox scored eight of the first nine points in the second half over a three-minute stretch en route to building a 23-point cushion of 44-21.  Justin Benner hit a jumper and two free throws and Heckendorf another from long distance to spark the Bruins' outburst.  Over the next 13 minutes, the Bruins gradually increased their lead to a game-high 30 points at 64-34 on a three-pointer by Kylee Parker with just over three minutes left.  

As a team, the Bruins went 22-60 (.367) from the field, including 8-18 (.444) from downtown, and 14-21 (.667) at the charity stripe.  The Warriors shot 13-46 (.283) from the field that included a 2-16 (.125) performance from beyond the three-point line, and 8-14 (.571) at the free throw line.

Cusick and Benner tied for game-high honors with 13 points apiece and Heckendorf added 12 while going 4-6 from three-point range to lead the Bruins.  Heckendorf, Jordyn Peacock, and Lauren Codling had five rebounds each in helping the Bruins to a 47-31 advantage on the boards.  Heckendorf passed out five assists, and Cusick made three steals.

No one reached double figures for the Warriors, Jade Lowery topping the home team with nine points.  Vanweerdhuizen had a game-high six rebounds, Young had two assists, and Lowery made two steals.

NEXT: George Fox hosts Yamhill County rival Linfield College Saturday at 6:00 p.m. to tip off Northwest Conference play … The game will be the first part of an NWC doubleheader, with the Bruin and Wildcat men squaring off afterward at 8:00 p.m. … Corban hosts Northwest Christian University in a Cascade Collegiate Conference match on Friday at 5:30 p.m.