MCMINNVILLE, Ore. --- The No. 2-ranked George Fox women's basketball team completed their second consecutive perfect regular season on Saturday, beating the Linfield Wildcats 71-61.

Recap:
The Bruins came out firing on all cylinders in the first quarter, but the Wildcats matched them shot for shot in the first 10 minutes of play. The Bruins led by four at the 1:50 mark in the first, but the 'Cats cut it to one and then took the lead with 30 seconds left after Paige Graham knocked down a three, 19-17. Justine Benner answered for the Bruins just before the buzzer forcing the fourth tie of the game, 19-19.

The second quarter got off to a slow start, but that changed after Kaitlin Jamieson made a layup in the paint to give the Bruins a seven point lead, and momentum, 30-23. The lead grew to nine after a Benner layup, 32-23, and seconds later grew to 14 when Sammy Naluai and Benner combined for five points to take the largest lead of the game, 37-23. Linfield started to claw at the lead and managed to cut it to six at the break, 37-31.

The Bruins came out of the break with intentions to get their lead back to double digits, but the 'Cats were relentless, holding the Bruin runs to just spirts. The 'Cats caught fire and forced a tie at the 2:03 mark off a jumper, 47-47. Benner made a free throw at the 1:18 mark to give the Bruins a one point advantage, and Nicole Blizzard delivered a crushing blow from beyond the arc to end the third with a four point edge, 51-47.

The fourth quarter proved to be an exciting one for both teams, but the Bruins controlled the 'Cats with their press. The Bruins forced the 'Cats into 24 turnovers resulting in 29 points. George Fox closed out the game on the free throw line, relying on Naluai who closed out her night shooting 8-9 from the stripe.

Top Performers:
Benner led all scorers with 24 points, going 7-16 from the field and 10-11 from the free throw line. She also grabbed 10 rebounds to record her fourth double-double of the season. Anjenae Torregano and Naluai both finished with 12 points, while Blizzard added 10.

What It Means:
With the win, the Bruins secure their second-straight perfect regular season at 25-0 and 16-0 in the NWC. They advance to the Northwest Conference Tournament as the No. 1 seed.

What Comes Next:
The Bruins host the No. 4 seed Whitworth on Thursday, Feb. 25 at 7:00 p.m. Puget Sound, the No. 2 seed, hosts Whitman as the No. 3 seed.