By: Jake Bienvenue

NEWBERG, Ore. --- The No. 14-ranked and No. 1-seed George Fox women's basketball team hosted Willamette in the finals of the Northwest Conference Tournament, winning the championship, 60-50.

Recap:

A competitive first quarter proved that both teams deserved to be fighting for a conference championship. Haylee Hutzler scored five points in the period, helping lead the Bruins to a narrow 15-13 lead over the Bearcats.

The Bruins caught fire in second quarter as a host of players propelled the team to a huge 16-2 run. The George Fox defense was almost insurmountable for the visiting Bearcats, who scored only two points in the entire second quarter.

George Fox held a 31-15 lead heading into halftime.

Hutzler, Tavin Headings and Kaitlin Jamieson all hit shots in the opening minutes of the second half to keep distance between the two teams.

Willamette began to get into the flow of its offense in the third quarter, but the Bruins managed to keep their own offense in rhythm to hold the Bearcats at bay.

George Fox led 46-35 heading into the final period of play.

Willamette hit a deep ball at the beginning of the fourth quarter to spark the team to an 8-1 run, cutting the deficit to single digits, 47-43.

After some neck-in-neck play, the Bruins led 52-50. Jamieson was able to hit an important shot around the rim to give the Bruins a little breathing room with just over two minutes left. Emily Spencer, Hutzler and Haley Strowbridge were able to step up to the line in crunch time and hit important free throws, giving the Bruins a 60-50 lead.

George Fox took the win and the Northwest Conference in front of the home crowd. This marks the ninth time the Bruins have won the Northwest Conference Tournament.

Top Performers:

Jamieson paced the Bruins in scoring, tallying 15 points to go along with eight boards and four blocks. Emily Holder found her way into double-digits as well, contributing 11 points. Hutzler was the other Bruin in double figures with 10 of her own.

What It Means:

The Bruins win the Northwest Conference tournament and earn a ticket to the NCAA tournament.

What Comes Next:

The Bruins will find out what their future holds Monday, Feb. 26, as the NCAA selection shows starts at 11:30 am.