By Josh Nutter

NEWBERG --- Resiliency;(n) the capacity to recover quickly from difficulty; toughness. It was also coach Michael Coppolino's definition of Friday's women's basketball game, as the Bruins pulled off an impressive comeback, coming from a 19-point deficit to earn a gritty 86-76 win. The Bruins and Pirates were squaring off for the first time in conference play in the 2020 season in a contest that was short of breath, but not short on thrills.

Recap

The Bruins entered the night led in scoring by seniors Emily Holder and Emily Spencer with Holder scoring 10.5 points per night followed by Spencer at 9.9 per night. Bruins guard Hailey Hartney entered the game shooting a scorching 51% from three-point range as she helps spread the floor in the balanced George Fox attack. The Bruins depend heavily on their outside shooting, hitting at 43 percent in wins but only 20.3 in their three losses this season. Thankfully, the confines of Miller Gym give the Bruins a boost, as they shoot their season average at home compared to 29% on the road and at neutral sites.

The Pirates came out swinging early, hitting three early three-pointers to jump out to a quick 11-5 lead in the matchup. Whitworth's Jordan Smith started 3-for-3 from outside as the Pirates stretched their lead to 18-9 in the early going. The Pirates would not let up, extending their lead to as many as 14 points to close out the opening frame as George Fox trailed 30-17. The Bruins were shooting 60 percent from the field compared to Whitworth's 61.1, but the Pirates had hit five more threes and GFU was just 25% from outside. Spencer led all scorers with nine after the first.

The Bruins had some ground to make up in the second quarter in hopes that they could ice the Pirates scorching offense on the outside. They were able to hold the Pirates to an 0-for-3 start from outside but were unable to make up any ground as the two teams went basket-for-basket, making it 38-25 Whitworth at the first media timeout of the period. The deficit got up to a daunting 19 points before a 6-0 run going into the half got the Bruins back within 13, down 48-35 at the half. The Pirates had three scorers in double figures while Spencer led the Bruins 12 points at the half.

The Bruins wanted nothing to do with such a deficit in the second half. George Fox came flying out of the locker room on a 7-0 run and an aggressive sense of urgency to come within six points in less than a minute. A Hartney triple energized the crowd and the team as Whitworth was unable to answer the Bruins' newfound pace. The Pirates responded with pressure and a run of their own to get the lead back out to 59-47 with 4:33 remaining in the quarter. The Bruins were able to outscore the Pirates 12-7 the rest of the way to bring it down to a 66-57 Whitworth lead entering the fourth. 

The Bruins stormed out once again to start the fourth; back-to-back threes from Hartney and Kylin Collman narrowed the Pirates' lead to 68-65 and the home crowd began to get involved as the Bruins kept fighting. Haley Stowbridge nailed another three and suddenly the game was knotted up at 68. George Fox continued its run, going on another big 11-2 run to take a 79-72 lead with two minutes remaining. The Bruins didn't stop with a lead though. After a nice layup, Spencer stole the Pirates inbound to go up 83-72 and seal the game. The final score was 86-76, an astounding, resilient George Fox victory.

Top Performers

All five of the Bruins' starters finished in double-figures. Spencer led the way with 20 points and her effort in the contest cannot be understated, Spencer had a look in her eye and a chip on her shoulder in the second half, none more apparent than during her game-sealing steal. Holder scored 16 in the second half as the Bruins made their resurgent rush to victory.

What it Means

George Fox did not quit in this game. The Bruins remained relentless until they had the lead at the final buzzer. They took a 29-10 run in the final quarter to steal the game away after trailing by the exact margin they outscored the Pirates in the fourth quarter, 19. Spencer, Holder, and Haley Strowbridge showed tremendous resolve. As a team, GFU shot 47% from three-point range and held the Pirates to 20% from outside in the final frame in their victory. The second half was not only a story of shooting improvement, but lockdown defense, relentless effort, and of course, resiliency.

What Happens Next

The Bruins will take their resiliency, and a two-game win-streak, into an NWC clash with Whitman on Saturday at 4:00 pm in Wheeler Sports Center.