PORTLAND --- With nearly four Bruins in double-figure scoring, the George Fox women's basketball team swiped a 63-40 victory over Northwest Conference opponent Lewis & Clark on Saturday evening.

Recap

After a tight one-point win over Puget Sound, the 20th-ranked Bruins showed up ready to fight in a contest where their veteran status shined through. Lewis & Clark dropped a three to open the scoring, but that would be the first and only lead they would hold the rest of the night.

Jumpers from Emily Holder and Haley Strowbridge quickly pushed Fox ahead of the Pioneers before both teams saw a near scoring drought last just under five minutes. A layup from each team and a single Bruin free throw were the only interruptions. A trifecta from Emily Holder was the first true excitement coming at 2:57 with Hailey Hartney draining another with 1:26 to go in the quarter. Emily Spencer's perfect 2-for-2 trip at the line gave the Bruin's a 16-8 lead entering the second.

The Bruins continued to push the pace despite the Pios successfully getting back on defense and holding a tempo that favored their game. After being held to just six points in the first seven minutes of the second, including four from Holder, the Bruins strung together back-to-back threes from Kaylee Bishop and Strowbridge to hold a 28-14 advantage entering intermission.

After struggling in the first quarter, the Bruins cleaned up and shot 36 percent in the second. Charity-stripe performance was the only offensive category the Bruins didn't own at the half, and the Blue & Gold went 4-for-9 from the outside compared to their opponent's 1-for-10.

The Bruins continued to play with confidence in the second half and extended their lead beyond 20 points early in the third. Layups from Hartney and Emily Spencer kicked off the 9-0 run before a triple from Holder and two Hartney free-throws sealed it with 7:40 remaining. GFU held the Pioneers at a distance of 20 or more points through the rest of the quarter and entered the final period leading 52-27.

L&C managed to loosen up in the fourth quarter but still struggled to score as the Bruins stifled any offensive efforts in the opening minutes. The Pioneers put together a 4-0 run with six minutes to go, but Fox jumped back out to its largest lead of the game at 28. Kate Huguenin scored her first points of the game thrillingly, draining a three for a 62-34 Bruin lead with 3:29 left in regulation.

The Pios dragged the lead back down to 23 points, but the Bruins came out on top in the 63-40 decision.

Top Performers

Holder and Strowbridge hit double-figure scoring in a game that saw 11 Bruins score. Holder went 5-for-9 from the floor for a game-high 13 points, including 2-for-3 from the outside. The Washington native grabbed six boards and dished out two assists. Strowbridge and Hartney combined for 19 points, each on 3-for-5 field goal and 1-for-2 free-throw performances. Spencer tallied eight points while Kylin Collman had five, and each posted four rebounds. The Bruin defense held the Pios to their lowest shooting percentage of the season at 28.6 percent.

What It Means

The Bruins improve to 5-3 in NWC action and 13-4 overall while ranking third in the NWC behind Pacific (Ore.) and Whitman. Fox will take a two-game win streak into next weekend's action after falling to league-leading Whitman on January 18.

What Happens Next

The Bruins return home to play host to local NWC rival Linfield on Saturday, Feb. 1. Tip-off is set for 6:00 p.m. with the men slated to go at 8:00 p.m. Linfield sits behind Fox at fourth in the NWC rankings and will come to Newberg on a two-game losing streak.