FOREST GROVE, Ore. --- The George Fox women's basketball team found themselves in a dogfight with a new-and-improved Pacific (Ore.) squad, ultimately dropping the 61-47 competitive NWC bout on Tuesday evening.

Recap

Both teams struggled to find their rhythm in the fast-paced first quarter, with the limited offense to show coming from the Bruins. Emily Spencer broke both teams' scoring drought after the stagnant opening minutes, but the dry spell would continue into the fifth minute of action. A casual layup from Cassidy Posey opened a 6-0 run to push the Bruins out to 9-2 with 2:42 remaining. Pacific's NWC Student-Athlete of the Week in Brille Kovaloff managed to knock down a three in the final seconds to cut Fox's lead to 9-5 entering the second.

Both teams exchanged buckets and turnovers to start the second before Emily Holder pulled up with the Bruins' first triple of the game to lead 16-11. A more evenly-matched second quarter continued as the Bruins maintained their eight-point lead through the first five minutes. The Boxers put together a solid 10-0 run to take the 23-21 lead with 1:46 remaining in the half. A Posey three gave the Bruins the lead once more, but Shelby Holman's jumper put the Boxers on top 25-24 entering intermission.

The Bruins turned up the heat to shoot 46.2 percent in the second quarter after shooting just 22.2 percent in the first. Stout defense allowed Fox to outrebound their opponent 23-15, including 11 offensive rebounds, in the first half.

Hailey Hartney poured in her first three points of the game to tie the game at 27-27, marking the first of four ties in the third quarter. Turnovers and fouls slowed the Bruins' momentum during a 9-3 Boxer run as the PU ended the third with a 41-37 lead.

A hot start gave PU their largest lead of the game at 56-43 with over five minutes remaining, despite retaliation from Spencer, Haley Strowbridge, and Hartney. A trey from Kaylee Bishop and a trip to the charity stripe for Spencer brought the Bruins back within singles digits at the 4:20 mark, but the final four minutes failed to see a single field goal. The Boxers outscored the Bruins in the final three periods and came away with the 61-47 victory on their home floor.

Top Performers

Holder led the squad for the second-straight game with 15 points, while Posey dropped nine on 3-of-4 from the field and 2-of-3 from the line. Spencer added seven points and five assists, Baker came up with six points, and Hartney and Strowbridge grabbed nine boards each.

What It Means

After climbing to No. 8 in the nation this week, the Blue & Gold now hold an overall record of 9-3 and a 1-2 mark in NWC action.

What Happens Next

The Bruins round out their three-game road trip with a visit to Pacific Lutheran on Saturday, Jan. 11. The NWC doubleheader is set to begin at 4:00 p.m. with the men's tip-off slated for 6:00 p.m.