By Joshua Nutter

TACOMA, Wash. --- The George Fox women's basketball team paid a visit to Puget Sound in the Northwest Conference regular-season finale on Saturday. The Bruins came away with a 62-45 win and can now focus on postseason preparation. 

Recap

George Fox took advantage of an early lead, pulling ahead 9-5 in the first five minutes. The Bruins held their ground and continued to apply pressure, allowing just six more points in the first quarter. Hailey Hartney and Haley Strowbridge each had five points in the opening frame as GFU took an early 20-11 lead. 

The Bruins continued to add to their lead in the second quarter as Strowbridge opened things up with a three to put the Bruins up by 12. Fox proceeded to go on a 10-2 run to jump ahead 35-13 with four minutes remaining in the half. The Loggers weren't done yet though as they responded with a 10-4 run of their own to close out the half to cut the George Fox lead to 39-24 at the break. The Bruins spread the scoring around in the first half of play, with Kylin Collman's seven points leading the pack. 

Fox continued to hold off the Loggers in the third quarter, holding a 44-27 lead at the five-minute mark. The Bruins didn't do much scoring yet still outscored UPS 13-7 in the frame. Collman led GFU with ten points as the Bruins held a 52-31 advantage going into the final period of play. 

The Bruins went to their reserve unit in the final quarter as they closed out the 62-45 victory. Fox only scored nine points in the frame but played strong defense and kept the Loggets at bay to earn the win.

Top Performers

Collman led the way with 12 and Emily Spencer followed with 10 points in the game. Collman went 4-for-6 from the field, a perfect 2-for-2 from the line, and 2-for-3 from deep in an efficient performance. Hartney and Holder grabbed seven boards while Spencer snagged five steals and dished out three assists.

What It Means

George Fox finishes the regular season with a 19-6 record, including 11-5 in conference play, as they advance to the NWC tournament after winning eight of their last 10 games. 

What Happens Next

The Blue and Gold will face Pacific (Ore.) in the No. 2- vs. No. 3 -seed matchup of the NWC Tournament. Pacific (Ore.) will host the matchup on Thursday, Feb. 27, with tip-off scheduled for 7:00 pm in Forest Grove.