BOSTON --- The George Fox women's basketball team played in a battle of opposing philosophies on Sunday, as the gritty interior-focused Bruins recovered from an early deficit to defeat the three-point launching Emerson Lions, 62-52.
How It Happened
The Lions made their outside presence known from the very beginning, knocking down four threes in the opening four minutes as the Lions jumped out to a 12-3 lead. Fox wasn't able to generate much offense in the opening stanza, as the Bruins shot 10%. However, early free-throw shooting kept the Bruins in the game, and they trailed 9-14 after the first.
George Fox would have to play catch-up for the entire second quarter, as the Bruins fell down 9-22 midway through the quarter. Thanks to inside scoring from Jenna Lacey and Cassidy Posey, the Bruins battled to within seven at half as the defense began to lock down the Lions.
The Bruin defense came out of the halftime break and smothered Emerson, holding the Lions to 1-16 shooting and only eight points in the third period. Alyssa Wells knocked down the only two threes of the game for the Bruins to lead Fox on an 8-0 run to take a 37-36 lead at the end of the third.
George Fox's offense exploded in the fourth quarter, scoring 25 points and running away from the Lions to come home with a ten point victory. The knockout blow came with three minutes remaining, when Posey found Lacey on a backdoor cut to put the Bruins up eight. Erin Yoshitake and Jordan Ryan made nine free throws combined in the fourth to ice the game for the road Bruins.
Top Performances
Posey scored 14 on 7-9 shooting and Lacey scored 13 on 5-7 shooting to lead the way for the Bruins. Ryan and Emily Stephens dominated the glass, as Ryan pulled down 10 boards, six of them offensive, while Emily Stephens finished with seven rebounds.
The Bruins made two threes as opposed to the Lions' 10 from behind the ark. However, the Fox inside attack reaped rewards in other ways; The Bruins earned 20 more free throws than the Lions, finishing the day 22-31 from the charity stripe.
Coach's Thoughts
"It was great to end teh trip on a positive note," coach Michael Coppolino said afterward. "We have many things to work on and improve upon - we look forward to the week ahead."
What It Means
The women concluded their East Coast road swing to start the season, finishing with a 2-1 record.
Up Next
The Bruins will not wait long for another road trip, heading down to California to take on Whittier and Ponoma Pitzer next weekend. George Fox's game against Whittier is scheduled to tip off at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 20.
