NEWBERG, Ore. --- The George Fox women's basketball team fell victim to a tough full-court press, committing 32 turnovers and losing 61-65 to the visiting Illinois Wesleyan Titans on Thursday at Miller Gymnasium.
How It Happened
After falling behind 8-4 early on, Fox rallied behind an active defense to end the quarter on a 14-4 run. The Bruins would force six turnovers in the quarter, but would commit eight as the Titans used a strong defense to keep the game close at the first intermission.Â
Erin Yoshitake hit two threes in the second to bolster her 10-point first half performance and give the Bruins a 33-30 halftime lead. Yoshitake led a strong bench that scored nine of the Bruins' 16 second quarter points. Overall in the first half, Fox moved the ball well, assisting on 10 of their 13 buckets.
The Titans' blitzing full-court press began to affect the Bruins' offense as Illinois Wesleyan forced more Fox turnovers; The Bruins coughed up the ball 10 times in the third quarter alone. Emma Reed's steal and lay-in in the closing seconds kept the score close, with the Titans leading 50-49 heading into the fourth.
Fox had three chances late in the game to inch closer but could not score in the final 2:41 of the game. Alysa Wells, who had six fourth quarter points for the Bruins, had her three with 14 seconds left drift wide in a last-gasp effort for Fox. Four fourth-quarter triples from the Titans ultimately doomed the Bruins in the 61-65 loss.
Top Performances
Emily Stephens led the squad with 12 points and six rebounds, scoring eight of her points in the third quarter. Ella Roberts, who had only hit four triples prior to Thursday, finished the game with 10 points on 3-4 shooting from deep. The Bruins shot 48.9% as a team in the game.
What It Means
The Bruin women fall to 4-7 on the season and have lost six of their last eight games.
Up Next
Thursday's game marked the end of their non-conference schedule as they step into the New Year and transition to NWC play. The Bruins' first game of 2022 will be a home tilt against the Lewis & Clark Pioneers on Tuesday, January 4th. Tip-off is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.
