NEWBERG, Ore. --- The George Fox women's fell victim to a tough first quarter, falling down early and never leading in their 62-72 loss to Whitworth.

How It Happened

The Pirates surprised Fox with a quick start out of the gates, as a 13-2 Whitworth lead prompted a timeout from coach Mike Coppolino. The Pirates would not turn over the ball for the first seven minutes of the game, but the Bruins remained close thanks to seven Whitworth turnovers. After trailing by as many as 12, Fox had cut the deficit to four by the end of the first. 

The game remained close throughout the second quarter, with the Bruins within firing distance but never ahead. Both teams hit five shots, hauled in nine rebounds, and dished out three assists in an evenly matchup period.

Once again, the game stayed in a five point buffer in the third; Whitworth never led by more than eight or less than three. Cassidy Posey had seven points in the quarter to keep it close, but the Pirates answered every Bruin basket.

The Pirates' lead ballooned to 14 early on in the fourth thanks to three straight possessions with offensive rebounds. The Bruins cut the lead to eight before consecutive and-ones from Whitworth put the lead back to 14. The Bruins were unable to rally, and the Pirates left Taylor Court with a 72-62 final.

Top Performances

For the third straight game, sophomore Jordan Ryan led the Bruins in scoring, this time with 15 points. Ryan also rejected a career-high six shots on the night. Posey scored all 13 of her points on the night in the first three quarters, while freshman Alyssa Wells scored most of her 13 in the fourth.

What It Means

The loss drops the Bruins record to 5-9 on the year with a 1-4 NWC mark. Meanwhile, Saturday's win improves Whitworth's NWC record to 2-5.

Up Next

The Bruins will travel to Tacoma on Tuesday to play Pacific Lutheran in a make-up game after their original matchup was postponed. The women then return to Miller Gymnasium on Friday to host Puget Sound. Tip-off is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.