NEWBERG, Ore. --- The George Fox women's basketball team held off the Pacific Lutheran Lutes on Saturday afternoon, utilizing a career night from Ella Roberts to win their third game out of four, winning 75-64.
How It Happened
Cassidy Posey and Emily Stephens shot out of the gates to begin the game, scoring Fox's first nine as the Bruins raced out to a 9-0 lead. The Lutes worked their way to within three, but five straight to end the quarter for the Bruins gave the home team a 23-15 advantage. Fox earned 12 free throws in the first quarter alone, sinking eight.
Ella Roberts started the second with six straight points as Fox climbed to an 11-point lead. From there, the Bruin defense took over, holding the Lutes to 30% shooting in the period. A Posey triple with two seconds remaining gave the Bruins a 40-27 lead as they headed to the locker room.
Coming out of the locker room, the game shifted to a defensive battle as both offenses struggled to score. Fox shot 4-14 from the field while the Lutes shot 3-14. Although the Bruins only managed11 points in the period, every basket was scored by a different player.
An extended 10-2 for the Lutes prompted a Mike Coppolino timeout with seven minutes remaining as the Fox lead was trimmed to six. Two big three-pointers from Alyssa Wells and Rachel Parks pushed the Bruin lead back to 13 and wrestled back momentum. The Lutes hit four triples in the quarter to try and stay in range, but Fox shot 12-16 from the line to ensure the victory.
Top Performances
Roberts put together her best game as a Bruin, scoring a career-high 18 on the night, dishing out six assists, and pulling down four boards. Posey scored 13 for the Bruins, including two three-pointers; coming into Saturday, she had only hit two treys all year. Emily Stephens also had a big night, reeling in a team-high 10 rebounds and scoring nine.
Coach's Thoughts
"Solid team effort - I was happy with our ball movement and being able to hang on as PLU gave us a very challenging 4th quarter," coach Coppolino said.
What It Means
The win pushed the Bruin women to 9-10 on the year, with a 5-5 Northwest Conference mark. More importantly, Saturday's victory moved the Bruins into a tie for fourth place in the NWC with Willamette. The top four teams qualify for the NWC tournament and a chance at an NCAA Tournament berth.
Up Next
George Fox travels to face Willamette in Salem to make up a previously schedule game on Tuesday, Feb. 8, and plays at Linfield on Friday night, Feb. 11, before returning to host Senior Night against Willamette on Saturday, Feb. 12.
