SPOKANE, Wash. -- The George Fox women's basketball team led by as many as ten before seven fourth-quarter turnovers and hot Whitworth shooting led to a 22-point swing in the Bruins' 57-45 loss on Saturday. 

How It Happened
Both teams struggled shooting the ball in the first as Fox shot 35% and Whitworth shot just 27% in the opening quarter. The lead changed hands several times before an exchange of threes ended the frame tied at 13. 

Fox picked up steam in the second half, shooting a lights-out 58% from the field, including a crucial ten points and no missed shots from Alyssa Wells. Fox took advantage of Whitworth's shooting struggles, the Pirates shot under 35% for the half and 3-15 from beyond the arc. Goerge Fox ended the half on an 11-4 run extending their lead to 31-26. At the half, Erin Yoshitake had 11 points; combined with Wells' 10, the two Bruins accounted for 21 first-half points.

The Bruins opened the third quarter with an Ella Roberts layup and a wide-open three for Kylie Ritter to push the lead to ten. However, after that, the Bruins' red-hot shooting simmered, and they shot just 23% in the quarter. Whitworth didn't shoot much better as they missed eight threes, though they did manage to outscore Fox 13-8 in the frame. The Pirates tied the game with 1:45 left in the third quarter, but George Fox responded with a bucket and points at the free throw line to give them a small edge to start the fourth quarter. 

Fox started the fourth quarter with three missed shots and two turnovers before Yoshitake finally scored to break the drought with 6:46 left. During that time, Whitworth built a five-point lead that Fox was unable to overcome. GFU struggled against a ramped-up Pirate defense that forced seven turnovers and held the Bruins to only two field goals in the quarter, shooting 2-11 from the field and 0-3 from three. Ultimately, the combination of Whitworth's best shooting frame and Fox's poor shooting broke the Bruins in their 12-point loss.

Top Performances
Erin Yoshitake continued her scoring surge, hitting three triples and scoring 15 points. Alyssa Wells scored ten points after an explosive first half. Claire Hinds led GFU in rebounding with six boards.

What It Means
The Bruins slide to 5-10 (2-4 NWC), while Whitworth improves to 5-10 (2-4 NWC). The teams are now tied in the NWC standings.

What Comes Next
The Bruins square off against the Pacific University Boxers on Jan. 20 in Forest Grove, Ore.