FOREST GROVE, Ore. -- Two Jenna Lacey free throws with two seconds left gave the George Fox women's basketball team the thrilling victory over the Pacific Boxers, winning 55-53 in an instant classic.

How It Happened
Lacey was on point right from the jump, scoring the first points of the game to start things off for the Bruins. Fox led the entire quarter, but The Boxers were on the Bruins' heels throughout the first — four points from Claire Hinds in the final two minutes of the quarter to put Fox up 14-9 after the first.

Pacific bounced back from the opening round punch, slowly but surely closing in to eventually tie the game at 20. Alexa Borter grabbed her missed free throw with 30 seconds left to score a layup and put Fox up 22-22, but the Boxers scored on the other end to tie the game at 22. One free throw from Pacific's Emily Holsen gave the Boxers their first lead of the game, by one at the half. Fox's defense was stout in the first two periods, holding the Boxers to under 30% from the field, including only three triples. Fox struggled from the field as well, though, missing all nine of their threes and shooting 33% from the field. 

The Bruins fell behind early in the third, but key defensive moments — including a block by Borter and a steal by Lacey — kept the Boxers close. Fox took the lead back with just under seven minutes and stretched the lead to five on a Borter layup. After that moment, the Bruins failed to score for the remaining 5:27 of the third, as Pacific built up an eight-point lead at the end of the quarter, 40-32. 

Pacific hit a quick bucket to go up 10 at the beginning of the fourth, but a stout Bruin defense shut down the Boxers for nearly eight minutes. An extended 18-2 run let Fox storm back to take the lead, 50-44, with 1:20 remaining. After some Pacific baskets and free throws from Erin Yoshitake and Lacey, the Bruins led, 53-49.

A Boxer triple with less than 30 seconds left brought them within one point, 53-52. Two missed free throws from Ella Roberts gave Pacific the ball back, down just one. The Boxers had a chance to lead after a foul, but Rilee Price went 1-2 at the line to leave the game knotted at 53. With three seconds left, the Bruins needed a big-time bucket to win the game. 

Off the inbounds, Roberts found Lacey under the basket on a back cut. The perfect pass left the Boxers no choice but to contest heavily, as Pacific fouled Lacey with two seconds left. Lacey's first free throw hit every inch of the rim before falling through, and her second went down easily to cement a huge Bruin win, 55-53.

Top Performances
The trio of Alexa Borter, Jenna Lacey, and Erin Yoshitake combined for 35 of the Bruins' 55 total points, scoring 11, 12, and 12 respectively. Ella Roberts had four assists and five points, while Claire Hinds added nine points and four rebounds.

Coach's Thoughts
"Great fight tonight from our entire team," Bruin head coach Mike Coppolino said, "We dug our heels in defensively and battled against a very good team."

What It Means
The Bruins climb one game closer to .500, improving to 6-10 (3-4 NWC), while Pacific falls 11-5 (4-3 NWC).

What Comes Next
Fox plays Lewis & Clark Saturday in Portland, tip-off is at 4 pm. It is recommended that tickets be purchased before the game, as cash will not be accepted. For tickets and more information, click here.