NEWBERG, Ore. -- The George Fox women's basketball team started their home stand on Friday night, falling to the Whitworth Pirates in a defensive slugfest, 44-51.

How It Happened
The Bruins and the Pirates combined for just eight total points in the first quarter as both offenses struggled to get going. Fox shot 1-9 from the field — the lone bucket an Emily Stephens layup — while Whitworth finished 2-14 in the quarter. The two teams combined to shoot 0-8 from beyond the arc as the Pirates led, 6-2.

The offenses picked up steam in the second quarter, with each team scoring 13 points apiece. After missing their first four triples, Whitworth hit three consecutive three-pointers to jump out to a 15-5 lead. The Bruins battled back via the free throw line — hitting six from the charity stripe in the quarter. An Erin Yoshitake trey with 35 seconds left got Fox within four at 15-19 to end the low-scoring half.

The Bruins hovered within the five to nine-point range in the opening minutes of the third quarter, including six straight points from Jenna Lacey to keep Fox close. However, an 8-2 run from Whitworth stretched the Pirate lead to 11 with one minute remaining. A three-pointer right before the buzzer sounded from Whitworth's Kimberly Dewey made the Pirate lead 40-28 at the end of three.

Lacey continued her strong second half with a jumper to kick off the fourth quarter with an 8-2 Bruin run to cut the lead to 36-46, the closest that the Fox women would get. After a Yoshitake free throw with 6:28 remaining, the Bruins would not score for a full six minutes. A furious eight-point rally in the waning seconds got the Bruins closer, but ultimately the squad fell, 44-51.

Top Performers
Jenna Lacey recorded her first career double-double with a 10-point, 11-rebound performance. Two other players — Erin Yoshitake and Alyssa Wells — also scored 10 on the night, with Wells hitting a team-high two triples. Both Yoshitake and Claire Hinds led the way with three assists apiece, with Hinds' three dishes setting a career-high for the forward.
 
What It Means
The Bruins fall to 9-13 (6-7 NWC) on the year while Whitworth improves to a nearly-identical record at 9-14 (6-8 NWC). With the win, the Pirates now hold the season series tiebreaker, having beaten Fox twice this season.

What Comes Next
Fox will remain at home as they face a red-hot Whitman Blues team that has won 10 straight games. Tip-off is scheduled for 4:00 pm.