SALEM, Ore. -- It was a game of runs on a Saturday night matchup between the George Fox women's basketball team and the Willamette Bearcats; though the Bruins embarked on a 23-1 run in the third quarter, a subsequent 26-3 run from the Bearcats handed Fox their third straight loss, 67-75.
How It Happened
The Bruins started out aggressive, scoring the first five points of the game and jumping out to a 10-5 lead at the first media timeout. Fox kept their lead throughout the period, shooting an efficient 50% from the field and 3-4 from deep — including two triples from
Erin Yoshitake — as the Fox women led by one point, 17-16, after one.
After a strong offensive first quarter, the Bruin attack lessened in the second; though Fox took a 20-16 lead in the early stages of the second, Fox shot just 3-12 from the field as the Bearcats embarked on an 11-0 run to take a 12-point lead.
Alyssa Wells knocked in a step-back trey to stay within single digits at halftime, with Fox trailing 27-36 at the break.
Yoshitake continued to stay hot from beyond the arc, nailing two more triples to get the Bruins within three points midway through the quarter. Two
Ella Roberts free throws tied the game at 41, and an
Alyssa Wells triple just seconds later gave the Bruins the lead back; when the dust settled, a 23-1 run propelled the Bruin lead to 12 points. Though Willamette countered with an 8-0 run of their own, Fox took a 53-49 lead into the final frame.
The game once again seesawed back Willamette's direction, with the Bearcats taking a one-point lead with seven minutes remaining. That one-point lead ballooned to 11 as the Bruins went over seven minutes without a bucket. A
Mia Skoro triple cut the lead to six points with 1:19 remaining, and another Yoshitake trey got the lead to five. Fox continued to chip away one point at a time, cutting the deficit to four on a Skoro layup, but Willamette free throws put the game out of reach, with Fox falling, 67-75.
Top Performers
Erin Yoshitake had a record night from the field, tying her career high with six triples and finishing with a career-high 22 points.
Ella Roberts and
Alyssa Wells were next up, Roberts finishing with 16 points and Wells ending the night with 13 points and a team-high five rebounds.
Mia Skoro led the team with a career-high four assists.
Coach's Thoughts
"The team played hard tonight," Bruin head coach
Lauren Howard said, "Willamette is a great team and we were able to compete well with them. We have to continue to figure out how to get stops down the stretch and adjust each possession. We got better tonight and will continue to do so each practice and game."
What It Means
The Bruins finish their first half of conference play 2-13 (2-6 NWC). The conference-leading Bearcats improve to 9-7 (6-1 NWC) on the year.
What Happens Next
Fox will be on the road next, heading to Tacoma, Wash. to face the Puget Sound Loggers on Friday, January 26. Tip-off is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.
