NEWBERG, Ore. – Despite a thrilling final quarter comeback, the George Fox women's basketball team was unable to push past Pacific University, falling to the Boxers at home, 69-66.
How It Happened
The Bruins struggled to establish an offensive rhythm during the first quarter, quickly falling behind, 22-9. Despite a challenging 27% team shooting performance from the floor,
Alyssa Wells was able to convert a layup, jumper, and free throw to keep Fox within striking distance against the Boxers.
Fox bounced with a strong second quarter appearance, opening with an eight point run that immediately put them back in the game. Fox outscored Pacific 12-7 for the period, led by
Kylie Ritter, who was able to put up five points in the span of a minute. The Bruins also forced five turnovers to enter halftime down eight points, 29-21.
The second half opened in a tight contest for possession, with neither team able to convert a shot through the first three minutes. However, the period ended with a flurry of points from both teams. Pacific quickly put up seven points to extend the lead, but a late layup from
Ella Roberts was followed by a three pointer from
Mia Skoro to end the quarter, keeping the deficit to nine entering the fourth quarter.
The Bruins again showed their team resilience in the final period, storming back into contention with eight points in two minutes. With five minutes remaining, Skoro drained yet another three-pointer, moving the Bruins within one point. Thirty seconds later, Roberts scored, giving Fox the lead for the first time in the game, 52-51.
Pacific then went on a run of their own to regain the lead, but the Bruins retaliated immediately with back-to-back free throws, setting the stage for a nail-biting finish. With 53 seconds left, Roberts made a spinning layup to move back within one point, but the Boxers responded with a triple from Emily Holsan. Following another free throw from the Boxers to put Fox down by five,
Alyssa Wells knocked in a step-back from beyond the arc with seven seconds to go to cut the lead to two.
The teams exchanged several more free throws, putting the Bruins down by four with four seconds left. Right before the buzzer,
Erin Yoshitake was fouled on a prayer, giving the Bruins a sign of life. After nailing two shots, the senior looked to purposely miss the last to give Fox a chance for a put-back rebound; however, her final shot miraculously bounced in, spoiling the Bruin comeback in a close 66-69 loss.
Top Performances
Alyssa Wells led the way for the Bruins offensively, dropping 19 points and picking up three steals on the day.
Ella Roberts also put together an incredible all-around performance, finishing with 15 points, 12 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 blocks, with most of her stats coming in their second half comeback.
Jenna Lacey finished with another double digit game, notching 10 points on the day.
What It Means
George Fox falls to 1-9 (1-2 NWC), while Pacific improves to 8-5 (3-1 NWC).
What Comes Next
The Bruins will look to pick up their first win of 2024 in their next home game against the Whitworth Pirates on Friday, January 12. The matchup is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.
