WALTHAM, Mass. – In the first game of the season, the George Fox women's basketball team overcame a 17-point deficit to defeat the Husson Eagles, 62-59. 

How It Happened 
Husson opened the game with a blitz, ripping off a 10-0 run in the first four minutes. Mia Skoro ended the run with a layup to get the first points of the season. The Eagles' defense stuffed the Bruins' offense, holding them to just three field goals. The first quarter ended with the Bruins down 11, 21-10. 

The second quarter swung the momentum towards GFU, as they exploded offensively, but not before the Eagles expanded their lead to a game-high 17 points. With six minutes left in the quarter, Fox started to slowly climb back, mounting a 16-5 run to end the quarter that featured buckets from five different Bruins. At the end of the second quarter, GFU had cut the 17-point lead of the Eagles to just six, heading into the half down 36-30. 

Husson extended their lead again in the third quarter however, going up by 13 points, with 4:55 left to go in the third. The Bruins responded with yet another massive run, as they only allowed two points over the final minutes of the quarter. Six different Bruins scored in the run, and the run ended with the Bruins down by just three points, 49-46. The run set up a climactic fourth quarter, as GFU had a chance to pull off their largest comeback since 2020 – a 19-point comeback win against the Whitworth Pirates. 

The fourth quarter was back-and-forth, but the Bruins were unable to take a lead, pulling within one point several times. Skoro hit a layup at the 2-minute mark of the quarter that brought the score to 59-57. Hanne Hopkins came through in the final moments, stopping an Eagle breakaway, blocking the ball and forcing a held ball with 1:34 left. Then, it was Isabella Arrisgado who hit a jumper to tie the game at 59 each, giving the Bruins a shot at their first lead of the game. 

Then, with 46 seconds left in the game, Hopkins got a layup to fall and gave the Bruins their first lead of the day. Up two points, the Bruins defense had to hold on to capture the comeback win and did so with a key block from senior Alyssa Wells, followed by the veteran hitting a key free throw to increase the lead to three points, 62-59. The Bruins' defense held off the Eagles' final three-point attempt and grabbed the final rebound of the game to close out the comeback, winning the game 62-59. 

Top Performances
In her first career collegiate game, Isabella Arrisgado led the Bruins with 12 points, Tara Ushiro scored 11 while grabbing a pair of steals. Alexa Borter led the team with 11 rebounds and also added three blocks. 

Coach's Thoughts
"Sometimes you have to grind out wins," Bruin head coach Lauren Howard said, "The team did a great job chipping away at the lead. Very proud of the effort tonight."

What It Means
The Bruins opened the season 1-0. This win was the first time the Bruins have won a season opener since GFU beat Ponoma-Pitzer to open the 2018-19 season. The Eagles are now 0-1. 

What Happens Next
The Bruins will play tournament host Brandeis (1-0) at noon PST in the Brandeis Tip-Off Championship.