NEWBERG, Ore -- The George Fox women's basketball team showed great effort, but a tough second quarter was too much to overcome in a 55-71 loss to top-ranked Willamette on Senior Night.

How It Happened
The Bruins stayed close to the Bearcats in the opening period, scoring on the first three possessions with scores from Jenna Lacey, Erin Yoshitake, and Mia Skoro. A Kylie Ritter triple knotted the game at 12 before the pace slowed — with the Bearcats slowly pulling away with a 7-0 run to take a 19-12 lead into the second.

Fox's offense struggled to break through a tough Bearcat zone, generating good looks but not getting many to fall; the Bruins scored just six points on 2-12 shooting, missing all seven of their three-point attempts. On the flip side, Willamette shot 7-12 from the field and embarked on an extended 28-9 run over the length of 15 minutes. At the half, the Bruins trailed by 20, 18-38.

Though the Bruins trailed by as many as 26 points with two minutes remaining in the third, they still fought hard through the fourth quarter, with Ella Roberts putting on a clinic over the entire second half. The senior made the most of her final start, hitting five free throws in the third quarter before scoring eight in the fourth.

Roberts' efforts, along with solid defensive play in the fourth quarter, allowed the Bruins to cut the lead to 16 with three minutes remaining. Although the Fox women got no closer, all four Bruin seniors — Erin Yoshitake, Jenna Lacey, Ella Roberts, and Jaela Eggers — received a standing ovation from the home crowd for not just their efforts in the game, but throughout their careers. 

Top Performers
Ella Roberts recorded a career-high in her final game, putting up 21 points and 9-11 shooting from the free throw line while pulling in seven rebounds. Jenna Lacey concluded her career with six points and a team-high eight rebounds, while Erin Yoshitake finished with seven points and three steals. Mia Skoro joined Roberts in double figures, recording 10 points on 3-5 shooting.

Coach's Thoughts
Soon to come.

What It Means
Fox will finish the season with a 6-17 record overall (6-10 NWC), and will likely finish sixth in the Northwest Conference. The Bearcats lock up the number one seed in the conference for the first time since 1996 and sit at 16-8 (13-2 NWC).

What Happens Next
The George Fox women's basketball team will be back under year two of head coach Lauren Howard in November of 2024.