NEWBERG, Ore. -- The George Fox women's basketball team fought hard against the No. 7 team in the country, storming back from a 17-point fourth-quarter deficit to make it a one-possession game; ultimately, the short-handed Bruins fell in a close contest, 55-59.

How It Happened 
In a game where Fox was without starting guard Hanne Hopkins, the Bruins started out strong. Kylie Ritter made a floating jump shot to give Fox an early lead, but Whitman pulled ahead to a 10-2 lead thanks to their all-star combo of guard Carly Martin and post Korin Baker. Fox was sure to keep the Blues in check, though, holding them to just four points in the final four minutes. Alexa Borter continued her strong play, scoring five straight points before finding Claire Hinds for a bucket to cut the lead to one. At the end of the first, Fox was in the game, down 13-14.

Much like the first quarter, the second started with another quick bucket — this one from Borter — to give the Bruins the lead before Whitman surged ahead. Five straight points from Tara Ushiro kept the Bruins within five, but the again it was Martin and Baker that pushed the Blues in front; the duo scored all 21 points in the second quarter (and 31 of the Blues' 35 in the first half) as Whitman ended the half on a 7-0 run to take a 35-23 into the break.

The third quarter began with a bucket from Ritter, but the Blues continued to put up a fight, extending their lead to 17. The Bruins hit just three shots in the third quarter — two jumpers from Ritter and a triple from Mia Skoro — but a stingy defense held Whitman to the same total. Though the Bruins headed into the final period down by 15 points, 33-48, the war of attrition had begun to set in.

The battle finally began to turn the Bruins' way early into the fourth, when Baker picked up her fourth personal foul. And thanks to shots from Alyssa Wells and two consecutive buckets from Alexa Borter, the Bruins were down by 10 with the Blues' All-American relegated to the bench. Suddenly, Fox had life.

Down by nine with 49 seconds left, Skoro made a three-pointer, landing right on Whitman's heels, before Wells knocked in three strong free-throws, closing within three points. 52-55. The very next possession, Fox forced a jump ball, but with the arrow in favor of the Blues, the Bruins had to resort to the fouling game. The Bruins couldn't quite close that final gap, dropping the game, 55-59.

Top Performers
Alexa Borter and Kylie Ritter both finished the game with 13 points—Borter with 11 rebounds and six assists, and Ritter with seven rebounds. Alyssa Wells and Mia Skoro each had eight points.

What It Means 
The Bruins now have an overall record of 11-4 and an NWC record of 3-3, while the No. 7 Whitworth Blues rise to 14-1 and 6-0 NWC.

What Comes Next
The George Fox women's basketball team plays their next game on January 24 at home again, against the Puget Sound Loggers. The game is scheduled to start at 8:00 pm.