NEWBERG, Ore. -- The George Fox Bruins women's basketball team faced the Linfield Wildcats in their second and final matchup of the regular season, getting out to a large first quarter lead but ultimately losing, 54-63.
How It Happened
Both teams started slow, with only 11 points scored combined between the two teams after five minutes of play, with Linfield leading, 6-5. The Bruins then ripped off one of their most impressive stretches of offense of the season, exploding for a 17-1 run while shooting 6-7 from the field and 4-4 from the free throw line. The Bruins defense held the Wildcats to just one free throw on the run, as the Wildcats shot 0-6 from the field.
Mia Skoro scored nine points in the final four minutes of the half, leading Fox to a 22-7 lead at the end of the first.
The Bruins opened the second quarter with a bucket to give themselves their largest lead of the game with a 17-point advantage, 24-7. The Wildcats then slowly outscored the Bruins over the rest of the second quarter, as Fox shot just 4-15 from the floor in the quarter and fell victim to a 16-6 run from Linfield. After being up by 17 to start the quarter, the frame ended with GFU up seven going into the break, 30-23.
The break did not slow down the Wildcats, who opened the third quarter with a 13-2 run that led to a 36-32 Linfield lead with five minutes left in the period. The Bruins brought the game back to 38-37 with two minutes in the quarter, to which the Wildcats responded with an 8-4 run that ended the third.
The fourth quarter was the most even of the game, however the Bruins were still outscored 17-13 in the final frame, stifling any Bruins comeback efforts. Fox was never able to pull closer than five points of the Wildcats, and Linfield closed out the game, 63-54.
Top Performances
Mia Skoro scored a team-high 16 points while grabbing six rebounds (also a team-high), while
Alyssa Wells scored 10 and grabbed six boards as well. Borter and
Claire Hinds each recorded two blocks.
What It Means
The Bruins fall to 13-5 (5-4 NWC), and the Wildcats improve to 13-3 (6-3 NWC).
What Comes Next
The Bruins face the Willamette Bearcats on the road on Saturday, February 1 at Salem, Ore., with tip-off at 6 pm.
