NEWBERG, Ore. -- The George Fox women's basketball team fell to Corban, 75-72, dropping the game after a nail-biting fourth quarter. 

How It Happened
In just the first quarter alone, it was clear the contest against the Warriors was going to be an exciting match-up. Corban was the first to get on the board after two lay-ups, but Tara Ushiro didn't let them have the lead for long. Only two minutes into the quarter, Ushiro swished two treys to give the Bruins the advantage, 6-4. While CU was quick to tie the game again, Ushiro continued her streak with a layup, which was followed by two more driving layups — both thanks to Hanne Hopkins — to make the score 12-9. 

With three minutes left in the first quarter, Mia Skoro got in on the action; the senior stole the ball, which she immediately followed with a fast-break layup. Hopkins kept the energy going for the Lady Bruins with another layup to keep Fox in front. Despite GFU's offense, Corban fought their way back to take the lead. Bella Arrisgado knocked in a free throw to end the quarter with the Warriors up, 18-17.

The second quarter began with a battle — this time around, the focus was on defense. Laney Snelling recorded a steal before Hopkins knocked in a jumper to tie the game, 19-19. Over the next three minutes, CU slowly pulled away with a small five-point run, but the gap in score was shortened abruptly by a three from Skoro, 28-24. While Corban scored one more layup, the rest of the second quarter showcased the Lady Bruins' aggressive offense. Arrisgado and Skoro were each drawn to the line — with Skorro being drawn to the line twice — and their free throws helped George Fox end the half right at Corban's heels, 30-29. 

The Warriors wasted no time in scoring out of the halftime break; a 14-3 Corban run over three and a half minutes ended, helping the Warriors extend the lead to 44-32, but the run broke up with a swishing trey from Hardy to keep GFU's offense alive. Hardy continued to be aggressive on offense and started the Bruins' rally with a floating jumper. Hopkinas went to the line, Skoro hit a layup and a swishing three, and Ushiro contributed another floating jumpshot to get the Lady Bruins' offense flourishing. When the buzzer sounded for the end of the third quarter, GFU's diligence and fight were reflected in the score: 49-45. 

The crowd was loud as the fourth quarter began, and the teams continued their back-and-forth battle to win the game. Corban was first to score with free throws, but Kylie Ritter and Skoro were soon answering back and driving to the basket for layups, 51-49. The Warriors were relentless, however, and continued to score. After not making a three-point attempt all game, the Warriors hit three in the span of two minutes to help keep the Bruins at bay; with 3:30 to play, Corban led, 67-60.

Ritter, Hopkins, and Ushiro hit layups to help cut the deficit to four, 70-66, and the Bruins resorted to the foul game in the final seconds. With 15 seconds left, Ushiro nailed a clutch trey to put the Bruins hot on the heels of the Warriors. After a Fox timeout, Kylie Ritter made yet another clutch triple for George Fox to cut the Warriors' lead to just one, 73-72. Corban made both their free throws, giving the Bruins one last chance to tie. Ritter was able to get a good look at the buzzer, but the attempt glanced off the rim, handing the Bruins a 75-72 loss. 

Top Performances
Tara Ushiro tallied a career-high in points, finishing with 17 on 7-12 shooting, including 3-6 from deep. Mia Skoro tied Ushiro with 17 points and six rebounds. Tight behind them was Hanne Hopkins, who nearly had a triple-double with 16 points, a career-high nine assists, and seven rebounds. In her first collegiate game, Sophie Carbajal recorded a block.

What It Means
Corban rises to 4-0 in the early season, and George Fox is now 0-1. The Warriors continue one of their best starts to a season with their undefeated start; Corban is receiving votes in the NAIA National Polls.

What Happens Next
The Lady Bruins will host Warner Pacific University on Wednesday, November 19. The game against the Knights is scheduled to start at 6:00 pm.