WHITTIER, Calif. -- The George Fox women's basketball team picked up their first win of their California road trip, 66-64 over Whittier, thanks to a last-second shot from Paige Macduff.

How It Happened
Tara Ushiro and Mia Skoro started strong with two jumpers to score the opening points of the game, 4-0. Whittier, who entered the game receiving votes in the WBCA Coaches Poll, scored a bucket to draw close, but Paige Macduff showed her range with a three-pointer and Ushiro hit a layup to make the score 9-2.

Fox continued their dominant start, getting to a double-digit lead when Sophia Hardy made a three-pointer, locking in the 14-4 lead. The Poets had a small run, gaining on Fox, but Hardy made each of her free-throws at the three minute mark to hold Whitter back. Ushiro and Skoro ended the period just like they started it, only this time each making their free-throws—Skoro making hers with only one second on the clock, giving Fox a 22-14 lead.

Kylie Ritter started the second quarter with a solid triple to help the Bruins stay ahead. The next Bruin field goal would not come for another five minutes, when Ritter broke the drought with a layup. Sophie Carbaja scored the first points of her collegiate career with a jumper, widening the score gap 31-20. Hardy ended this period with a transition take to the net, keeping the Poets a good distance behind, 38-29.

The third period began strong again for Fox as Hanne Hopkins made a layup—Hardy made a smooth layup as well with seven minutes left to keep Fox up by double digits, 42-32. Whittier started gaining on them slightly, but Ushiro stopped them with a three-pointer and Macduff with a layup—47-38. The Poets were still catching up, though; at the end of three, Whittier had trimmed the GFU lead down to six points, 53-47.

For the second straight game, the Bruins started the fourth quarter slowly. After a Hardy free throw, the Poets embarked on a 7-0 run to tie the game at 54. Hardy made a strong layup and Ritter made two free-throws to take a 58-54 lead—but Whittier kept close. A six-point Poet run tied the game up at 64 with 30 seconds left and Bruin possession.

With just a three second difference between shot and game clock, the Bruins held onto the ball and began their play with less than 15 seconds remaining. The ball ended up in the hands of Hardy, who fired a corner three that bounced off. Macduff skied in for the rebound, and tried a quick putback. The shot missed — but again, Macduff was there. The sophomore's second attempt danced around the rim and fell in, giving the Bruins a 66-64 lead with just one second left; after the poets failed to score, it was GFU who picked up the nail-biting win, 66-64.

Top Performances
Tara Ushiro scored 14 points on 2-3 shooting from downtown, while Sophia Hardy totaled 12 points on an efficient 4-6 clip. Macduff ended her day with 10 points and a team-high eight rebounds, while Kylie Ritter was the other Bruin in double digits, finishing with 11 points on 4-5 shooting.

Coach's Thoughts
"We competed tonight," Bruin head coach Lauren Howard said, "It was a great team win and we saw a lot of growth."

What It Means
The Bruins rise to 2-2, while Whittier drops their first game to fall to 3-1 on the year.

What Happens Next
The Bruins will stay in California to play against the Redlands Bulldogs (2-0 overall) on Monday, November 24. The game is scheduled for 7:00 pm.