REDLANDS, Calif. -- For the second straight night, the George Fox women's basketball team pulled out a close win, downing the Redlands Bulldogs by a single point, 62-61.
How It Happened
Right off the bat, Fox started strong with a jump-shot by
Tara Ushiro, and the Bruins started off with an early lead thanks to another shot by
Mia Skoro. At the six minute marker, Redlands jumped ahead with a three-pointer and stayed ahead for the rest of the period, with Fox slightly behind. The Bruins managed to get within one on the final play of the period, with
Hanne Hopkins knocking in a jump-shot and a smooth layup—17-16, Redlands, after one.
After an offensive end to the first quarter, the first three minutes of the second quarter was a struggle for each team on the offensive end, with no baskets from either team. Preseason All-American AJ Wick knocked a jump-shot for the Bulldogs to break the streak, but the Bruins reacted quickly when Hopkins scored a basket, keeping one point behind at 18-19.
With two minutes to spare,
Kylie Ritter pulled out a strong three-pointer off of an assist from Hopkins, tying the score 25-25 — Ritter's shot would turn out to be the final three-point make of the day, as the Bruins shot just five triples on the night. The Bulldogs scored four points to close the half, but
Emma Boehm found
Sophia Hardy on the back cut the deficit to two at the half, 29-27.
Fox fought hard in the third period as
Paige Macduff made a jumper within the first minute, before Hopkins scored yet another bucket in the second minute—31-31. Hopkins, who had 10 points in the first half, continued to stay aggressive, taking the lead on jump-shot, 35-34.
An Ushiro free throw and Macduff jumper helped the Bruins shoot ahead, 38-34, as Fox took a lead into the fourth. Hardy finished the quarter strong with two consecutive jump-shots, giving the Bruins a 42-37 lead.
In the final quarter, the Bruins had a rocky start, as Redlands began the period on a 5-0 run, but managed to keep control.
Bella Arrisgado made a jump-shot before Ritter made one a minute later, keeping a 46-42 advantage. For the last five minutes, each team was fighting tooth and nail for the win, as the lead ping-ponged back-and-forth.
Wick scored five straight points before a Redlands trey put them ahead, 52-50, with four minutes remaining — but
Hanne Hopkins continued to show out. The junior nailed two free throws, an-and-one layup, and another jumper to go on her own personal 7-2 run to tie the score once again, 57-57. Then, it was Skoro's turn, as the senior rebounded the ball and made a strong jump-shot, giving the Bruins the lead.
Following a Hardy free throw to increase the lead to three, Redlands played the "quick two and foul" game to end the thriller. Ritter made her last two free-throws, giving Fox a decent advantage 62-59, but the Bulldogs scored with eight seconds left. After the Bruins turned it over on the ensuing inbounds, Redlands had a chance to win the game — but who else but Hopkins was there to ensure the win. On a career offensive night for the junior, Hopkins' biggest play came on the defensive end to close the game, blocking the Bulldogs' final three-point attempt to give the Bruins their second straight one possession win, 62-61.
Top Performances
Hanne Hopkins had a career night, scoring a career-high 23 points on 10-17 shooting from the field, five assists, four rebounds, and that one crucial block.
Kylie Ritter was the other double-digit scorer for Fox, finishing with 11 points total.
Sophia Hardy finished with nine points, eight rebounds, two blocks, and two steals, while
Tara Ushiro had six points for the night.
As a team, the Bruins were aggressive in attacking the paint. Fox shot just five triples in the game, the fewest by the Bruins since their NCAA First Round game against Occidental in March of 2011. Coincidentally, the Bruins also beat a SCIAC team in that game, downing the Tigers, 53-64, on 1-5 three-point shooting.
Coach's Thoughts
"This team showed grit tonight," Bruin head coach
Lauren Howard said, "I'm proud of how I can challenge this team and they respond. Great team win!"
What It Means
The Bruins rise to 3-2, while Redlands drops to 2-1 on the season.
What Happens Next
The Bruins will travel back to Newberg to play against the Willamette Bearcats (1-3) in their first NWC game of the season on Friday, December 5. The game is scheduled to begin at 5:30 pm.
