BELTON, Texas -- After stretching the game into overtime, the George Fox women's basketball team took the win against Mary-Hardin Baylor in a defensive slugfest, 48-47. 

How It Happened
In the first minute, Hanne Hopkins found Sophia Hardy in the paint for a clean layup, getting GFU on the board. It was only a minute later that the Cru responded to tie the game at two — but it quickly became clear that the first quarter would be one full of defense. 

After a UMHB bucket, Mia Skoro was drawn to the line after the Cru's aggressive defense resulted in two consecutive fouls; Skoro made both of her free throws to tie the game, 4-4. While GFU was putting up many shots, it wasn't until Kylie Ritter also found herself behind the line and made a free throw that the Bruins took the lead; at the end of the first quarter, the score was 5-4 — the nine combined points the fewest for the Bruins in a quarter since NCAA women's basketball switched to quarters in 2015.

The start of the second quarter brought a fire to both teams' offenses. Only 30 seconds in, Ritter nailed a triple. However, the Cru were quick to respond and tie the game. At the eighth minute, it was a back-and-forth between the teams that resulted in a 11-10 lead in UMHB's favor; for the Lady Bruins, sophomore Paige Macduff kept their offense alive and found her way to the basket for a smooth layup. It wasn't long before Skoro followed Macduff's lead and swished a trey to give GFU the lead, 13-11. 

Mary-Hardin Baylor countered with an 8-2 run over the next two minutes. Macduff kept the gap in the deficit small with another layup, while Hanne Hopkins followed with a streak of her own, scoring three quick points. With 50 seconds left, Tara Ushiro recorded her first points of the night after scoring a tough layup. The half ended with the Cru in the lead, but with the Bruins right on their heels, 21-20. 

While the third quarter began with a Cru trey, it didn't take long for the Bruins to rally. Macduff continued to be a force to be reckoned with on the court; with seven minutes left in the quarter, she made two layups that continued to put pressure on UMBH. Ushiro remained consistent at the line as well and made both her free throws to tie the game at 26. With five minutes left in the quarter, Mary-Hardin Baylor kept GFU without a field goal for the remainder of the period, outscoring them 6-1 down the stretch to go up into the final period, 33-27.

Despite the gap in score, George Fox wasn't going down without a fight in the fourth quarter. This was especially apparent after a swishing trey from Skoro and a layup from Hopkins, which resulted in an and-one; after only two minutes into the quarter, the Lady Bruins were able to tie the game, 33-33. Hopkins continued to come alive as both teams battled it out on the court. Over the next five minutes, the Cru led by two, but all seven points scored in that period by GFU were thanks to Hopkins. She was drawn to the line three separate times and went an impressive 5-6 at the line; with three minutes left in the quarter, Hopkins stole the ball and drove in for a layup to make the score a close 42-40. 

Ritter and Bella Arrisgado followed Hopkins' lead and each made an impact on the floor for George Fox. With two minutes left, Ritter drove to the basket for a driving layup and showed off her defense immediately after with a steal; thanks to Ritter's defensive work, Arrisgado was able to put up an arching triple to give the Lady Bruins a 45-42 lead. 

The game slowed down as the clock wound down. In the last minute, the Cru were drawn to the line twice. UMHB made both free throws on their first time out; however, with the last two free throw attempts, which came with just two seconds remaining, only one of the attempts fell. With two seconds left, Hardy cut to the hoop and was open down low, but the ensuing inbounds pass was stolen, sending the game to OT.

In their first overtime game since 2023, the extra period started exactly how the fourth quarter ended: with one made Mary-Hardin Baylor free throw. The Cru only held the lead for a short while before Hardy sneaked her way past the defense and to the bucket for a layup. Quickly, though, fouls became an issue; three of Fox's players (Hopkins, Macduff, and Arrisgado) fouled. With just over a minute left, Ritter was drawn to the line for GFU and made a free throw to make the score 48-46. 

UMHB was once again sent to the free-throw line with one minute remaining — and once again, they split the pair. Up by one, the Bruins turned the ball over on each of the ensuing possessions — but they locked in on the other side. Maddie Schumacher drew a charge, and Ritter sealed it; with three seconds left, the senior stole the inbounds pass to clinch the game. Despite 32 turnovers, Fox had gritted out the win in OT, 48-47.

Top Performances
Hanne Hopkins had a solid night overall for the Lady Bruins; she led the team in points, steals, and assists with 14, three, and five. Hopkins was also a reliable shooter at the line and went 8-11. Behind Hopkins was Mia Skoro — the senior went 2-2 for triples and free throws — and Paige Macduff, who went 4-5 for field goals, with eight points each. Macduff and Hopkins tied for the most rebounds with eight apiece. 

What It Means
George Fox rises to 5-3 (1-0 NWC), and Mary-Hardin Baylor falls to 4-7 (0-0 ASC). 

What Happens Next
The Lady Bruins will stay in Belton, Texas, for their neutral-site competition against No. 15 East Texas Baptist University (ETBU) on Monday, December 15. Tip-off against the Tigers is set for 1:00 pm PST or 3:00 pm CST.