WALLA WALLA, Wash. -- Facing one of the top teams in the nation in the No. 6 Whitman Blues, the George Fox women's basketball team fell behind early, before roaring back from a 16-point deficit. Fox had a chance to tie in the final seconds, but dropped a hard-fought game, 65-68. 

How It Happened
Fox started quick with a trey from Tara Ushiro, and the early stages of the first quarter were a classic back-and-forth matchup between the Bruins and Blues. However, after Fox took a 9-8 lead after the first media timeout, Whitman, who was ranked No. 6 in the D3hoops.com Top 25, turned to their All-American duo of Korin Baker and Carly Martin. The two helped their team close the quarter on a 14-3 run as the Blues took a 23-12 lead after one. 

Whitman continued to rely on their stars — Baker had 12 points in the second quarter alone — as the Blues pushed the lead to 16 towards the end of the period. The Bruins never backed down, though, with Claire Hinds hitting four free throws, Alyssa Wells nailing a driving layup, and Hanne Hopkins knocking a shot down to end the half on a high note; despite the offensive outburst, GFU was down at half, 27-41.

Much like their first game against the Blues, the second half proved to be owned by George Fox. Baker was held to just two points in the third quarter after 21 in the first half as the Bruins tried to close the gap. Just seven points combined were scored in the first five minutes of the half, as Fox couldn't break through that 10-point gap. At the end of the third, the Bruins were still down 10, 43-53.

The Bruins never quit, however, moving in closer and closer. And as the minutes wore down, they turned to Hopkins and Wells to attack on offense. Soon, the lead became nine, then seven, then five — and after 20 minutes of chipping away at a 16-point deficit,  Ushiro hit a triple with 2:40 to put the game within one possession.

Fox's defense forced Whitman misses, and the Bruins had a chance to tie the game with seconds remaining. After a turnover in the closing seconds, all seemed lost, but again, the Bruins fought. Hopkins found Wells in the corner for a trey to cut the deficit to just one — 65-66. The Blues made both free throws, and with two seconds left, Fox had a chance to send the game to overtime. Wells got an open look at a deep three, but her shot came up just short, giving the Blues the tight win.

Top Performances
Both Alyssa Wells and Hanne Hopkins ended with 21 points — a career-high for Hopkins. Wells had an additional seven rebounds, a team-high, while Hopkins had a team-high three assists. 

What It Means
Fox drops to 16-6 (8-5 NWC) on the season, while the No. 6 Blues improve to 21-1 (11-0 NWC). The game was the closest any NCAA Division III competition had played the Blues so far this season.

What It Means
The Bruins will travel up north to Spokane, Wash. to face the Whitworth Pirates (8-14, 5-8 NWC). A win will clinch a trip to the NWC Tournament for the first time since 2022.