NEWBERG, Ore. -- The George Fox women's basketball team finished up their weekend with their third straight victory, downing Pacific Lutheran, 62-57.

How It Happened 
Alyssa Wells started things off strong for the Bruins with a layup in the paint in the first seconds of play, scoring off of a designed set right off the tip. Mia Skoro, who assists Wells on the play, had an additional two rebounds and four more points as the game stayed close. Possession went back-and-forth in the first quarter, with Fox trailing after one, 10-13.

At the start of the second quarter, the Bruins were determined to come back. They had three points in the first 30 seconds of the quarter. In the sixth minute, Wells had a three-point shot that gave the Bruins the lead over the Lutes,17-15. The teams traded the lead, with Hanne Hopkins and Bella Arrisgado scoring in the last four minutes of the quarter, giving the Bruins a five-point lead. Fox finished up the half with two triples — , one from Tara Ushiro and another from Claire Hinds — to set the tone heading into the brea; the final score of the half was 32-24, with George Fox having the upper-hand. 

By the time the third quarter rolled around Fox maintained their position over Pacific Lutheran, extending their lead to 13 on a trey from Arrisgado. The Bruins stifled the Lutes offensively, holding them to 22% shooting in the period, and cashing in at the line — Fox scored seven free throws in the period. Heading into the final period, the Bruins were up, 49-34.

In the fourth quarter, it was the Lutes who were determined to tighten the score – going on a six point run at the start of the last quarter. The Bruins struggled to score in the opening minutes, with PLU seeping back into the game. With four minutes left, the Lutes had cut the lead to six. Arrisgado and Alexa Borter slammed the door shut on the Lutes, though, with back-to-back layups to extend the lead to 10. Although Pacific Lutheran was persistent (scoring two triples and cutting the lead in the waning second) the Bruins still took home a win more comfortable than the score seemed, 62-57. 

Top Performers
Hanne Hopkins filled the stat sheets for the night, totaling 16 points, nine rebounds, five assists, and five steals. Mia Skoro had ten points, four rebounds, and two blocks, while Alexa Borter had ten rebounds and one steal. Claire Hinds had ten points on 4-6 shooting, while Alyssa Wells ended with nine points.

Coach's Thoughts
"Each night we try to go 1-0," Bruin head coach Lauren Howard said, "Tonight was a battle from start to finish. Sometimes you have to grind wins out and that's what we did. I'm always proud of this group."

What It Means
The George Fox women's basketball team now has an overall record of 16-5 and an NWC record of 8-4 — good for a tie for second in the conference.. Pacific Lutheran now has an overall record of 7-13 and an NWC record of 4-7. 

What Comes Next 
The George Fox women's basketball team are taking a trip to Walla Walla, Wash. to play their next game against Whitman. The game is scheduled for Friday, February 14th and tip-off is at 8pm.