NEWBERG, Ore. — After gaining an early lead, the George Fox women's basketball team remained on top for a decisive 63-51 win against Pacific University. 

How It Happened
Kylie Ritter helped the Bruins get off to a strong start with a clean finish at the rim. While the Boxers were able to tie the game back up, Bella Arrisgado, Tara Ushiro, and Ritter weren't going to keep it that way for long; following a driving layup from Arrisgado and Ushiro as well as an arching jumper made by Ritter, the score was quickly back in Fox's favor, 8-2. George Foxes' consistent offense was seen in their ability to answer back and more to any points Pacific scored. Following two Boxer free throws was Mia Skoro with a trey behind the outer ring. Shortly after a Pacific layup, Sophia Hardy found herself in the paint for a lay-in of her own. Finishing the quarter off with a bang was Skoro who added yet another three to her record and gave the Lady Bruins an impressive 10 point lead, 16-6. 

Very few points were scored during the first five minutes of the second quarter — a testament to GFU's tough defense. The Boxers were only allowed two layups in that time, while George Fox had Arrisgado to keep their offense alive with a floating jumper, 18-10. The last five minutes were just as sparse — until Hanne Hopkins found her rhythm. 

Hopkins started her streak behind the charity stripe with two made free throws and was able to drive and finish at the basket thanks to a Skoro steal. It didn't take long before Skoro brought more chaos to the court with an aggressive cut of her own. With one second left in the half, the ball was turned over to the Bruins' favor; with a catch-and-shoot play to Hopkins, the final buzzer sounded with a finishing jumpshot from Hopkins to make the score 26-12. 

The Boxers came out with a new fire with the start of the third quarter and were able to score the first points of the second half. George Fox remained resilient despite the pressure and their offense started up once again after an Arrisgado jumper. It didn't take long before Skoro and Hopkins answered back as well with a put-up and two made free throws, respectively, 32-18. Pacific was able to go on a small 6-0 streak before GFU scored again with a Paige Macduff free throw. Macduff kept the energy going with a sneaky steal that turned into an aggressive Skoro jumper. With less than two minutes left, Emma Boehm recorded another steal for George Fox that ultimately resulted in a turnaround shot by Ritter. While the Lady Bruins' offense was putting in work, the Boxers' was slowly chipping away as well. The third quarter ended 37-30 with Pacific in reaching distance of GFU. 

Pacific came out in the fourth quarter just as determined as they were in the third; within the first two minutes, they were able to go on a 6-2 run while only allowing one driving layup from Ritter to make the gap even closer than before, 39-36. Sparking the Lady Bruins' offense back up once again was Ritter; after one made free throw and one miss, she turned her miss into an offensive rebound, hook-shot to put more distance in the score. Hopkins contributed a floating jumpshot and Ushiro cut to the rim for a basket of her own. With two final free throws from George Fox — made by Ushiro — and Pacific, the score was set at a close 48-42. 

With five minutes left in the final quarter, the tempo of the game completely changed — put simply, Fox refused to miss. Skoro drained a trey to bring the energy back for the Lady Bruins, and moments later, Ritter found the Bruin guard again for her career-high fourth triple of the day.. Hardy continued the aggressiveness on offense with a cut to the hoop to extend the lead, 56-44. Not long after, Hopkins fought in the paint for an offensive rebound turned put-back that earned her an and-one shot. With under two minutes left, Pacific began playing the long game, fouling with hopes of rallying back. Arrisgado and Hopkins were drawn to the charity stripe to widen the gap in score even more. At the sound of the final buzzer, the Lady Bruins ended on top, 63-51. 

Top Performances
Though she came off the bench for the first time this season, Mia Skoro was the key piece, leading GFU in points with 18 while finishing 7-11 from the field and a career-high 4-5 behind the arc; along with her points, Skoro was one of two other players — along with Hanne Hopkins and Sophia Hardy — who had two steals. Behind Skoro in points was Hopkins and Kylie Ritter with 15 and 11, respectively. For rebounds, Hopkins led with seven and was followed by Ritter and Paige MacDuff with six apiece. In addition to her steals, Hardy also contributed four assists. 

Coach's Thoughts
"We have been working on staying consistent all year and being disciplined defensivel," Bruin head coach Lauren Howard said, "I thought our team really showed that tonight."

What It Means
George Fox rises to 9-7 (5-2 NWC), and Pacific falls to 8-8 (3-4 NWC). 

What Happens Next
The Bruins will travel to McMinnville, Ore. for a competition against the top team in the NWC, Linfield (13-2, 6-0 NWC), on Friday, January 23; tip-off against the Wildcats is scheduled for 5:30 pm.