SALEM, Ore. -- The George Fox women's basketball team pulled away quickly in a 65-41 victory against the Willamette Bearcats, winning in wire-to-wire fashion.

How It Happened
Fox made the first score in the first minute, starting out with a shot from Hanne Hopkins — and held onto the lead for the remainder of the game . The Bruins then had a six-point run off a layup from Sophia Mardy and two from Mia Skoro to give Fox an 8-2 advantage half-way through the quarter. 

Then, Kylie Ritter made two consecutive lay-ins with less than four minutes on the clock, keeping the Bruins up eight, 12-4, before Bella Arrisgado knocked in a three-pointer, followed by two free-throws made by Sophia Hardy to give Fox a 17-10 lead at the end of one.

Skoro started the next period out strongly with a three-pointer, getting the Bruins to a double-digit advantage. The Bearcats attempted to catch up but Ritter kept them behind, making two free-throws to stay 10 ahead, 22-12. A few minutes later, Hardy did the same to go alongside a shot in the paint, advancing the score to 28-12. 

With less than five minutes remaining in the half, Hopkins took control; the junior scored two layups and a free-throw made all within the same minute to put Fox up 21. Paige Macduff made a clean tip-in, while Tara Ushiro made a free-throw. Emma Boehm capped off a 23-9 quarter in favor of GFU with a tough shot inside as the buzzer sounded.

The second half was slower, with the teams combining for just nine points in the first six minutes; Arrisgado and Ritter had the two buckets for the Bruins in that time frame. Fox had nearly doubled Willamette's score with a layup by Addison Dippel, but managed to do so when Hopkins scored a jump-shot with 3:22 stands — 48-24. Arrisgado and Hopkins gave some last shots, ending the third quarter with the scoreboard at 52-31.

Hopkins and Skoro each scored easy transition points to start the fourth, before Dippel made a free-throw and a lay-in with six minutes on the clock. Emma Boehm was the story late in the game, scoring six straight points to conclude the game. Boehm knocked in two free throws, and two lay-ins — the final on a nifty pass from Maddie Schumacher — as Fox coasted to a 65-41 victory. The 24-point win was the largest margin of victory for the Bruins over Willamette since a 85-44 win over the Bearcats in 2019. In addition, the 41 points allowed were the fewest that the Bruins had given up in head coach Lauren Howard's three-year tenure at Fox — 

Top Performances
Hanne Hopkins led the team with 13 points, tacking on four rebounds, while Mia Skoro had11 points. Kylie Ritter scored ten points overall and nine rebounds; those nine rebounds were tied for the most in the game alongside 5'3" Tara Ushiro, who finished with a career-high nine as well to go alongside three steals. Emma Boehm scored a career-high eight points.

Coach's Thoughts
"Tonight was a great team win," Bruin head coach Lauren Howard said, "Everyone got solid minutes and contributed in a positive way. Proud of the growth this team showed tonight."

What It Means
George Fox rises to 10-8 (6-3 NWC), and Willamette falls to 7-11 (4-5 NWC). 

What Happens Next
The Lady Bruins will travel back to their hometown in Newberg to play against the Puget Sound Loggers (13-4, NWC 6-2) on Friday, January 30. The game is scheduled for 5:30 pm.