TACOMA, Wash. -- After a tight three-quarter battle, the George Fox women's basketball team fell to the Sound in the closing moments, 55-44. 

How It Happened
After an early layup from the Loggers, the game quickly became a battle of defense as both teams went scoreless until halfway through the first quarter. Puget Sound was able to score another layup to further their lead, but Tara Ushiro wasn't going to keep it that way for long; Ushiro found her way behind the outer ring to swish a trey and put the Bruins on the board, 4-3. PS was quick to answer with a three of their own, but a crucial turnover led to an opportunity for Kylie Ritter. With three minutes left in the quarter, Ritter drove into the paint for a layup and — after being fouled on her way up — was awarded an and one shot to keep the pressure on, 7-6. 

After another Logger layup, Bella Arrisgado decided to switch things up on the court; after nailing a triple, Arrisgado tied the game, 9-9, but she didn't stop there. With only a single second left in the first quarter, Arrisgado knocked in a fast-break layup with just one second remaining to give the Lady Bruins their first lead of the night, 11-9. 

While Puget Sound was swift in tying the game once more, George Fox wasn't going to keep it that way for long. The three point line continued to be hot for the Bruins as Sophia Hardy found her way behind it and shot an arching trey to make the score 14-11. It was then that the back-and-forth began on the court. Over the ensuing minutes, PS was able to sneak in two more layups to take a short-lived lead before Ritter snatched it back with a hook shot. Ushiro was quick to add to the score with a floating jumpshot of her own (18-15), but the Loggers once again answered back with a layup of their own. Just before the buzzer went off to sound the end of the half Arrisgado found her way to the basket for yet another last-second shot to end the quarter, 20-17. 

The battle between the two teams continued into the third quarter where they both found ways to score. For the Lady Bruins, Ritter started things off with a jumper and was followed by Hanne Hopkins, who scored her first points of the night. After driving into the paint for a smooth layup, Hopkins was drawn to the line for a critical and-one. With seven minutes left in the third quarter, GFU and PS were once again in a tie, 25-25. The Bruins remained resilient in their offense — especially Arrisgado and Hopkins. The two both shot arching jumpshots to give Fox a small lead. However, Puget Sound's offense was just as relentless as they not only tied the game, but also created a significant gap in the score, 33-29. After a made free throw from Ritter, the third quarter ended with a 33-30 Logger lead. 

Despite being down in score, the Lady Bruins brought fire in the fourth quarter. Ritter began the rally with a jumper and was quickly backed up by Ushiro with two made free throws. After not scoring in the first three quarters, Mia Skoro's aggressive offense led to a hot streak. With seven minutes left in the quarter, she scored seven straight points. To draw even with PS, 41-41. 

With only five minutes left in the quarter, the Loggers went on an 8-1 run to change the tide of the game. It was then that both teams began to play the long game; players on GFU and PS were being strategically drawn to the line in hopes to win the game. For the Bruins, Hopkins was drawn to the line and made one free throw, but despite their attempts, George Fox could not close the gap in score. With the final buzzer, Puget Sound took the game 55-44. 

Top Performances
The Loggers rise to 9-2 (2-0 NWC), while the Bruins fall to 6-6 (2-1 NWC).

What It Means
Kylie Ritter had a successful night on both offense and defense; offensively, Ritter led the team in points (10) and rebounds (7). Behind Ritter in points was Bella Arrisgado and Hanne Hopkins with nine and eight, respectively. Hopkins also led in assists with three, while Paige Macduff led in steals with two. 

What Happens Next
The Lady Bruins will travel to Portland, Ore. on Friday, January 9 to continue conference play with a game against the newly rebranded Lewis & Clark River Otters. Tip-off is set for 5:30 pm.