PORTLAND, Ore. -- The George Fox women's basketball team won against the newly named Lewis & Clark River Otters, beating them in a 77-50 showcase to get them back in the W column

How It Happened
Fox started in the lead, as Mia Skoro landed a clear layup in the first 10 seconds of quarter one. The River Otters quickly tied the score, but Fox proceeded to out-do them with a three-pointer by Hanne Hopkins and a jump-shot by Sophia Hardy— giving the Bruins a lead they would hold on to for the remainder of the game within the first two minutes. 

Skoro made another layup to extend the lead to 9-4 before Bella Arrisgado made a layup as well with just under six minutes on the clock. Lewis & Clark tallied a few points after that, but the Lady Bruins took back control with a strong three-pointer by Maddie Schumacher, With 50 seconds remaining in the period, Hopkins capped off a seven-point first period with a step-back shot, locking in their score for the quarter— an 18-10 lead for GFU.

With such a strong lead, Fox only added to their success in their second; Hopkins stayed hot with scored a smooth layup, before Kylie Ritter scored a nice turn-around shot, and Skoro bagged another layup—getting the Bruins up to 24-10 and giving the Otts no room to take a breather.

It would take L&C five minutes to score their first bucket of the quarter as the Bruin defense locked in; with roughly five minutes left, Tara Ushiro countered the Otts' bucket with a free-throw, and then layup—both within twenty seconds of each other. In the last five minutes of the period, Skoro knocked a three-pointer and three layups to reach 15 points in the half and give Fox a 38-19 lead. A free throw from Paige Macduff (a solid sight to see, as the Bruins shot 2-10 from the free throw line in the period) in the waning seconds gave Fox a hearty 39-21 lead at the break.

Skoro and Hardy helped the Burins pick up where they left off, starting out the third period strong with two consecutive layups and one free-throw. Just under the seven-minute mark, Macduff made a jumper while Ritter scored a solid three-pointer, getting the score up to 49-23. Lewis & Clark was able to cut into the deficit near the end of the third quarter, but Fox still had the upper-hand as Ushiro made a driving layup, marking the score 55-29 to end the period.

The River Otters started out strong in the last quarter, but Hopkins was strong as well, pulling out a driving layup and two free-throws to put Fox up by 27. The final minutes saw the Bruins turn to the bench, subbing in Aubrey Case for her first career game. 

Case was sure to make her first game one to remember, scoring six points in four minutes, including a turnaround jump shot in the final minute that sent the Bruin bench into hysterics. When all was said and done, Fox had picked up their largest win of the season, 77-50.

Top Performances
Hanne Hopkins stuffed the stat sheets with 21 points scored, six assists, six rebounds, three steals, and an 8-9 shooting night. Mia Skoro was right behind with 20 points total and a team-high eight rebounds — a mark that 5-5 Bella Arrisgado matched as well. Kylie Ritter finished with 12 points with seven rebounds, shooting 2-2 from behind the arc and blocking two shots. Aubrey Case scored her first six career points, knocking in all three of her shots and pulling down a rebound.

What It Means
The Bruins rise to 7-6 (3-1 NWC), while the River Otters fall to 3-8 (1-2 NWC).

What Happens Next
The Bruins will travel back to their hometown to play against the Whitworth Pirates on Friday, January 16. The game is scheduled to begin at 5:30 pm.