WALLA WALLA, Wash. -- The George Fox women's basketball team came oh-so-close to a win over Whitman, losing by three in Walla Walla for the third straight time in one of the lowest-scoring games in program history, 37-34.

How It Happened
The game was a defensive slugfest from the get-go, with the teams combining for just 12 points in the first five minutes of the first frame. Tara Ushiro got things going for Fox with a driving layup to give her team an early 2-0 lead, and the teams slowly traded points. Neither Whitman nor George Fox led by more than two points in the period: Kylie Ritter ended the quarter with two free throws to tie the game, 10-10, after one.

Ritter was the only Bruin to score in the second quarter, as the defenses made sure the first quarter looked like a high-flying airshow. Heading into the half, Whitman led 18-14 after an 8-4 second period. Fox shot 1-11 from the field in the quarter, while the Blues were 2-10. Despite the offensive struggles, the Bruins fought hard on defense — GFU forced five turnovers to trail by just four at the break.

Fittingly, the third started with another turnover as solid defense in the post by Paige Macduff resulted in an errant pass. Macduff converted on the other side, cutting the deficit to two. However, the game would quickly pivot back to an offensive struggle; though Ushiro found Addison Dippel for a cutting layup to make the Whitman lead just three midway through the period, Fox would score just two more points in the quarter. An 8-0 run by the Blues' Holly Morgan helped give Whitman a 28-20 advantage.

Fox found themselves down 10 in the early stages of the fourth, but continued to chip away. Sophia Hardy and Ritter made back-to-back layups to make the Blues' lead six, and moments later, an Ushiro steal and transition bucket helped put the Bruins down just four. 

In their past two meetings against Whitman in Walla Walla, Fox had lost to the Blues by three points (68-65 and 48-45) — and they seemed determined to change that with a run in the waning minutes of the game. Down by five, Ushiro swished a trey before making a pull-up heat check from NBA range just seconds later. Suddenly, Fox had a 34-33 lead.

Unfortunately for Fox, a quick foul on the ensuing inbounds helped the Blues take the lead back at the free throw line. Though Whitman did not make a shot in the final 5:53 in the game, several GFU fouls gave the Blues a 37-34 lead with 11 seconds remaining. The Bruins had a final shot at the buzzer, trying to go for a quick two, but missed the layup and handed the Blues their third straight three-point win over GFU at home, 37-34. 

Top Performances
Kylie Ritter was the top scorer on the night, recording her second straight double-double with a 14-point, 10-rebound performance; Ritter had 10 of the team's 14 first-half points. Tara Ushiro was the Bruins' other double-digit scorer, hitting the team's lone two triples on the night. Ushiro and Paige Macduff each had two steals on the night. 

What It Means
George Fox falls to 12-10 (8-5 NWC), while Whitman improves to 16-6 (11-2 NWC) on the year.

What Happens Next 
Fox will finish off their Whits trip with a game against the Whitworth Pirates (5-17, 4-9 NWC). Tip-off in Spokane, Wash., is scheduled for 3:00 pm.