McMINNVILLE, Ore. -- For the second straight year, the George Fox women's basketball team fought to the end in the Northwest Conference Championship against Whitman, falling to the Blues, 67-51.

How It Happened
The third matchup of the season between the two teams started the same way the second one finished — with a gritty defensive battle. Kylie Ritter had the first bucket of the day for the Bruins, and the teams traded blows in the opening stages of the game. After a four-minute stretch that saw neither team make a field goal, the Blues broke free with a jumper by Emma Lena Baker. Emma Boehm countered, though, nailing a triple at the buzzer to give the Bruins a 9-8 lead after one.

Hanne Hopkins connected on a bucket to start the second, putting Fox ahead three, but the Blues stormed back; Whitman scored on five consecutive possessions, going on an 11-0 run to take a 21-11 lead. Then, it was the Bruins' turn to bounce back, with Tara Ushiro nailing a triple and Sophia Hardy hitting back-to-back transition layups to cut the deficit to four. After a Ritter jumper to close the half, Whitman's Morgan Montgomery hit a floater just before the buzzer to give the Blues a 27-22 lead at the break.

Fox put together their best stretch of the game to that point to start the second half. After a missed jumper by Ritter, the Bruins scored on four consecutive possessions — a Hopkins and-one, a pair of Paige Macduff free throws, a Ushiro triple, and a Ritter layup — to take a 32-31 lead with 6:39 remaining. 

That Ritter layup to close the 10-4 run would be the final bucket of the quarter for the Bruins, though; Whitman slowly pulled ahead over the next six minutes thanks to solid shooting from the field and the free throw line, taking a 43-34 lead into the fourth quarter.

Whitman scored to open the fourth quarter, putting the Blues ahead by double-digits, but again, the Bruins fought back. Boehm got things going with a desperation trey as the shot clock buzzer expired, getting the Bruins within eight. Then, Hanne Hopkins took over. The junior scored on three straight attempts, driving to the hoop on all three. Suddenly, it was a 47-43 game.

The turning point of the night came at 6:07 remaining. Hopkins drove to the lane, looking for her eighth straight point, and converted a layup — or so she thought. An offensive foul was called on the play, reversing what could have been an and-one that cut the Whitman lead to one, into a turnover. The ensuing possession, the Blues nailed a triple. They did the next time down, too. Suddenly, Whitman had a 56-45 lead.

Fox was able to get as close as eight points, but never any closer. The Bruins hit their free throws down the stretch, handing GFU their second straight Northwest Conference Championship loss with a score that appeared much farther than the game actually was, 67-51.

Top Performances
Hanne Hopkins was the leading scorer on the night for the Bruins, finishing with 16 points. Kylie Ritter, meanwhile, rounded out her career with six points and a team-high eight boards. Emma Boehm and Tara Ushiro each had two triples in the game, with Boehm finishing with nine points and Ushiro with eight. 

What It Means
George Fox is eliminated from postseason contention with the loss, falling to 15-12 (10-6 NWC), while the Blues improve to 20-7 (13-3 NWC). Whitman qualifies for their second straight NCAA Tournament appearance with the win.

What Happens Next 
The Bruins will return to action in the 2026-27 season as they aim to break through and qualify for their 15th NCAA Tournament in program history, their first since 2020.