NEWBERG, Ore. -- The George Fox women's basketball team came out on top after a dominant performance against the Lewis & Clark River Otters, 75-66.

How It Happened
After winning the tip-off, the Lady Bruins got off to a strong start with two layups to gain an early 4-0 lead; Maddie Schumacher drove to the hoop before Tara Ushiro recorded a stealthy steal that resulted in a Sophia Hardy fastbreak layup as well. While the Otts were quick to gain the points back, they couldn't stop GFU's offense — especially after a clean cut from Paige Macduff. Ushiro was also able to get some offensive numbers after going 4-4 behind the free throw line to maintain George Fox's lead, 10-6.

It didn't take long before Kylie Ritter and Hardy contributed to the Bruins fiery defense as well, with a contested shot in the paint for Ritter and a floating jumper for Hardy. Despite GFU's lead, the Otts weren't willing to back down, going on an 8-0 run to take a 16-14 lead. They weren't able to hold it for long, and before the first quarter ended, Hardy threw up a shot to tie the game, 16-16. 

Things started off hot on both the offensive and defensive end, with Addison Dippel recording her first points of the night with a steal turned transition lay-in. Following a Schumacher free throw, Ushiro and Sophie Carbajal each pushed their way into the paint for an aggressive cut to maintain their lead, 23-18. Before long, Schumacher and Ritter found themselves behind the charity stripe to add more distance between Lewis & Clark. In the final minutes of the quarter, Emma Boehm made a swishing triple to earn her first points of the night; it was with two final points — free throws from Boehm and Macduff — that the half ended with a Lady Bruin lead, 31-29. 

Schumacher once again recorded the first points of the half, but this time from behind the charity stripe; it didn't take long before Ritter snuck through the Otts attack for a steal and transition layup of her own. With a little over seven minutes left, Schumacher continued to create chaos on the court, but this time with an arching three behind the outer ring. The game seemed to slow down as both teams went scoreless and allowed their defense to take over. 

Despite their offensive drought, Ritter was quick to ignite the Bruins fire once again; from behind the outer arch, Ritter put up a clean three to make the total 43-34. Following Ritter's lead was Hardy and Dippel with a tough finish at the rim, apiece, as well as Boehm with a made free throw from behind the line. Driving into the contested paint, Schumacher found the rim, and — after being fouled on the way up — earned an and-one shot. With a final flourish to end the third quarter, Ushiro put up a three with two seconds left to give the Lady Bruins a 12 point lead, 54-42. 

The start of the fourth quarter brought more intensity for both teams as they battled it out for the win. Schumacher and Carbajal started things off for the Bruins with a driving cut to the rim each; Hardy also brought chaos with a made free throw along with a soft finish of her own, 61-48. After a short River Otter 5-0 run, the back-and-forth began on the court between the two teams. For George Fox, Macduff and Ritter each put up bank shots before Dippel splashed a trey from behind the outer arch. Hardy found her own fire as well, and — after finding her way through the Otts defense for a lay-in — put up two more good free throws, 72-60. Lewis & Clark began to play the long game as they intentionally started drawing GFU to the line. For George Fox, Schumacher and Ushiro each contributed free throws to hold the lead. After an intense fourth quarter, the Lady Bruins took the game, 75-66. 

Top Performances
After scoring 23 points in her collegiate career, Maddie Schumacher has scored 25 in her past two games — including 16 points on 4-7 shooting to help lead the Bruins. Sophia Hardy, meanwhile, didn't miss a shot, shooting 7-7 from the field to score 17 points. Kylie Ritter had a great night after earning a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds; Ritter also went on to lead the Bruins in blocks with two. Tara Ushiro rounded out the double-digit scorers with a 10-point performance, also leading the team with two steals.

Coach's Thoughts
"Every game at this point in the season is so important," Bruin head coach Lauren Howard said, "We took care of business tonight and everyone contributed."

What It Means
George Fox rises to 12-9 (8-4 NWC), while Lewis & Clark falls to 6-15 (3-9 NWC). 

What Happens Next
The Lady Bruins will travel to Walla Walla, Wash. for their next competition against Whitman (13-6, 8-2 NWC) on Friday, February 13; tip-off is scheduled for 5:30 pm.