NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- After trailing by one point at halftime, the George Fox STUNT team began their title defense with a dominant win over Saint Mary's — outscoring the Belles 14- i6n a 19-12 victory.

How It Happened
It was the third matchup between the two teams in 2026 — the Bruins taking the first one at the Belles' home mat, 20-10, before eking out a win at Wheeler Sports Center in March, 23-22. The Bruins, seeded No. 2 in the Division III STUNT Tournament, fell behind early to the Belles, seeded No. 3 in the championship. After one, the Bruins trailed, 4-2.

Fox won the first routine of the second quarter within two, getting within one point, before the Belles took the next one (after a lengthy discussion and challenge). The Bruins quickly got back by winning routine five to cut the gap back to one, but the Belles called routine eight to force a pair of forfeits and put the Bruins down at halftime, 6-5.

Trailing to a Division III team at halftime for the first time in 2026, the Fox women did not back down — taking advantage of jumps and tumbling to grab control of the game. After the Belles failed to earn a solo point to start the quarter, the Bruins won the next three points on routines two, one, and three (with the final two won within two) to take a 9-7 lead into the fourth.

The Bruins parlayed that momentum into a dominant fourth. Fox won the opening routine, 3-2, before taking the next one, 3-1, to build a four-point advantage over Saint Mary's, 15-11. GFU would need to keep that lead on their third routine to end the game early — and they did just that. The Belles called routine three, and Fox dominated, winning the first two points outright and the final one within two to take home the 19-12 comeback win.

What It Means
The Bruins stay in the winners' bracket and advance to an 11-5 overall record. With the loss, Saint Mary's falls to 11-13 on the season and will play Maryville College in an elimination game.

Up Next
George Fox will face the top seed in the tournament, the Muskingum Muskies, as the Bruins look to become the first team to beat a number one seed in the STUNT Tournament. The game is scheduled for Saturday, April 25, with a start time of 1:30 Pacific (3:30 local)