Bruins Lasso No. 20 Loggers to Regain Share of NWC Lead

Robin Taylor led all scorers with 19 for the Bruins.

Salem-News.com SPORTS

NEWBERG - Regaining a share of first place in the Northwest Conference women’s basketball race, the George Fox University Bruins knocked off the University of Puget Sound Loggers 64-62 to complete a regular season sweep of the nationally-ranked Loggers Saturday night at the Wheeler Sports Center’s Miller Gym.

George Fox improved to 12-5 overall and 8-2 in the conference, while Puget Sound, ranked 20th in the WBCA poll and 22nd in the D3hoops.com poll, slipped to 15-4 overall and 8-2 in the league as their eight-game winning streak ended.

The Bruins had defeated the Loggers 58-50 in Tacoma on Dec. 2nd, so the Bruins will have any tiebreaker between the two if one is necessary.

It was also the Bruins’ third win in as many tries against an NCAA Division III-ranked opponent this year, with two wins over UPS and one over Bridgewater, then 16th, in Hawaii on Dec. 18th.

Led by Laura Hirsh, who scored 16 first-half points on 7-8 shooting with a pair of threes, the Loggers forged a 19-11 lead midway through the first half before the Bruins bounced back.

Robin Taylor hit two baskets and a three for seven of her 12 first-half points and Katy Campbell capped off a 10-0 run with a conventional three-point play, giving the Bruins their first lead of 20-19 with 6:40 left in the half.

There were three ties and four lead changes the rest of the period before the Loggers took a 34-32 halftime lead on Claire Ely’s jumper with four seconds to go.

The Bruin defense tightened down on Hirsh in the second half, holding her to only two more points on 1-4 from the field, but the Loggers still mounted a five-point lead of 47-42 with 12:23 left on a pair of Brie Adderley free throws.

The Bruins came back and tied it 51-51 on a three by Taylor, then took the lead for good on another three by Nicole Hudson to make it 54-51 with 8:05 to play.

George Fox eventually built a nine-point lead of 64-55 on a rebound basket by Campbell with 3:06 left, but did not score again as Puget Sound rallied.

Baskets by Marissa Cain and Morgan Harter around two free throws by Allison Craven and one by Cain brought the Loggers within 64-62 with 56 seconds left.

Melissa Marek-Farris missed a Bruin shot as the clock wound down, but Taylor recovered and was fouled with 13 seconds left.

She missed a one-and one and Shelby Ramirez rebounded for UPS, giving the Loggers a chance for the tie or win, but Harter and Ramirez both missed shots inside the lane as time expired.

Taylor led all scorers with 19 for the Bruins, while Campbell added 15 and Marek-Farris 12.

Campbell posted her second double-double of the year with 13 rebounds, leading the Bruins to a 44-37 advantage on the boards.

B.B. Gardner had three assists.

The Bruins shot ..426 (23-54) from the field for the game.

Hirsh was the only Logger in double figures with 18 as the UPS offense tailed off in the second half to only .286 shooting (8-28) after a .455 mark (15-33) in the first half.

Cain led the way on the glass with eight rebounds.

George Fox heads for eastern Washington next weekend, first taking on Whitman College in Walla Walla Friday at 6:00 PM.

Puget Sound returns home to host cross-town rival Pacific Lutheran University Tuesday at 6:00 PM.

Both games will be followed by men’s NWC games at 8:00 PM.

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