At George Fox 75, Willamette 46

Newberg, Ore. – (From Blair Cash, George Fox SID) On a night when their shooters struggled from the field, the George Fox University defense came through with a stellar performance, lifting the Bruins to a 75-46 rout of the Willamette University Bearcats in Northwest Conference women’s basketball action Wednesday night at the Wheeler Sports Center.

The win was the 7th straight for the Bruins, who are ranked No. 9 in the NCAA Division III national poll, lifting their record to 7-0 overall and 2-0 in the conference.  George Fox is now two wins away from tying the team record for best start to a season, 9-0 by last year’s team.  Willamette dropped to 4-4 overall and 0-1 in the conference.

Three-pointers by Amy Fitch and Heather Doud and three straight inside baskets by Darby Cave put George Fox ahead 12-6 six minutes into the contest, and the Bruins gradually extended that lead to 33-21 at the half.

Cave finished with 10 points and 8 rebounds in the half.  Neither team shot particularly well, George Fox making only .343 (12-35) to .286 (8-28) for Willamette.

The Bruin defense then turned the defensive pressure up a notch to start the second half, holding the Bearcats to only five points over a 10-minute span as they stretched their lead to 30 points at 56-26.  With their second unit in the rest of the way, the Bruins maintained at least a 24-point lead to the end.

Cave ended the game with 14 points, Fitch added a career-high 13, and Doud contributed 11.  All 10 Bruins who played scored.  Cave with 9 rebounds and Emily Ruggles with 8 led the way on the boards as the Bruins out-rebounded the Bearcats 51-31.  Becky Thompson handed out 6 assists. Rosie Contri topped the Bearcats with 14 and Nancy Weyler scored 10 while grabbing 5 rebounds.

George Fox steps out of the conference for its next game Saturday against Evergreen State College at 7:30 p.m. in Newberg.  Willamette visits pre-season conference favorite Pacific Lutheran University Saturday at 8:00 p.m. in Tacoma.