Puget Sound 59, George Fox 43: Bruins’ Winning Streak Stopped at 12 by Loggers

Ball control and offensive rebounds were the story of the first half, the Bruins committing 14 turnovers to only two by the Loggers.

Salem-News.com Sports

TACOMA, Wash. - Plagued by too many turnovers that gave the University of Puget Sound almost 45 percent more shots than them, the George Fox University Bruins saw their 12-game winning streak come to an end with a 59-43 setback to the Loggers in a battle of nationally-ranked Northwest Conference women’s basketball teams Saturday evening here at Memorial Fieldhouse.

The 12th-ranked Bruins (17-2, NWC 9-1) dropped their first conference game of the season and fell into a first-place tie with the 23rd-ranked Loggers (16-3, NWC 9-1). George Fox had taken the first regular-season meeting between the two teams that shared last year’s NWC title 45-39 back on Jan. 5th in Newberg.

With Marissa Cain scoring eight points in the first 10 minutes, the Loggers took a 14-9 lead, but the Bruins rallied behind Katy Campbell, who scored eight points in a span of 1:41 to give the visitors a 17-16 lead.

The teams traded leads on a Morgan Harter layup for the Loggers and two free throws by the Bruins’ Melissa Marek-Farris, but the home team reeled off nine unanswered points, capped by a Cain fast-break layup with half a second left, to take a 27-19 lead at the half.

Ball control and offensive rebounds were the story of the first half, the Bruins committing 14 turnovers to only two by the Loggers, who also had eight offensive rebounds. As a result, the Loggers got almost twice as many shots as the Bruins, 33-17. UPS shot .333 (11-33) to .412 (7-17) for George Fox. Cain and Campbell each had 10 points to pace their respective clubs.

Hitting four of their first five shots to start the second half, the Loggers opened up a 12-point lead of 36-24 with 16:47 left behind two baskets each by Cain, one a three-pointer, and Harter. The Bruins then began a slow comeback by holding the Loggers scoreless for over eight minutes while closing within six at 36-30. Laura Hirsh broke the string with a jumper from the left side, but a short jumper by Marek-Farris and a rebound basket by Jaime Hubka brought the Bruins within four at 38-34 with seven minutes left.

The teams traded baskets over the next three minutes before Harter hit a three from the top of the key, boosting the Loggers to a nine-point lead at 47-38 and sparking a 15-5 run Logger run over the final three-and-a-half minutes that salted the game away. By the time it was over, the Bruins had turned the ball over 23 times to five for the Loggers, who out-scored the Bruins in points off turnovers 25-2.

Marek-Farris had 13 points, Campbell 12, and Hubka 10 for the Bruins, who shot .359 (14-39) for the game. Marek-Farris and Campbell had eight rebounds apiece as the Bruins held a final advantage on the glass of 37-23.

Cain had 17 points for the Loggers before fouling out, Harter added 16, and Ely scored 10. UPS shot .393 (22-56) from the field. Hirsh and Karen Chase had five rebounds apiece, Hirsh passed out four assists, and Ely had six of the Loggers’ 14 steals.

George Fox has a favorable schedule in its drive for the NWC crown with five of its final six games at home, starting with Friday’s 6:00 PM clash with Willamette University to kick off a weekend of Homecoming activities. Puget Sound travels across town Tuesday to play Pacific Lutheran University, also at 6:00 PM. Both games will be followed by NWC men’s contests at 8:00 PM.

Adding comments to these stories has been disabled. View the current sports stories Salem-News Sports