NEWBERG, Ore. – Hannah Munger scored 21 points on 10-of-12 shooting and grabbed 11 rebounds, leading the George Fox University Bruins to a hard-fought 64-57 win over the Whitman College Missionaries in a Northwest Conference women's basketball game Saturday afternoon here at the Wheeler Sports Center's Miller Gym.
It was the 10th straight win for the Bruins against Whitman, improving their overall record to 11-4 and keeping them in at least a share of first place in the conference at 5-1. The University of Puget Sound and Lewis & Clark College, who were tied with the Bruins, played later Saturday at Linfield College and Pacific University respectively. The Missionaries slipped to 8-6 overall and 3-3 in the NWC.
With both teams having early offensive troubles - the Missionaries missing six of their first eight shots and the Bruins committing six turnovers in the first six minutes of the game - the score stood only 6-6 before Rebecca Sexton hit a jumper to put the visitors ahead at the 13:41 mark. Whitman built up a six-point lead three times over the next seven minutes, the last at 22-16 on a Mary Madden putback with 6:20 left.
Finally getting control of their ball-handling, the Bruins went on a 15-2 tear, with five different players scoring, to take a 31-24 lead with 51 seconds left. The Missionaries' Jenele Peterson and the Bruins' Breezy Rinehart-Young then traded baskets before Peterson canned a 40-footer at the buzzer to make it 33-29 Bruins at the half.
Munger led the Bruins with 11 points, making 5-5 shots, with eight rebounds in the period. Jennifer Keyes came off the bench to hit two threes and a pair of free throws, pacing the Missionaries with eight points.
After Sarah Anderegg brought the Missionaries within four at 35-31 with a three-point play early in the second half, the Bruins extended their lead to 11 at 44-33 with 16:31 to play on two baskets by Keisha Gordon, one by Munger, and a three by Hayley Cusick. With Keyes hitting a pair of threes and a driving layup, the Missionaries fought back with a 16-9 run over the next 10 minutes to get within four at 53-49 with 6:51 to play.
Rinehart-Young got the Bruins going again with a layup, and Munger added three buckets as the home team rebuilt a nine-point advantage of 62-53 with 1:13 left. A pair of Gordon free throws offset four charity tosses by the Missionaries' Catelyn Webber to close out the scoring.
George Fox connected on .565 (26-46) from the field to .354 (17-48) for Whitman, but the Missionaries cashed in 18 of 20 free throws (.900), making the game close as the Bruins struggled from the line, hitting only 10 of 22 (.455). The Bruins out-rebounded the Missionaries 33-28 and blocked five shots.
Munger's double-double was her fifth of the season and 16th of her two-year career. Cusick and Rinehart-Young added 11 points and Gordon scored 10. Gordon and Carly Towne passed out three assists, and Cusick made three steals.
Keyes led the Missionaries with 16 points, while Peterson added 13 and Anderegg 10. Angeregg had a team-high seven rebounds and passed out three assists, and Peterson also had three assists. Keyes made three steals.
NEXT: George Fox visits Puget Sound Friday while Whitman is back in action Tuesday at Whitworth University, both games tipping off at 6:00 p.m. NWC men's games will follow at 8:00 p.m.