SALEM, Ore. – Sophomore center Hannah Munger posted career highs of 25 points and 19 rebounds as the George Fox University Bruins extended their two long winning streaks against Northwest Conference competition with a 60-38 win over the Willamette University Bearcats in women's basketball action Tuesday night here at the Cone Field House.
George Fox, ranked 15th in the latest WBCA NCAA Division III national poll, has now won 36 consecutive regular-season games against NWC competition, and 39 in a row counting conference tournament and post-season play. The Bruins improved to 5-2 overall, while the Bearcats fell to 1-4.
Maya McFaddin hit a three-pointer to give the Bearcats an early 3-0 lead, and a cold start by the Bruins, who made only one of their first 13 shot attempts, enabled the home team to extend its lead to 8-2 on an Alex Zennan scoop shot five minutes into the game. A rebound basket by Keisha Gordon got the Bruins going, and two layups and a free throw by Munger gave the visitors their first lead at 9-8 with 11:57 to go.
Shayna Glynn's jumper ended the Bruins' streak to put the Bearcats back on top, and the teams swapped leads back and forth over the next six minutes. Down 15-13, the Bruins reeled off 10 unanswered points, capped by a Hayley Cusick layup off a steal by Gordon, to take a 23-15 lead with 4:41 left. A three from the left corner by Arianna Mohsenian with 31 seconds made it 28-17 Bruins at the half.
Munger had her third double-double of the season and the 14th of her career by the break with 11 points and 11 rebounds, and the Bruins had 16 offensive boards out of their total of 27, more than the Bearcats' collective team total of 14.
The Bearcats got back in the game by scoring the first seven points of the second half on a jumper by Glynn and three and a layup by Erin Barclay, cutting the gap to 28-24. Willamette connected on its first six shots of the half to stay close, and was only down by four at 34-30 with 14:49 left following a jumper by Westermann. The Bruins then pulled away with a 21-4 outburst featuring 10 points by Munger that made it a 55-34 game with two minutes remaining. The Bearcats were held scoreless for over six minutes late in that run, and went only 2-of-15 from the floor over the final 14 minutes of the game.
Munger hit 11-of-19 from the field to finish as the only player in double figures, and her rebound total enabled the Bruins to own the backboards 48-28. Twenty offensive rebounds secured the Bruins 19 more shots than the Bearcats, 64-45. Gordon passed out six assists and made four steals, and Cusick also had four swipes. The Bruins made 15 steals and forced 26 Willamette turnovers but committed 21 themselves.
Glynn's nine points paced the Bearcats, and Westermann had nine rebounds and two assists. Barclay and McFaddin made four steals each as Willamette had 14 in all.
NEXT: George Fox visits Pacific Lutheran University in Parkland, Wash., Saturday for a 6:00 p.m. conference contest, with the GFU-PLU men's game to follow at 8:00 p.m. ... Willamette goes to the University of Puget Sound Friday for another NWC doubleheader, the women's game at 6:00 p.m. and the men's game at 8:00 p.m.