NEWBERG, Ore. – Held scoreless in the first half, George Fox University center Hannah Munger exploded for 14 second-half points as the Bruins earned a share of first place in the Northwest Conference women's basketball race with a critical 61-45 win over the Whitman College Missionaries Friday evening here at the Sherwood Center.

The Bruins improved to 17-5 on the season and 11-2 in the NWC with their 11th straight win over the Missionaries, climbing past the former league-leading University of Puget Sound, which was stunned at home by Linfield College 57-46.  Lewis & Clark College downed Pacific University 80-56 at home and now shares the top spot with George Fox.  Whitman, now 12-10 overall and 6-7, dropped a game behind Whitworth University, which topped Willamette University 73-67 at home, for fourth place, the final NWC Tournament spot.

George Fox trailed only once in the game when Jenele Peterson hit a jumper to give the home team a 6-5 lead seven minutes in.  Hayley Cusick hit a three-pointer to put the Bruins back up 8-6, and they extended the margin to as much as 11 points twice in the period before settling for a 24-15 halftime score.  Despite limiting Munger, the Bruins' top scorer at 15.6 points a game, to only two shots, the Missionaries were unable to take advantage as they were held to a .200 shooting percentage (5-25) in the first half.

Whitman opened the second stanza on a 15-9 run to pull within 33-30 with 12 minutes left to play, but Munger answered for George Fox with a three-point play for her first points of the game with 11:36 left.  That ignited a 24-7 run by the Bruins over a seven-minute span, Munger erupting for 12 more points during that time, which expanded the visitors' lead to a safe 57-37 with five minutes left.

Keisha Gordon, the career free throw percentage leader at George Fox, made 10-10 from the line and led all scorers with 16 points.  Munger hit 5-6 from the floor in the second half and added four free throws en route to her 14 points.  Arianna Mohsenian collected a career-high 11 rebounds as the Bruins owned the glass 38-29, and also passed out three assists.  George Fox shot .419 (18-43) from the field, hitting 5-17 three-pointers, and .741 (20-27) from the line.

Peterson was the only Missionary in double digits with 11 points.  Tiffani Brewer and Anna Forge led their team with four rebounds apiece, and Rebecca Sexton had two assists.  Whitman struggled to a .267 shooting percentage (12-45) from the field, hitting only 2-7 on threes, and hit .613 (19-31) from the charity stripe.

NEXT: George Fox plays at Whitworth and Whitman hosts Willamette Saturday, both games starting at 6:00 p.m.  NWC men's games will follow at 8:00 p.m.