SANTA CRUZ, Calif. – With All-American center Hannah Munger making a successful debut after missing the season's first three games, the George Fox University Bruins raced past the University of California-Santa Cruz Banana Slugs 57-40 on the first day of the Hampton Inn Women's Basketball Classic Saturday evening here at the UCSC's West Field House.
Munger, returning to the Bruin lineup for the first time since suffering a torn ACL in the NCAA Division III National Championship game last March, hit 5-8 from the field and 5-6 from the line en route to 15 points, leading all scorers in the game. She had 12 in the first half as the Bruins built a 33-15 halftime lead and cruised to victory.
George Fox, ranked 20th in the latest WBCA poll and 21st by D3hoops.com, shot .467 (21-45) from the floor for the game while holding UCSC, which was listed among "others receiving votes" in the D3hoops poll, to a .245 percentage (13-53). The Bruins also enjoyed a 40-30 rebounding advantage.
Jami Roos was the only other Bruin in double figures with 10 points. Megan Arnoldy just missed a double-double for the Bruins with nine points and a game-high 10 rebounds, while Hayley Cusick added eight points. Justine Brenner had nine rebounds and Megan Hays seven. Cusick passed out four assists.
Leah Parrish and Ryane Ortiz topped the Slugs with 11 points apiece, while Ortiz and Sarah Mackey had four rebounds each. Mackey also contributed five blocked shots, three steals, and two assists.
NEXT: George Fox (2-2) takes on the University of La Verne in the Hampton Inn Classic Sunday at 12:00 noon while Cal-Santa Cruz (4-2) plays the University of Puget Sound at 2:00 p.m.