Senior Kylin Collman was lights out in the 80-45 smothering of the University of New England for George Fox's eighth-straight win. The Bruins concluded their D3hoops.com Classic run on Sunday after a perfect 2-0 weekend at South Point Arena.
Recap
Fox came ready to play after its massive upset of No. 2 Scranton on Saturday. The Bruins continued to push the ball, and UNE struggled to contend with the pressure in the first two quarters.
Collman opened the scoring with a leftwing three before Fox slowly capitalized on the Nor'Easters six turnovers of the quarter. Cassidy Posey converted a left-handed hook shot to increase GFU's lead to eight, before Emily Spencer's Euro step brought the lead to double-digits with under a minute to go. A Collman trifecta drew the quarter to a close just as it began. The Bruins used a 7-0 run to take a 21-8 lead into the second quarter, holding UNE scoreless in the final 2:28.
The hot-handed Collman opened the period with her third triple of the game and her second of the last three possessions. The senior continued to produce and finished the first half with 15 points on 5-for-6 shooting, including 4-of-5 from three-point land.
UNE turned up the heat with a 5-0 run to cut the Bruins' lead to seven points with 6:10 remaining in the half. Treys from Collman and Bishop helped put 17 points between the Bruins and the Nor'Easters as Fox scored 11 unanswered points in under three minutes.
Fox took care of the ball and shot well from the outside to easily carry a 39-23 advantage into the break. The Bruins went 15-for-30 from the floor compared to UNE's 9-for-22 while outrebounding their opponent 19-13.
After her strong performance on Saturday, Haley Strowbridge posted two layups to start a 10-2 run for the Bruins coming out of the break. Kaylee Bishop's trifecta amplified the Blue & Gold's momentum before trips to the line from Posey and Bishop extended the Bruins lead to 52-25 with under five to go.
A Faith Conners triple ended the Nor'Easters six-minute scoreless streak, but Collman quickly drained back-to-back threes to continue the Bruins' 19-3 run. A 25-9 performance in the third quarter gave Fox a comfortable 64-32 lead entering the final period.
The Bruins went deep into their bench in the fourth quarter, allowing reserves to see quality time in the final ten minutes. Freshman Emiline Bova led the way with her second three as a Bruin, and the third-string lineup followed suit, lighting up for a 74-38 lead at the six-minute mark.
UNE was able to string together five quick points before rookie Karli Oliver knocked down a triple of her own at 4:59. The Nor'Easters continued to trim the deficit in the final five minutes, but the Bruins ran away with the 80-45 final.
The strong UNE squad came in at 8-2 on the season but struggled to compete with the height and depth of Fox's roster. The Bruins shot an impressive 45.9 percent from the floor and 39.3 from the outside as 13 different Bruins found the basket. The 42-21 rebounding advantage helped Fox score 18 second-chance points while the Nor'Easters' 18 turnovers resulted in 27 points for the Bruins.
Top Performers
Collman led the 15 Bruins who saw court time with a game-high 23 points—a season-high and her best since February 2018. The Oregon native finished shooting 88.9 percent (8-9) from the field and connected on 6-of-7 from the outside. Strowbridge posted nine points alongside five rebounds and three steals, with Bishop on her heels with eight points. Freshman Emily Stephens led the team with seven boards in just 10 minutes of action.
What It Means
GFU turns in a perfect 2-0 record at the D3hoops.com Classic for an overall mark of 8-1 on the season. The Bruins still hold their No. 9 ranking with hopes to improve after this weekend's performances.
What Happens Next
The Bruins return in the new year to host their first Northwest Conference opponent in Willamette on Friday, Jan. 3. The doubleheader is set for 6:00 p.m. with the men's game slated for 8:00 p.m.