No. 10 George Fox Pulls Away Late for 66-48 Win Over CMS Women's Basketball

No. 10 George Fox Pulls Away Late for 66-48 Win Over CMS Women's Basketball

NEWBURG, Ore. - The No. 10 George Fox women's basketball team used a 15-1 fourth-quarter run to turn a 45-41 lead into a 60-42 advantage and went on to take a 66-48 win over Claremont-Mudd-Scripps on Saturday evening at the Bruin Classic.

CMS was led by 15 points apiece from senior guard Corinne Bogle and junior guard Maya Love, but falls to 1-1 on the year after defeating Willamette 56-54 in its opener yesterday. George Fox improves to 3-1 after dropping a three-point game to No. 4 Saint Thomas (Minn.) yesterday on the first day of its home tournament. 

The Athenas trailed 29-23 at the half, despite forcing 24 turnovers in the first 20 minutes. CMS finished the game with 36 forced turnovers, 23 of them via steals, led by seven from sophomore guard Maezelle Millan and five from sophomore forward Gloria Bates, but weren't able to convert enough of them into points (19). 

George Fox led 43-33 heading into the fourth quarter, but CMS was able to get the lead down to just 45-41 on two straight baskets from Love with 6:29 to play. The Athenas earned a stop and had a chance to draw closer, but didn't convert, and the Bruins responded with a 7-0 to push the lead back into double figures at 52-41 with 4:42 to go. 

A Love foul shot stopped that run, but George Fox then scored the next eight points to put it away, with two Hailey Hartney foul shots making it 60-42 with 1:17 left. Bogle hit a three and Bates made a jumper to pull CMS within 60-47, but that was close as the Athenas could come. 

CMS never led, as George Fox started out the game with two quick three-pointers to take a 6-2 lead. The Bruins threatened to break it open in the first half, leading 23-12 at the end of the first quarter on a buzzer-beating three from Haley Strowbridge and scoring the first basket of the second quarter to take a 13-point lead.

The Athenas got back in it with their defense, though, forcing 17 George Fox turnovers in the second quarter alone and holding the Bruins scoreless over the final 4:36 of the half to get back within 29-23 at the break. CMS had 10 of its steals in the second quarter, led by three from Millan.

CMS will continue its three-game road trip to start the 2018-19 season when it faces Pacific (Ore.) tomorrow for a 3 p.m. contest.