NEWBERG, Ore. – When the NCAA Division III Tournament
bracket was released, the 15th-ranked Puget Sound Loggers and the
fifth-ranked George Fox Bruins knew it would come down to a
second-round match-up and when the final buzzer sounded, it was the
Bruins who were celebrating as GFU defeated Puget Sound, 59-37, in
a national tournament second round game on Saturday night in
Newberg, Ore.
Over the opening minutes of the game, it looked like the Loggers
would be able to control the game's pace as they held a 9-8
advantage with 10:14 left to play in the first half but the
defending national champion Bruins went on a 12-0 run to take a
20-9 lead with 6:03 left in the first period. Puget Sound managed a
few more baskets over the remaining period but George Fox took a
27-14 lead into the halftime break.
In the second half, the Loggers found themselves a little bit for
comfortable shooting on their own end but the two big Puget Sound
seniors found themselves in foul trouble as both Natasha Ludwig
(Hilo, Hawaii/Waiakea) and Claire Ely (Walnut Creek,
Calif./Northgate) found themselves with four fouls. The younger
Loggers battled with their senior leaders on the ropes but it
wasn't enough to overcome the double-digit deficit as the
Bruins earned their third-straight trip to the Sweet Sixteen with
the 59-37 victory.
The Loggers were led by 14 points from the senior Ely, who
concludes her career with 1,213 career points to place seventh on
the Loggers all-time scoring list. Sophomore Jocelyn Riordan (Lake
Forest Park, Wash./Shorecrest) added 10 points. The Loggers shot
just 24.1-percent from the field but managed to force 12 George Fox
turnovers.
The Bruins were led by 17 points from Elise Kuenzi. Hannah Munger
added 16 points and 10 rebounds to collect the double-double while
Keisha Gordon also got a double-double with 15 points and 13
rebounds. George Fox led a 43-31 advantage in rebounding.
The Loggers season ends at 24-5, their best record in school
history in terms of winning percentage and tied for the most wins
in school history.
