Highlights
The No. 2 seed Pacific University women's basketball team saw its season end in a 56-47 loss to No. 3 seed George Fox on Thursday night at the Stoller Center.
With a NCAA Tournament-like atmosphere, the host Boxers scored the first points of the game on a layup by NWC Freshman of the Year
Brilie Kovaloff for an early 2-0 Pacific lead.
The Bruins (20-6), who have made every NWC Tournament since 2007, came back with the next seven points to lead for the remainder of the contest. George Fox was led by a 14-point effort from Emily Holder to lead the visitors form Newberg.
The Boxers (17-9), who were in the tournament for the first time since 2009, were led by a game-high 18 points from second team all-Northwest Conference selection
Camy Aguinaldo. Kovaloff joined her in double figures with 11 points.
George Fox, who is in search of its third-straight conference tournament title, limited the Boxers to 12 points and 16.7% (4 of 24) shooting in first half. Holder had nine of her 14 points in the first half to lead the Bruins.
The Bruins held a 39-24 lead as the teams entered the final quarter but there were comeback hopes all along the Boxer sideline and crowd. Early in the quarter, Pacific went on a 12-3 run to cut the deficit to six, 46-40 with 5:02 left to play. The six-point deficit was the closest that the Boxers had been since the 2:38 mark of the second quarter.
Later in the game, Kovaloff banked in a 3-pointer to energize her teammates and the Pacific crowd with 2:32 left to play to cut the George Fox lead to five, 50-45.
The Bruins sealed the win, scoring six of the final eight points to advance to Saturday's final where they will face No. 1 seed and No. 9 nationally Whitman, who secured a spot with a 72-66 win over Puget Sound.
Post-Game Press Conference
