PORTLAND, Ore. — Despite a strong second-half performance, Lewis & Clark College women's basketball couldn't recover from a slow start, falling 70-58 to George Fox University in a Northwest Conference matchup on Saturday night at Pamplin Sports Center.

THE BASICS

George Fox 70, Lewis & Clark 58
(Lewis & Clark 4-13, 1-7 NWC)
(George Fox 13-4, 5-3 NWC)
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

Sophomore Lauryn Frederickson paced the Pioneers with 17 points, adding four rebounds and three blocks to her performance. First-year Kaitlen Carns and sophomore Madilyn Palosi each chipped in 13 points, with Palosi converting all six of her free-throw attempts. The Pioneers shot 42.3% from the field and recorded four blocks while forcing 13 turnovers by the Bruins.

Carns got the Pioneers on the board early in the first quarter with a turnaround jumper at the 8:34 mark, ending a 6-0 opening run by George Fox. However, the Bruins' intense defensive pressure led to six early turnovers by Lewis & Clark, which the visitors turned into nine points. George Fox's leading scorers, Alexa Borter (16 points) and Hanne Hopkins (15 points) combined for 14 points in the first quarter, helping the Bruins build a 24-12 lead by the end of the period.

In the second quarter, Palosi connected on a three-pointer just over three minutes in, cutting the deficit to 12 (30-18). She also went 4-for-4 from the free-throw line in the quarter. Frederickson added a pair of baskets down low, but the Bruins maintained control with a dominant inside presence, scoring 54 points in the paint over the course of the game. George Fox entered halftime with a commanding 44-26 lead.
 
Junior Madelyn Sanchez (nine points) came off the bench in the third quarter, with the Bruins holding their largest lead of the night (54-30). Sanchez quickly made an impact, sinking a free throw after drawing a foul and converting a turnover into a layup moments later. She capped off the quarter with a three-pointer, helping the Pioneers narrow the gap to 60-45 heading into the fourth.
 
The Pioneers capped off their best stretch of the game in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter, completing a 7-0 run that trimmed the Bruins' lead to 13 (60-47) at the 8:36 mark. Sophomore Divinity Singleton grabbed one of her four defensive rebounds and turned it into a layup, ending the run. Singleton and Carns added consecutive baskets midway through the quarter to keep the momentum going. However, despite outscoring George Fox 13-10 in the final period, the Pioneers couldn't fully erase the early deficit.
 
BY THE NUMBERS

• Palosi, Frederickson and Singleton led the team with four rebounds each, and Sanchez added three boards.
• Junior Tatiana Rebanal had a team-high three assists in the game, while Carns, Palosi and sophomores DJ Kendrick and Isabella Bernard had two apiece.
• The Pioneers scored 16 points off the Bruins' turnovers and recorded seven second-chance points. 

WHO'S NEXT

Lewis & Clark returns to action on Tuesday night, hosting Willamette in a rare mid-week Northwest Conference matchup. Tip-off is set for 8:00 p.m. at Pamplin Sports Center.