NEWBERG, Ore. — Lewis & Clark women's basketball dropped 24 points in the fourth quarter but couldn't overcome an early deficit in a 72-59 Northwest Conference loss to second-place George Fox University on Friday night at Wheeler Sports Center.
 
THE BASICS
 
George Fox 72, Lewis & Clark 59
(Lewis & Clark 5-19, 2-13 NWC)
(George Fox 18-6, 10-5 NWC)
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

Sophomore DJ Kendrick posted a career-high 12 points and five rebounds, while fellow sophomore Divinity Singleton added 11 points on perfect 5-for-5 shooting from the field. Junior Tatiana Rebanal and sophomore Lauryn Frederickson each contributed eight points.

George Fox took control early, jumping out to an 11-1 lead midway through the first quarter and extending it to 21-12 by the end of the period. A trey by sophomore Madilyn Palosi (seven points, three steals), followed by a layup from junior Madelyn Sanchez (five points, five rebounds), trimmed the deficit to 11-6 at the 2:40 mark, but the Bruins' balanced offense saw seven players score in the opening 10 minutes.

Both teams struggled offensively for the first four and a half minutes of the second quarter, combining for just three free throws. Singleton ended the drought with a jumper at 5:29, cutting the deficit to 23-15, but George Fox responded with a 16-8 run to take a 39-23 lead into halftime.

Trailing by 21 entering the fourth quarter, Lewis & Clark mounted its strongest push of the night. The Pioneers outscored the Bruins 24-16 in the final period, including an 8-0 run over 90 seconds that cut the deficit to 62-47 with 5:32 remaining. Rebanal connected from beyond the arc, and Singleton maintained her perfect shooting night as all eight Pioneers contributed points in the final 10 minutes.

Claire Hinds led the Bruins with 14 points, while Alexa Borter added 12 points and six assists.

BY THE NUMBERS 

• The Pioneers dominated inside, outscoring George Fox 42-34 in the paint.
• Kendrick and Sanchez each grabbed five rebounds, while Singleton, Frederickson, and first-year Kaitlen Carns (six points) collected four apiece.
• Palosi's three steals led all players, while Sanchez added two.

WHO'S NEXT
 
Lewis & Clark returns home to honor senior Piper Curry before Saturday's season finale against Pacific Lutheran. Tipoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. at Pamplin Sports Center.