TACOMA, Wash. - The Pacific Lutheran University women's basketball team proved they could hang with the nation's eighth ranked team on Saturday afternoon, trading blows with Northwest Conference rival George Fox University before eventually succumbing 64-50 inside Olson Gymnasium.
 
The visiting Bruins (10-3, 2-2 NWC) scored the game's opening five points and staked an early 11-5 advantage before the Lutes (5-8, 0-4 NWC) took control of midway through the first quarter. Consecutive threes from Katie Taylor tied the game at 11 before the Lutes took their first lead of the game with 4:03 remaining on a Emma Janousek layup. Another Taylor three would balloon the PLU advantage to 20-13, capping off a 9-0 run. Pacific Lutheran led by five after one quarter of play before building an eight point cushion with 6:17 left before halftime on a Janousek layup. 
 
George Fox would slowly eat into the lead, taking the lead with 1:30 left before the break and owning a slim 34-33 advantage at the intermission.
 
Megan Drake would swing the lead back to the Lutes on a three-pointer with 8:34 left in the third but George Fox ended the quarter on a 11-1 run, taking a 50-41 lead into the final stanza. GFU built a double-digit advantage two minutes into the final quarter and would maintain that cushion the rest of the way to secure the 14-point win.
 
Taylor came off the bench and led the Lutes with 18 points, sinking four threes while Megan Drake finished with nine points. Kylie Rademacher cleaned up the glass with 10 rebounds while Janousek tallied seven points and seven rebounds. 
 
PLU won the turnover battle, forcing 19 Bruin miscues but was outpaced at the charity stripe where GFU had more makes (15) than the Lutes had attempts (seven).
 
The Lutes are back in action on Tuesday night, facing crosstown nemesis University of Puget Sound at 6 p.m. inside the Loggers' Memorial Fieldhouse.