PORTLAND, Ore.—Lewis & Clark College women's basketball used strong defense and a strong overall team effort to go toe-for-toe with visiting George Fox University, but ultimately fell 61-52 in both team's Northwest Conference opener. 
 
THE BASICS
George Fox 61, Lewis & Clark 52
(Lewis & Clark 1-3, NWC 0-1) 
(George Fox 1-2, NWC 1-0) 

HOW IT HAPPENED
 
Three Pioneers finished in double-figures to help Lewis & Clark put together their most complete performance of the season at home on Friday night. 
 
Freshman Lauryn Frederickson posted her first collegiate double-double in her first conference contest. Frederickson posted career-highs with 12 points and 12 rebounds while playing all but 1:47 of the contest. She added two assists, two steals and a block. 
 
Senior Natalie Elstone led the Pioneers with 14 points in 37 minutes of action. Elstone finished with 14 points on 5-8 shooting, including knocking down both of her 3-point attempts. 
 
Senior Jamison Richards put together their best home performance of the season thus far. Richards scored nine of their 13 points in the first quarter and added five rebounds and two assists. 
 
Senior Karli Mukai and first-year centers Kaela Guidry and Divinity Singleton all chipped in four points. Mukai led the Pioneers with five assists and Guidry (eight rebounds) and Singleton (four rebounds) combined for 12 of Lewis & Clark's 40 rebounds. 
 
Ella Roberts led the visitors with a game-high 16 points (6-10 from the field). Jenna Lacey (10 rebounds), Claire Hinds and Marissa Bartels all joined Roberts in double-figures with 10 points apiece. 
 
After struggling in the first quarter of their first two home games, Lewis & Clark put together their best first quarter of the season this year at Pamplin Gymnasium. George Fox took three separate two point leads early (2-0, 4-2, 6-4), before Lewis & Clark went on a 9-0 run. Richards tied the score on a pull up jumper with 6:24 to go in the quarter and Frederickson gave the Pioneers the lead with a layup in transition. Richards added another jumper and Mukai capped off the flurry with a three. 
 
With the Pioneers leading by one (13-12) with two seconds left in the quarter, Elstone inbounded the ball to Richards at the top of the key and Richards took one dribble to avoid an onrushing defender, before calmly draining a buzzer-beating three to give the hosts a 16-12 lead after one. 
 
Lewis & Clark would extend their advantage to as many as seven early in the second, when Richards drained a jumper to make it 20-13 early in the quarter. The Bruins would respond with a 9-0 run to grab the lead (22-20). The game would stay within one possession for most of the quarter, before Alyssa Wells hit a 3-pointer with 25 seconds to go to give George Fox a 32-27 lead (their largest of the half). Charlotte Carroll hit a free throw in the final 10 seconds to cut the deficit to 32-28 at the break. 
 
The visitors threatened to pull away early in the third quarter when they scored the opening two baskets of the third but Lewis & Clark roared back with an 13-2 run. Frederickson started the comeback with a pair of layups. After a Bruins basket, Richards drained a jumper and Mukai delivered a great feed to Guidry for a layup to make it 38-36 George Fox. Out of the media timeout, Elstone hit a go-ahead 3-pointer and Guidry scored off a Frederickson dish to give the Pioneers a 41-38 lead with 2:36 to go in the quarter. 
 
In a game full of runs, George Fox would have the final one of the quarter. The Bruins closed the third with a 9-0 stretch that included a Bartels buzzer-beating 3-pointer to close the stanza. 
 
Lewis & Clark would score the first five points on the fourth to get back within one (47-46). Singleton knocked down a layup and Frederickson drained a three-pointer off a Richards pass. 
 
That would be as close as Lewis & Clark would get the rest of the way. Roberts hit back-to-back baskets on the next two possessions to stretch the lead to five and the hosts would be held without a field goal for over seven minutes. By the time Elstone drained a three with 29 seconds left, the Pioneers found themselves down 59-52 and they ran out of time for a comeback. 
 
BY THE NUMBERS

• Lewis & Clark outrebounded their opponent for the first time this season (40-34). Frederickson (12), Guidry (eight), Carroll (five) and Richards (five) all posted five or more rebounds. 
• Frederickson has now recorded 12 rebounds in back-to-back games. She's the only Pioneer this season to record double-digit rebounds in a single-game. The freshman leads the Pioneers with 9.3 rebounds per game. 
• The Pioneer shot a season-best 31.3 percent (5-16) from distance. 
• Guidry's eight rebounds were a new career-high. She finished with four points, eight rebounds, a block and a steal in 14 minutes of action. 

 
WHO'S NEXT 
 
The Pioneers will play their second and final conference game of the semester, when they host Linfield University on Saturday at 4 p.m.