NEWBERG, Ore.  They are clearly the class of the Northwest Conference, and if the Whitman and George Fox women's basketball teams meet again this season -- which is likely -- it will be in the conference tournament championship game.

What remains undecided is which team would host this sure-to-be scintillating rubber match.

The Bruins controlled the fourth quarter with aggressive defense and a free-throw line parade to end Whitman's 21-game winning streak with an 80-68 victory here Saturday that left these rivals tied for first place in the NWC standings with two games remaining.

Casey Poe scored 23 points and Makana Stone 16 for the Blues (21-2, 14-1), who had won three straight against George Fox (20-3, 13-1) and were looking to clinch the No. 1 seed to the conference playoffs.

Whitman, which entered the game ranked second nationally by the WBCA and fifth by d3hoops.com, was also trying to clinch a share of its first conference title since the 2013-14 season.

Whitman dominated the third quarter after trailing for most of the game. It opened a three-point lead when Lily Gustafson scored the first basket of the fourth, but George Fox proceeded to force nine of Whitman's 21 turnovers in the fourth quarter, attempt the first 12 free throws of the period, and ultimately outscore the Blues by 15 points at the charity stripe.

George Fox opened the final 10 minutes on a 19-6 run.

Stone scored six points as the Blues rallied in the third quarter to claim their first lead since the game's opening moments. Stone's flurry helped power a 14-8 Whitman surge to open the second half that made it 47-46, Blues, with 3:27 remaining in the third quarter. It was the first of five lead changes and three ties for the duration of the period.

Gustafson's basket to open the fourth quarter made it 58-55, Whitman, 16 seconds in. But it would prove to be one of just three Blues field goals over the next seven minutes. The Bruins scored six unanswered points to take a 61-58 lead, and after Maegen Martin's field goal with 7:08 remaining, they responded with a 7-0 run.

A 6-0 run after Stone's basket at the 2:46 mark pushed George Fox's lead to 12 with 1:20 left in the game.

Whitman began the second quarter facing an 11-point deficit, but stiffened defensively and made it a one-possession game several times down the stretch. Poe had nine of her 15 first-half points in the second period, including a free throw to start -- and a layup to cap -- a 7-0 Blues run to the 5:24 mark that made it 30-27. Gustafson's basket on an assist from Taylor Chambers pulled Whitman to within two points, 33-31, with 2:07 to go.

But George Fox, which was rewarded eight free throw attempts over the final 2:24 of the first half, scored five unanswered points to take a 38-31 lead inside the last 10 seconds of the half. Martin salvaged some Blues momentum by scooping in a basket with two ticks left, the Bruins absconding to recess ahead 38-33.

Mady Burdett had ended a 10-0 George Fox run at the end of the first quarter by splashing a 3-pointer with 17 seconds left that pulled Whitman to within 22-14.

Five different Blues, including their top four frontcourt players, were whistled for two personal fouls apiece in a first half that seemed to disproportionately penalize Whitman for interior physicality.

George Fox attempted 20 free throws to Whitman's four in the final period and was 29 for 38 overall at the line. The Blues were 14 of 20.

Martin had eight points, and Emily Rommel added seven points and six rebounds for the Blues. Poe dished five assists and had two steals. Martin had two steals and Sierra McGarity two blocked shots.

Whitman hosts Willamette at 6 p.m. on Feb. 16, then closes out the regular season at home against Linfield at 4 p.m. the following night. The Blues' 83-49 victory at Whitworth Tuesday clinched a top-2 conference finish for the first time since '13-'14, and assures Whitman of hosting an NWC tournament semifinal on Feb. 22.