WHAT’S BRUIN: Weekly News & Notes

Overall Record: 8-14 (Home 4-6, Road 3-7, Neutral 1-1)
Northwest Conference: 4-9, 7th (Home 2-4, Road 2-5)

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Quick Facts / Roster / Schedule / Results / Statistics / Box Scores / Press Releases

HIGHLIGHTS:

* Coming Up: Road Schedule Ends with Visit to Linfield

* Recent Games: Bruins Fall at Home, Split Two on Road

* Stockner Repeats as BAA Winner, HM for NWC Honors

* NCAA Stats: Stockner, Martin Ranked in FG Pct., Assists

* NWC Stats: Bruins Have Four Among League Leaders

* The Wirta Watch: “Biggs” Adds Three Games to List of Streaks

* COMING UP:  Road Schedule Ends with Visit to Linfield

Sat, Feb. 14, 8:00 pm - at Linfield College, in McMinnville, Ore.

The Bruins still have a mathematical chance of reaching the 4th and final spot in the Northwest Conference Tournament, but they will have to win all three of their remaining games and get some help from the top teams knocking off some of the other contenders.  This Saturday, the Bruins play their only game of the weekend when they visit Yamhill County rival Linfield, currently the 4th-place team at 6-6.  The game is a doubleheader, with the NWC women’s game preceding the men’s game at 6:00 p.m.

Campus station KFOX Radio will webcast the Linfield contest. Links to George Fox multimedia coverage when provided:

KFOX radio webcasts - http://www.georgefox.edu/offices/asc/kfoxradio/

LiveStats - http://academic.georgefox.edu/~sports/xlive.htm

Live video streaming - http://media.georgefox.edu/bruinsports.html

Linfield (8-13, NWC 6-6, 4th): The Linfield Wildcats from McMinnville, Ore., were picked 6th in the Northwest Conference pre-season coaches’ poll, the Bruins 9th … The Wildcats have won four of their last six games, but fell the last time out at Whitworth 82-70 on Saturday … Series record: George Fox leads 41-38 since 1971 (23-15 home, 18-22 road, 0-1 neutral) … The Bruins have won the last two meetings, including a 71-67 decision in their first match this season on Jan. 17 in Newberg … Linfield’s last win in the series was 68-65 in McMinnville on Jan. 12, 2008 … Linfield averages 71.4 ppg (8th in the NWC) and allows 74.0 ppg (4th) … Linfield leads the NWC in free throw pct. (.718) … The Wildcats have three double-figure scorers: K.C. Wiser (16.1, 7th), Erik Olson (14.1, 14th), and Cody Tesoro (11.2, 25th) … Wiser is the top rebounder (7.0, 5th) … Jon Weber is the assists leader (3.33, 7th) … Coach Larry Doty is 296-276 to date in his 22nd season at Linfield … The Wildcats visit Lewis & Clark Friday before meeting the Bruins … Next game: Feb. 20 vs. Pacific Lutheran, 8:00 p.m.

* RECENT GAMES (1-2): Bruins Fall at Home, Split Two on Road

Feb. 6 - Lewis & Clark 63, at George Fox 49

Feb. 7 - at #6 Puget Sound 100, George Fox 79

Feb. 10 - George Fox 85, at Pacific 68

It was a lost weekend for the Bruins as they fell at home to Lewis & Clark and on the road to 6th-ranked Puget Sound, but they bounced back strong with perhaps their finest all-around performance of the season for a big win at Pacific.  Despite 18 points from Alex Stockner, the Bruins struggled to their lowest shooting percentage of the season (.340) in the loss to the Pioneers on Friday.  At UPS on Saturday, the Bruins trailed by only six at the half, but a fast start to the second half enabled the Loggers, who have not lost a conference game, to pull away.  Evan Atwater had 15 points for the Bruins and Steve Campbell 13.  Against the Boxers on Tuesday, Stockner had 23 points and Atwater 21, the two combining to hit 15-22 field goals, with Atwater 4-4 on three-pointers.

COACH MARK SUNDQUIST:

Mark Sundquist (Seattle Pacific '89) is 90-131 (.407) to date in his 9th season as a college head coach, all at George Fox. He was the NWC Coach of the Year in 2004-05 for leading the Bruins to an 18-7 record and 2nd place in the conference. Click here for the complete bio on Coach Sundquist.

Sundquist vs. upcoming opponents:
Linfield - 7-11 (5-4 home, 2-6 road, 0-1 neutral)

BRUIN BITS:

* Stockner Repeats as BAA Winner, HM for NWC Honors

Junior post Alex Stockner was named the Bruin Athletic Association Men’s Athlete of the Week for Jan. 26-Feb. 1 and received honorable mention for the Northwest Conference Men’s Basketball Student-Athlete of the Week for the second week in a row.  In a 63-49 loss to Lewis & Clark on Feb. 6, he scored 18 points on 8-14 field goals (1-3 on threes) and 1-2 on free throws, with 7 rebounds and a steal.  In a 100-79 loss at 6th-ranked Puget Sound on Feb. 7, he scored 6 points on 3-5 field goals, with 3 rebounds and 3 assists.  For the week, he totaled 24 points (12.0 ppg) on 11-19 field goals (.579), including 1-3 three-pointers (.333), and 1-2 free throws (.500), with 10 rebounds (5.0 rpg), 3 assists and a steal.  He has been the BAA Athlete of the Week and honorable mention for NWC Student-Athlete of the Week six times now this season.  Stockner is 4th in the NWC in field goal pct. (.573, 46th nationally), 11th in rebounding (5.3), 11th in scoring (14.9).

* 2008-09 Honors:

Evan Atwater ---
- Bruin Athletic Association Men's Athlete of the Week (Nov. 17-23; Dec. 29-Jan. 4)
- Northwest Conference Student-Athlete of the Week (HM, Nov. 17-23; HM, Dec. 15-Jan. 4)

Jack Martin ---
- Bruin Athletic Association Men's Athlete of the Week (Nov. 24-30; Jan. 19-25)
- Northwest Conference Student-Athlete of the Week (HM, Nov. 24-30; HM, Jan. 19-25)

Alex Stockner ---
- Bruin Athletic Association Men's Athlete of the Week (Dec. 1-7; Dec. 8-14; Jan. 5-11; Jan. 12-18; Jan. 26-Feb. 1; Feb. 2-8)
- Northwest Conference Student-Athlete of the Week (HM, Dec. 1-7; HM, Dec. 8-14; HM, Jan. 5-11; HM, Jan. 12-18; HM, Jan. 26-Feb. 1; HM, Feb. 2-8)

* NCAA Stats: Stockner, Martin Ranked in FG Pct., Assists

In the latest NCAA national statistics (thru Feb. 8), Jack Martin was 36th in assists (5.3) … Alex Stockner was 46th in field goal pct. (.570) …

* NWC Stats: Bruins Have Four Among League Leaders

Where the Bruins rank in the latest Northwest Conference stats (thru Feb. 10):
Scoring Offense – 9th (71.3)
Scoring Defense – 7th (77.6)
Scoring Margin – 9th (-6.3)
Field Goal Pct. - 6th (.443)
Field Goal Pct. Defense – 4th (.450)
3-Pt Field Goals – 6th (7.14)
3-Pt Field Goal Pct. – 8th (.328)
3-Pt Field Goal Pct. Defense – 9th (.394)
Free Throw Pct. – 9th (.674)
Rebounding Offense – 6th (36.5)
Rebounding Defense - 4th (36.0)
Rebounding Margin – 6th (+0.5)
Assists – 4th (15.32)
Blocked Shots - 8th (1.27)
Steals – 8th (5.18)
Turnover Margin – 9th (-3.73)
Assist/Turnover Ratio – 6th (0.92)

- Jack Martin is 2nd in assists (5.32), 3rd in 3-pt field goals (2.59), 7th in assist/turnover ratio (1.39), 14th in 3-pt pct. (.383), 15th in steals (1.14), 16th in scoring (13.0) …
- Evan Atwater is 9th in 3-pt field goals (1.82), 15th in free throw pct. (.719), 20th in scoring (12.0) ...

- Alex Stockner is 4th in field goal pct. (.573), 11th in rebounding (5.3), 11th in scoring (14.9) …
- Travis Toedtemeier is 17th in rebounding (4.4) ...

* Double-Doubles:

- Jack Martin: career 3, season 3 - 17 pts/10 ast vs. Corban, 12/29; 11 pts/11 ast at Whitman, 1/3; 17 pts/11 reb at Willamette, 1/23

* The Wirta Watch: “Biggs” Adds Three Games to List of Streaks

Mike "Biggs" Wirta, who has been charting basketball statistics for the George Fox men's team since the 1970-71 season while he was an undergraduate student, continues to add to his incredible streaks of attendance at GFU men’s games.  With the Bruins’ three games this past week, he has now seen 661 straight games, home and away.  He has worked 459 straight men’s home games, not missing a one at home since 1972 when he was in military service. In all, he has seen over half of all games ever played by the George Fox men’s team (1,073 of 2,100 for 51.10%) in the 105 years of Bruin basketball.