WHAT’S BRUIN: Weekly News & Notes

Overall Record: 8-15 (Home 4-6, Road 3-8, Neutral 1-1)
Northwest Conference: 4-10, 7th (Home 2-4, Road 2-6)

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

HIGHLIGHTS:

* Coming Up: Homecoming Weekend to Close Out Season

* Recent Games: Bruins Fall in Last Two Minutes at Linfield

* Stockner Honorable Mention for NWC Weekly Honors

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

* NWC Stats: Bruins Have Four Among League Leaders

* The Wirta Watch: “Biggs” Adds Another Game to List of Streaks

* COMING UP:  Homecoming Weekend to Close Out Season

Fri., Feb. 20, 6:00 pm - vs. Willamette University, in Newberg, Ore.

Sat, Feb. 21, 6:00 pm - vs. Pacific Lutheran University, in Newberg, Ore.

The 2008-09 season comes to a close for the Bruins with a pair of games on Homecoming weekend.  Two wins would enable the Bruins to surpass last year’s overall and conference totals for wins (the Bruins were 9-16 and 5-11 in the NWC).  Friday’s festivities include the Sports Hall of Fame ceremonies at 4:00 p.m. in the Klages Dining Hall, when the Class of 2009 - baseball All-American Nate Barnett, women’s soccer star Gegi (Bonera) Ward, four-sport athlete Howard Crow, track and field coach Randy Winston, the 1999 Bruin baseball team, and Nike College Basketball Sports Marketing Director Eric Lautenbach for meritorious service - will be inducted.  They will be introduced at halftime of the men’s game.  The largest crowd of the season is expected for the season finale on Saturday, when the Homecoming Court will be presented at halftime of the men’s game.

Campus station KFOX Radio will webcast all games, and LiveStats and live video streaming will also be available.  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

Willamette (11-10, NWC 7-7, 5th): The Willamette Bearcats from Salem, Ore., were picked 3rd in the Northwest Conference pre-season coaches’ poll, the Bruins 9th … The Bearcats have won their last two and are coming off a 60-58 win over Lewis & Clark at home … Series record: George Fox trails 31-43 since 1967 (18-13 home, 13-30 road) … The Bruins have won the last two meetings, including a 75-70 win in Salem on Jan. 23 in their first game this season that ended a 13-game Bruin losing streak there … The Bearcats’ last win in the series was 73-71 in overtime in Salem on Jan. 11, 2008 … Willamette averages 74.3 ppg (5th in the NWC) and allows 75.4 ppg (5th) … The Bearcats have two double-figure scorers: Cameron Mitchell (16.8, 3rd), Kyler McClary (15.7, 6th) … Mitchell is the top rebounder (11.5, 1st, 8th nationally) … Robbie Kunke is the assists leader (4.29, 5th) … Coach Gordie James is 345-221 to date in his 22nd season at Willamette … Next game: Feb. 21 vs. Puget Sound, 8:00 p.m.

Pacific Lutheran (9-14, NWC 3-11, 8th T): The Pacific Lutheran Lutes from Tacoma, Wash., were picked 8th in the Northwest Conference pre-season coaches’ poll, the Bruins 9th … The Lutes have lost their last two games and six of their last seven, including an 83-57 setback at home to Whitworth on Feb. 14 their last time out … Series record: George Fox trails 11-17 since 1985 (7-6 home, 4-11 road) … The Lutes have won the last five meetings, including an 81-74 decision in Tacoma in their first meeting this season on Jan. 24 … The Bruins’ last win in the series was 93-92 in Tacoma on Feb. 17, 2006 … PLU averages 76.0 ppg (4th in the NWC) and allows 79.7 ppg (8th) … PLU is 2nd in the NWC in assists (16.13, 31st nationally) … The Lutes have three double-figure scorers: Josh Dressler (14.5, 12th), Kyle MacTaggart (12.2, 21st), Victor Bull (11.6, 24th), Nick Stackhouse (10.6, 27th) … Bull is the top rebounder (7.1, 6th) … James Conti is the assists leader (2.96, 10th) … Coach Steve Dickerson is 29-41 to date in his 3rd season at PLU … PLU is at Linfield Friday before ending the season against the Bruins.

* RECENT GAMES (0-1): Bruins Fall in Last Two Minutes at Linfield

Feb. 14 - at Linfield 73, George Fox 67

Leading for most of the game and still in front 64-62 after a Jack Martin three-pointer with less than two minutes left, the Bruins lost a heartbreaker to their Yamhill County rivals at Linfield when the Wildcats went on an 11-3 run to close the game.  Alex Stockner had 16 points to lead the Bruins and Evan Atwater had 13, while Joe Ahn grabbed a career-high eight rebounds.  It was the Bruins’ only game of the weekend and their final road game of the year.

COACH MARK SUNDQUIST:

Mark Sundquist (Seattle Pacific '89) is 90-132 (.405) 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
Willamette - 4-13 (3-5 home, 1-8 road)

Pacific Lutheran - 8-9 (4-4 home, 4-5 road)

BRUIN BITS:

* Stockner Honorable Mention for NWC Weekly Honors

Junior post Alex Stockner received honorable mention for the Northwest Conference Men’s Basketball Student-Athlete of the Week for Feb. 9-15, the third week in a row for him to earn that distinction.  In an 85-68 win at Pacific on Feb. 10, he scored 23 points on 8-13 field goals and 7-11 free throws, with 7 rebounds, a steal and a blocked shot.  In a 67-73 loss at Linfield on Feb. 14, he scored 16 points on 7-15 field goals (2-4 on threes), with 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocked shots and a steal.  For the week, he totaled 39 points (19.5 ppg) on 15-28 field goals (.536), including 2-4 three-pointers (.500), and 7-11 free throws (.636), with 13 rebounds (6.5 rpg), 3 blocked shots, 2 assists and 2 steals.  He has been the BAA Athlete of the Week six times and honorable mention for NWC Student-Athlete of the Week seven times this season.  Stockner is 4th in the NWC in field goal pct. (.566, 49th nationally), 9th in scoring (14.9), 11th in rebounding (5.3).

* 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; HM, Feb. 9-15)

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

In the latest NCAA national statistics (thru Feb. 15), Jack Martin was 41st in assists (5.2) … Alex Stockner was 49th in field goal pct. (.566) …

* NWC Stats: Bruins Have Four Among League Leaders

Where the Bruins rank in the latest Northwest Conference stats (thru Feb. 17):
Scoring Offense – 9th (71.1)
Scoring Defense – 7th (77.4)
Scoring Margin – 9th (-6.3)
Field Goal Pct. - 6th (.440)
Field Goal Pct. Defense – 5th (.450)
3-Pt Field Goals – 6th (7.22)
3-Pt Field Goal Pct. – 8th (.332)
3-Pt Field Goal Pct. Defense – 9th (.389)
Free Throw Pct. – 7th (.677)
Rebounding Offense – 6th, T (36.7)
Rebounding Defense - 5th (36.3)
Rebounding Margin – 6th (+0.4)
Assists – 4th (15.13)
Blocked Shots - 8th (1.48)
Steals – 8th (5.04)
Turnover Margin – 9th (-3.70)
Assist/Turnover Ratio – 7th (0.91)

- Jack Martin is 2nd in assists (5.17), 3rd in 3-pt field goals (2.52), 8th in assist/turnover ratio (1.35), 17th in scoring (12.7) …
- Evan Atwater is 8th in 3-pt field goals (1.83, T), 20th in rebounding (4.2), 23rd in scoring (12.0) ...

- Alex Stockner is 4th in field goal pct. (.566), 9th in scoring (14.9), 11th in rebounding (5.3) …
- Travis Toedtemeier is 14th in 3-pt field goal pct. (.379), 19th in rebounding (4.2) ...

* 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 Another Game 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’ game at Linfield, he has now seen 662 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 (1,074 of 2,101 for 51.12%) in the 105 years of Bruin basketball.