WHAT’S BRUIN: Men’s Basketball News & Notes 2/9

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Overall Record: 7-14 (Home 3-6, Road 4-8)

NWC Record: 5-7, 5th (Home 3-4, Road 2-3) 

HIGHLIGHTS:

* Coming Up: Bruins Face No. 1 Whitworth on Eastern Washington Trip

* Recent Games: Bruins Sweep NWC Games at Pacific and L&C at Home

* Taylor BAA Athlete of the Week, First Bruin to Get NWC Weekly Award

* Taylor Posts 10th Triple-Double in Bruin History in Willamette Win

* Bruins Set Record for Best FT Pct. in a Game in Loss to Lutes

* NCAA Stats: Wiseley Climbs to 42nd Nationally in Assists

* NWC Stats: Taylor Climbs to 6th in NWC Scoring with Big Week

* Career Lists: Wiseley Remains 3rd on All-Time List in FT Pct.

* Statistician “Biggs” Increases Streak to 713 and 638 in a Row 

* Coming Up: Bruins Face No. 1 Whitworth on Eastern Washington Trip 

- Fri., Feb. 11, 8:00 pm – at Whitman College (15-6, NWC 8-4), Walla Walla, Wash.

- Sat., Feb. 12, 8:00 pm – at Whitworth University (21-0, NWC 12-0), Spokane, Wash. 

NEWBERG, Ore. – A monumental challenge lies ahead for the George Fox Bruins this weekend as they head off to eastern Washington to face the two hottest teams in the Northwest Conference in the Whitman Missionaries on Friday and the Whitworth Pirates, also the hottest team in the nation and ranked No. 1, on Saturday.

A modest two-game winning streak has lifted George Fox (7-14, NWC 5-7) into fifth place in the NWC, but Whitman (15-6, NWC 8-4) has ridden a five-game winning streak into a tie for second.  Whitworth (21-0, NWC 12-0) has obviously won 21 in a row and staked its claim to the top spot in the nation when previously-unbeaten Wooster lost on Saturday.  The Pirates have already clinched a share of the conference title with four games left and have secured home-court advantage for every game of the NWC Tournament.

Both George Fox games this weekend will be a part of conference doubleheaders, with women’s games preceding the men’s games at 6:00 p.m.   

Whitman (15-6, NWC 8-4, 2nd T): The Missionaries from Walla Walla, Wash., were picked to finish in a tie for 4th in the NWC pre-season poll, along with George Fox and Pacific Lutheran ... Last game: The Missionaries have won five in a row, the latest a 70-62 win at Puget Sound on Saturday as Josh Duckworth scord 15 points, Brandon Shaw 14, David Michaels 13, and Peter Clark 11 ... Series record (since 1971): George Fox leads 25-17 (16-4 home, 9-13 road) ... Whitman won this season’s first meeting 86-77 in overtime in Newberg on Jan. 15, Brandon Shaw scoring 13 of the Missionaries’ 17 points in the extra five minutes.  Five Bruins scored in double figures, with Cole Whitehurst posting a double-double of 20 points and 12 rebounds ... The Bruins’ last win in the series was 103-90 in Newberg on Feb. 5, 2010, for coach Mark Sundquist’s 100th career win ... Whitman by the numbers: Scoring (82.3, 2nd in the NWC, 21st nationally), Defense (73.9, 4th), Rebounding (40.0, 1st), FG % (.431, 7th), 3-pt % (.331, 5th), FT % (.702,4th) ... Whitman is 13th nationally in 3-pointers (9.3), 12th in turnover margin (+5.5), 43rd in steals (9.6) ... The Missionaries have three double-figure scorers: G Brandon Shaw (14.7, 12th in the NWC), G Josh Duckworth (11.5, 23rd), F Peter Clark (10.9, 27th)... Clark is 20th nationally in 3-pointers (3.1) ... F Ryan Gilkey is the top rebounder (6.0, 12th) ... Shaw is the assists leader (3.43, 4th) ... Coach Eric Bridgeland is in his 3rd season at Whitman, and his 11th season overall ... The Missionaries visit Willamette Friday before meeting the Bruins ... Next: Feb. 5 vs. Willamette, 8 p.m.

Whitworth (21-0, NWC 12-0, 1st): The Pirates from Spokane, Wash., were picked to finish 1st in the NWC pre-season poll, the Bruins to tie for 4th with Whitman and Pacific Lutheran ... Whitworth was ranked 1st in the D3hoops.com poll of Feb. 7 with 616 points and 19 first-place votes, the Pirates’ highest ranking ever (the 1995-96 team ended the season No. 2 after a second-place finish in the NAIA National Tournament) ... No. 3 Amherst (20-0) is the only other undefeated team in D-III ... The Pirates’ 21-0 start is their best ever ... Whitworth has won 32 straight regular season NWC games, 36 overall counting NWC Tournament games as well, and 32 straight at home against all opponents ... Last game: The Pirates won 85-59 at Pacific Lutheran Saturday as Jack Loofburrow scored 31 points, David Riley 21, Felix Friedt 14, and Mike Taylor 11 ... Series record (since 1974): George Fox trails 11-26 (6-12 home, 5-14 road) ... The Pirates have won the last 11 meetings, including 81-57 in Newberg on Jan. 14 this season despite 18 points from the Bruins’ Mike Taylor (Whitworth has TWO Mike Taylors, one from Washington and one from Montana!) ... The Bruins’ last win in the series was 77-69 in overtime on Dec. 2, 2005, in Newberg ... Whitworth by the numbers: Scoring (83.5, 1st in the NWC, 16th nationally), Defense (60.5, 1st, 23rd nationally), Rebounding (36.0, 5th), FG % (.502, 1st, 8th nationally), 3-pt % (.419, 1st, 4th nationally), FT % (.783, 1st, 4th nationally) ... The Pirates are 2nd nationally in fewest turnovers (9.7), 3rd in scoring margin (+23.0), 7th in 3-pointers (10.0), 15th in assist/TO ratio (1.33), 41st in turnover margin (+3.5)  ... The Pirates have four double-figure scorers: G Mike Taylor from Washington (18.0, 3rd in the NWC), F David Riley (17.5, 4th), F Jack Loofburrow (13.4, 16th), C Felix Friedt (12.7, 18th) ... Friedt is the top rebounders (6.4, 10th) ... G Wade Gebbers is the assists leader (3.32, 5th) ... Loofburrow leads the nation in 3-pt pct. (.509) and Riley is 47th (.409) ... Mike Taylor from Washington is 29th nationally in assist/TO ratio (2.36) and 31st in free throw pct. (.870) ... Coach Jim Hayford is 210-55 to date in his 10th season at Whitworth, and 249-82 in his 12th season overall ... The Pirates host Willamette Friday before meeting the Bruins ... Next: Feb. 15 at Whitman, 8 pm.

Multimedia: Whitman will provide live stats at http://www.whitman.edu/athletics/livestats/xlive.htm and live video streaming via Stretch Internet at http://client.stretchinternet.com/client/whitman.portal# for both games on Friday.  There is a charge for Whitman’s live video.  Whitworth will provide live stats at http://www.whitworth.edu/Athletics/Teams/Basketball/livestats/xlive.htm. George Fox will provide live audio streaming of all four games this weekend via campus radio station KFOX; see the GFU links above.

* Recent Games: Bruins Sweep NWC Games at Pacific and L&C at Home

Feb. 4 - George Fox 100, at Pacific 87

Stephen Wiseley and Mike Taylor scored 28 points apiece and the Bruins shot .667 (18-27) in the second half shot and .600 (33-55) for the game to race past the Boxers.  Leading only 68-64 with 7:34 left, the Bruins scored nine unanswered points on consecutive three-point plays by Sean Atkins and Mike Taylor and a long-range three by Stephen Wiseley that made it 77-64 with six minutes left.  The Bruins hit 12-14 free throws in the last three minutes to seal the win.  Wiseley was 7-10 from the floor, including 6-8 on threes, and 8-10 from the line while passing out four assists, while Taylor posted his second double-double of the season with 10 rebounds.  Cole Whitehurst added 18 points, including 10-10 from the line, while Atkins and Matt Zandbergen had career highs with 10 and nine points respectively.

Feb. 5 - at George Fox 71, Lewis & Clark 70

Cam Rier’s wide-open layup with 2.2 ticks on the clock gave the Bruins a stunning upset of Lewis & Clark, knocking the Pioneers into a tie for second place.  L&C led 70-64 with 2:06 to play after two free throws, but they were the last points the Pios would score.  Mike Taylor drained a three, then made a steal and jumper to make it a one-point game with 1:08 left.  A three-point try by the Pios was rebounded by Cole Whitehurst with 12 seconds left, and Taylor drove the lane and found Rier all alone under the goal when the L&C defense collapsed on him.  Taylor led all players with 26 points on 12-16 shooting from the field and 13 rebounds, his second straight double-double and third of the season.  Sean Atkins scored a career-high 11, and Stephen Wiseley and Rich Smith added 10 apiece.  Taylor and Wiseley each had six assists, while Taylor and Jon Adrian both made three steals.  The Bruins shot .680 (17-25) on field goals in the second half to finish with a .508 mark (31-61) for the game. 

BRUIN BITS:

* Taylor BAA Athlete of the Week, First Bruin to Get NWC Weekly Award

Posting double-doubles in both games as George Fox went 2-0, junior wing Mike Taylor of Los Angeles, Calif., has repeated as the Bruin Athletic Association Men’s Athlete of the Week and became the first Bruin this season to earn the Northwest Conference Men’s Basketball Student-Athlete of the Week award for the week of Jan. 31-Feb. 6.

In a 100-87 win at Pacific on Feb. 4, Taylor tied for game-high honors with 28 points on 11-16 field goals, including 1-3 on three-pointers, and 5-7 free throws, with 10 rebounds and 2 assists.  In a 71-70 upset of Lewis & Clark on Feb. 5, he led all scorers with 26 points on 12-16 shooting, including 1-3 on threes, and 1-3 free throws, with 13 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals and a blocked shot.  He now has three double-doubles and a triple-double this season.  For the week, he totaled 54 points (27.0 ppg) on 23-32 field goals (.719), including 2-6 three-pointers (.333), and 6-10 free throws (.600), with 23 rebounds (11.5 rpg), 8 assists (4.0 apg), 3 steals and a blocked shot.

Taylor, a transfer from NCAA Division I Marist, currently ranks 3rd in the NWC in steals (1.71), 4th in blocked shots (0.57, T), rebounding (7.3), 6th in scoring (17.0), 10th in 3-pt field goals (1.71), and 13th in assists (2.29).  He is one of 11 players with a triple-double this season in the NCAA Division III. He was also honorable mention for NWC Student-Athlete of the Week for Jan. 10-16 and Jan. 24-30.

The Athlete of the Week Award for both men and women is presented throughout the Bruin sports seasons by the Bruin Athletic Association, whose mission is to provide George Fox student-athletes with an outstanding athletic and academic experience and to strengthen the overall competitiveness of the Bruin athletics program.  For more information about the organization or to become a member, visit the Bruin Athletic Association website.

* 2010-11 Honors

Cole Whitehurst

- Bruin Athletic Association Athlete of the Week - Nov. 15-21; Dec. 23-Jan. 2

- Northwest Conference Student-Athlete of the Week - HM, Nov. 15-21; HM, Dec. 23-Jan. 2

Stephen Wiseley

- Bruin Athletic Association Athlete of the Week - Nov. 22-28; Dec. 13-22; Jan. 3-9; Jan. 17-23

- Northwest Conference Student-Athlete of the Week - HM, Nov. 22-28; HM, Dec. 13-22; HM, Jan. 3-9; HM, Jan. 17-23

Rich Smith

- Bruin Athletic Association Athlete of the Week - Nov. 29-Dec. 5; Dec. 6-12

- Northwest Conference Student-Athlete of the Week - HM, Nov. 29-Dec. 5; HM, Dec. 6-12

Mike Taylor

- Bruin Athletic Association Athlete of the Week - Jan. 24-30; Jan. 31-Feb. 6

- Northwest Conference Student-Athlete of the Week - HM, Jan. 10-16; HM, Jan. 24-30; Jan. 31-Feb. 6

* Records Set or Tied in 2010-11

- Best FG Pct. in a Game - 1.000 (13-13) vs. Pacific Lutheran, 1/28 (broke record of 12-12 at Willamette, 1/24/2003)

* Bruins Set Record for Best FT Pct. in a Game in Loss to Lutes

In a heartbreaking 60-58 loss at home to Pacific Lutheran on Jan. 28, the Bruins set a new single-game record for best free throw percentage in a game without a miss, connecting on 13-13 (1.000) from the line to break the old record of 12-12 at Willamette on Jan. 24, 2003.  Contributing to the record-setting game were Cole Whitehurst (4-4), Stephen Wiseley (4-4), Rich Smith (3-3), and Mike Taylor (2-2).  In a bizarre twist to the stats, the Bruins had entered the game with the lowest free throw percentage in the conference (.649), which had proven costly to them in several close games earlier in the season.  The Bruins’ best mark for free throw percentage with a miss is .952 (20-21) at Puget Sound on Feb. 18, 2005.

* Taylor Posts 10th Triple-Double in Bruin History in Willamette Win

Junior wing Mike Taylor from Los Angeles, Calif., collected 18 points, 15 rebounds, and 11 assists in the Bruins’ 117-100 win over Willamette on Jan. 25 in Newberg, the 10th triple-double in the 107 years of George Fox basketball and the first since Dave Wilson had 21 points, 12 rebounds, and 13 blocked shots at Northwest Christian on Nov. 19, 1992.  He became the seventh player in Bruins’ history to achieve the feat, joining Dave Adrian, Kenny Stone, Curtis Kimbrough, Jeff Richards, Brian Martin, and Wilson,  who did it four times, all with points, rebounds, and blocked shots.  The six who did it once had points, rebounds, and assists.  Taylor’s 15 rebounds were the most in any of the triple-doubles.  His triple-double is also the 11th in the NCAA Division III this season.

* NCAA Stats: Wiseley Climbs to 42nd Nationally in Assists

In the latest NCAA statistics (thru Feb. 6), Stephen Wiseley ranked 42nd in assists per game (5.1) ... Mike Taylor is one of 11 players in Division III to have posted a triple-double this season ...

* NWC Stats: Taylor Climbs to 6th in NWC Scoring with Big Week

- Thru games of Feb. 8, George Fox is 1st in blocked shots (2.14), 3rd in assists (12.33, T), 4th in 3-pt field goal pct. defense (.342), 5th in assist/TO ratio (0.84), 6th in scoring (72.8), scoring margin (-6.3), field goal pct. (.435), field goal pct. defense (.456), free throw pct. (.670), rebounding (35.6), steals (6.29), turnover margin (-0.29), 7th in defense (79.1), rebounding defense (39.5), rebound margin (-3.9), 8th in 3-pt field goals (5.38), 9th in 3-pt field goal pct. (.294) …

- Stephen Wiseley is 2nd in assists (5.05), 5th in free throw pct. (.806), 6th in 3-pt field goals (2.25), steals (1.50), 7th in 3-pt pct. (.413), 8th in scoring (16.6), assist/TO ratio (1.20)...

- Rich Smith is 6th in rebounding (6.9), 10th in blocked shots (0.48, T), 13th in scoring (14.6), 14th in field goal pct. (.483) …

- Mike Taylor is 3rd in steals (1.71), 4th in blocked shots (0.57, T), rebounding (7.3), 6th in scoring (17.0), 10th in 3-pt field goals (1.71), 13th in assists (2.29) ...

- Cole Whitehurst is 9th in rebounding (6.4), 10th in blocked shots (0.48, T), 20th in scoring (12.0) …

- Davis Martin is 13th in blocked shots (0.47) ...

* Triple-Doubles

Mike Taylor: season 1, career 1 - 18 pts, 15 reb, 11 ast vs. Willamette, 1/25

* Double-Doubles

- Rich Smith: season 2, career 8 - 24 pts, 14 reb at Willamette, 11/30; 17 pts, 12 reb at Chapman, 12/31

- Cole Whitehurst: season 3, career 3 - 12 pts, 14 reb at Corban, 12/20; 15 pts, 13 reb at La Sierra, 12/28; 20 pts, 12 reb vs. Whitman, 1/15

- Mike Taylor: season 3, career 3 - 12 pts, 10 reb vs. Pacific, 1/8; 28 pts, 10 reb at Pacific, 2/4; 26 pts, 13 reb vs. Lewis & Clark, 2/5

* Career Lists: Wiseley Remains 3rd on All-Time List in FT Pct.

- Stephen Wiseley: Wiseley went 9-12 from the free throw line in the Bruins’ last two games, making his career free throw percentage .849 (169-199).  The Northwest Conference leader and ninth nationally in free throw shooting last year (.891), he is 3rd on the all-time Bruin free throw percentage list behind Gary Chenault (.870, 195-224, 1976-79) and Dave Morgan (.857, 84-98, 1970-72) ...

* Statistician “Biggs” Increases Streak to 713 and 638 in a Row

With the Bruins’ game at Pacific on Feb. 4 and at home vs. Lewis & Clark on Feb. 5, long-time statistician Mike “Biggs” Wirta extended his streak of George Fox men’s basketball games attended, home and way, to 713 in a row, and his streak of home games worked to 638 straight.  He has not missed a Bruin home game 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 (1,124 of 2,151 for 52.25%) in the 106-plus seasons of Bruin basketball.

* Head Coach Mark Sundquist

Head coach Mark Sundquist (Seattle Pacific ’87) is 110-162 (.404, 58-60 home, 40-88 road, 12-14 neutral) to date in his 11th season at George Fox … He became the second-winningest coach in Bruin history, breaking a tie with Lorin Miller (99-72, 1970-76), when he picked up his 100th coaching win in a 103-90 victory over Whitman at home on Feb. 5, 2010.  The all-time leader is Mark Vernon (318-218, 1982-2000) … He was the Northwest Conference Coach of the Year in 2004-05 … … He is 11-10 (8-3 home, 3-7 road) vs. Whitman, and 5-17 (3-8 home, 2-9 road) vs. Whitworth.