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WHAT’S BRUIN: Men’s Basketball News & Notes 2/17
Links: Quick Facts / Roster / Schedule & Results / Statistics / Press Releases
Multimedia: Live Stats / Video / KFOX Radio
Overall Record: 7-16 (Home 3-6, Road 4-10)
NWC Record: 5-9, 6th T (Home 3-4, Road 2-5)
HIGHLIGHTS:
* Coming Up: Bruins Hope to Finish Season Strong vs. Linfield and UPS
* Recent Games: Bruins Fall at Whitman and No. 1-Ranked Whitworth
* Wiseley Garners Honorable Mention for NWC Weekly Award
* NWC Stats: Bruins Have Four Among Scoring, Blocks Leaders
* Career Lists: Wiseley Remains 3rd on All-Time List in FT Pct.
* Statistician “Biggs” Increases Overall Streak to 715 in a Row
* Coming Up: Bruins Hope to Finish Season Strong vs. Linfield and UPS
- Fri., Feb. 18, 8:00 pm – at Linfield College (9-14, NWC 5-9), McMinnville, Ore.
- Sat., Feb. 19, 8:00 pm – vs. University of Puget Sound (9-14, NWC 6-8), Newberg, Ore.
NEWBERG, Ore. – While a berth in the Northwest Conference men’s basketball tournament is no longer a possibility for George Fox after two losses in eastern Washington last week, the Bruins have a legitimate shot at fifth place in the conference as they visit Linfield Friday and host Puget Sound Saturday to close out the 2010-11 season.
George Fox and Linfield are tied for sixth in the standings, one game behind fifth-place Puget Sound. The Bruins can even the season series with both clubs if they can take both contests.
The Bruins will recognize their four graduating seniors in pre-game ceremonies Saturday: Stephen Wiseley, Rich Smith, Alex Overton, and Davis Martin.
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.
Linfield (9-14, NWC 5-9, 6th T): The Wildcats from McMinnville, Ore., were picked to finish 2nd in the NWC pre-season poll, the Bruins to tie with Whitman and Pacific Lutheran for 4th ... Last game: The Wildcats snapped a five-game losing streak with a 76-65 home win over Pacific on Feb. 12 behind 20 points and 10 rebounds from K.C. Wiser, 17 points from Zach Anderson, and 11 points apiece from Michael Moreland and Daniel Teater ... Series record (since 1965): Tied 42-42 (George Fox is 23-17 home, 19-24 road, 0-1 neutral) ... The Wildcats won this season’s first meeting 80-76 in Newberg on Jan. 22 as K.C. Wiser scored 33 points, Zach Anderson 13, and David Lee 11. Rich Smith led the Bruins with 22 points, followed by Stephen Wiseley with 18, Mike Taylor with 17, and Davis Martin 10 ... The Bruins’ last win in the series was 76-66 in the NWC Tournament semifinals in McMinnville on Feb. 25, 2010 ... Linfield by the numbers: Scoring (70.6, 8th in the NWC), Defense (75.6, 5th), Rebounding (38.1, 3rd), FG % (.477, 2nd), 3-pt % (.358, 4th), FT % (.694, 5th) ... The Wildcats have two double-figure scorers: C K.C. Wiser (23.4, 1st in the NWC, 11th nationally), F Sergio Rosario (10.3, 28th) ... Wiser is the top rebounder (8.0, 1st) ... G Zach Anderson is the assists leader (2.26, 13th) ... Coach Larry Doty is 321-304 to date in his 24th season... Next: Feb. 19 at Pacific Lutheran, 8 p.m.
Puget Sound (9-14, NWC 6-8, 5th): The Loggers from Tacoma, Wash., were picked to finish 8th in the NWC pre-season poll, the Bruins to tie with Whitman and Pacific Lutheran for 4th ... Last game: The Loggers snapped a three-game losing streak with a 73-57 home win over Linfield on Feb. 11 as Kaleb Shelton had 16 points and 10 rebounds, Anthony Gittens 12 points, Edric Egberuare 11, and Aaron Edwards 10 ... Series record (since 1965): George Fox trails 12-27 (7-9 home, 5-18 road) ... UPS won this season’s first meeting 80-75 in Tacoma on Jan. 21 as Kaleb Shelton scored 21, Gabe Borboa 16, Edric Egberuare 14, and Riggs Yarbro 10 ... The Bruins’ last win in the series was 87-75 in Tacoma on Jan. 29, 2010 ... UPS by the numbers: Scoring (69.7, 9th in the NWC), Defense (76.1, 6th), Rebounding (38.9, 2nd), FG % (.391, 9th), 3-pt % (.308, 7th), FT % (.665, 7th) ... The Loggers have two double-figure scorers: F Kaleb Shelton (15.9, 10th in the NWC), G Edric Egberuare (11.2, 25th) ... Shelton is the top rebounder (6.8, 6th) ... Egberuare is the assists leader (2.30, 12th) ... Coach Justin Lunt is 80-48 to date in his 5th season ... The Loggers visit Lewis & Clark Friday before meeting the Bruins ... Next: Season over.
Multimedia: Linfield will provide live audio streaming of both games on Friday via Stretch Internet at http://client.stretchinternet.com/client/linfield.portal#. George Fox will provide live audio streaming of all four games this weekend via campus radio station KFOX, and live stats and live video streaming via Stretch Internet of the home games on Saturday; see the GFU links above.
Tickets: Ticket prices for basketball games at the Wheeler Sports Center / Miller Gym are $6 for adults and $3 for non-GFU students and seniors 55 and over. Children 6 and under who are not in school are free. George Fox faculty, staff, and students are admitted free with valid GFU ID; the ID covers immediate family mmbers for George Fox employees.
* Recent Games: Bruins Fall at Whitman and No. 1-Ranked Whitworth
Feb. 11 - at Whitman 79, George Fox 58
After shooting over .500 in three of the last four games (and over. 600 twice), the Bruins’ field goal accuracy deserted them as they shot only .297 (19-64) in a 79-58 loss to the Missionaries. Whitman shot a sizzling .577 (15-26) in the first half to build a 17-point halftime lead and cruised to victory. Stephen Wiseley led the Bruins with 16 points and handed out four assists, while Rich Smith just missed a double-double with 11 points and nine rebounds. Mike Taylor led everyone on the glass with 12 rebounds. The Bruins hit only 5-20 (.250) on threes, and .577 (15-26) from the line.
Feb. 12 - at Whitworth 89, George Fox 66
Holding a three-point lead over the No. 1-ranked team in the nation at the half, the Bruins could not keep up the momentum and succumbed to the power-packed Pirates in the second half, falling 89-66. There were five ties and 10 lead changes during the first 20 minutes before the half ended with the Bruins up 43-40, only the second time all season the Pirates have trailed at the half. From the start of the second half until the 6:11 mark, however, Whitworth out-scored George Fox 36-9 to build a 76-52 lead. Stephen Wiseley led the Bruins with 18 points, all in the first half, but got into foul trouble and played only four minutes in the second half before fouling out. Cole Whitehurst added 15 points, and Mike Taylor scored nine and had a team-high nine rebounds. Whitehurst and Taylor each had two assists.
BRUIN BITS:
* Wiseley Garners Honorable Mention for NWC Weekly Award
Leading the Bruins in scoring in both their games this past week, senior point guard Stephen Wiseley of Kirkland, Wash., received honorable mention for the Northwest Conference Men’s Basketball Student-Athlete of the Week award for the week of Feb. 7-13, his fifth time this season to be so recognized.
In a 79-58 loss at Whitman on Feb. 11, Wiseley scored 16 points on 5-13 field goals, including 2-4 on three-pointers, and 4-4 free throws, with 4 assists, 2 steals and a rebound. In an 89-66 loss at No. 1-ranked Whitworth on Feb. 12, he scored 18 points on 5-9 shooting, including 3-5 on threes, and 5-7 free throws, with 4 rebounds and a steal. He had all 18 of his points in the first half as the Bruins led the Pirates at halftime, only the second time all season they had trailed at the break. For the week, he totaled 34 points (17.0 ppg) on 10-22 field goals (.455), including 5-9 three-pointers (.556), and 9-11 free throws (.818), with 5 rebounds (2.5 rpg), 4 assists (2.0 apg), and 3 steals (1.5 spg).
Wiseley, an honorable mention All-NWC performer last year, Taylor, a transfer from NCAA Division I Marist, currently ranks 2nd in the NWC in assists (4.77), 6th in scoring (16.6), 3-pt field goals (2.27), steals (1.50), 7th in free throw pct. (.807), 3-pt pct. (.424), and 11th in assist/TO ratio (1.18). He has been named the Bruin Athletic Association Men’s Athlete of the Week four times this season, and has been honorable mention for NWC Student-Athlete of the Week five times.
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; HM, Feb. 7-13
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. He is one of 12 players with a triple-double in the NCAA Division III this season.
* NWC Stats: Bruins Have Four Among Scoring, Blocks Leaders
- In Northwest Conference stats thru games of Feb. 15, George Fox is 2nd in blocked shots (2.13), 5th in assists (11.83), 3-pt field goal pct. defense (.350), assist/TO ratio (0.82), 6th in scoring (71.8), rebounding (35.7), field goal pct. defense (.456), 7th in defense (79.5), scoring margin (-7.7), field goal pct. (.427), 3-pt field goals (5.48), rebound margin (-4.3), steals (6.00), turnover margin (-0.39), 8th in free throw pct. (.663), rebounding defense (40.0), 9th in 3-pt field goal pct. (.297) …
- Stephen Wiseley is 2nd in assists (4.77), 6th in scoring (16.6), 3-pt field goals (2.27), steals (1.50), 7th in free throw pct. (.807), 3-pt pct. (.424), 11th in assist/TO ratio (1.18)...
- Rich Smith is 6th in rebounding (6.8, T), 11th in blocked shots (0.43, T), 12th in scoring (13.9, T), 15th in field goal pct. (.479) …
- Mike Taylor is 3rd in rebounding (7.6), 4th in steals (1.61, T), 4th in blocked shots (0.61), 8th in scoring (16.2), 14th in assists (2.22), 15th in 3-pt field goals (1.61), assist/TO ratio (0.88) ...
- Cole Whitehurst is 11th in rebounding (6.2), blocked shots (0.43, T), 23rd in scoring (11.6) …
- Davis Martin is 13th in blocked shots (0.43) ...
* 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 9-11 from the free throw line in the Bruins’ last two games, making his career free throw percentage .848 (178-210). 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 Overall Streak to 715 in a Row
With the Bruins’ games at Whitman and Whitworth on Feb. 11-12, long-time statistician Mike “Biggs” Wirta extended his streak of George Fox men’s basketball games attended, home and way, to 715 in a row. His streak of home games worked stands at 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 (1,126 of 2,153 for 52.30%) in the 106-plus seasons of Bruin basketball.
* Head Coach Mark Sundquist
Head coach Mark Sundquist (Seattle Pacific ’87) is 110-164 (.401, 58-60 home, 40-90 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 8-15 (5-6 home, 3-8 road, 0-1 neutral) vs. Linfield, and 5-16 (3-7 home, 2-9 road) vs. Puget Sound.
