WHAT’S BRUIN: Men’s Basketball News & Notes 1/5

Links: Quick Facts / Roster / Schedule & Results / Statistics / Press Releases

Multimedia: Live Stats / Video / KFOX Radio 

Overall Record: 4-8 (Home 0-4, Road 4-3,Neutral 0-1)

NWC Record: 1-2, 6th T (Home 0-0, Road 1-2)

HIGHLIGHTS:

* Coming Up: Bruins Look to Even NWC Record at Pacific on Saturday

* Recent Games: Bruins Fall to Pioneers on Road in Return to NWC Play

* Sanchez Named BAA Athlete of the Week, HM for NWC Honors

* NWC Poll: Bruins Face Uphill Fight after 7th-Place Prediction

* NCAA Stats: Grant Among National Leaders in 3-Pt Field Goal Pct.

* NWC Stats: Six Bruins Listed Among Conference Stats Leaders

* Statistician “Biggs” Increases Overall Streak to 729 in a Row 

* Coming Up: Bruins Look to Even NWC Record at Pacific on Saturday 

- Sat., Jan. 7, 8:00 pm – at Pacific University (7-4, NWC 1-1), Forest Grove, Ore. 

NEWBERG, Ore. – Playing their fourth straight Northwest Conference game on the road, the George Fox University Bruins hope to bring their conference record back up to the .500 level when they visit the Pacific University Boxers Saturday for an 8:00 p.m. match in Forest Grove, Ore. 

The Bruins are 4-8 overall and slipped into a tie for sixth in the conference at 1-2 when they fell on Tuesday 75-56 at Lewis & Clark, with whom they are now tied.  Following Saturday’s contest, the Bruins will have seven of their next eight games, all conference contests, back in the friendly environs of the Wheeler Sports Center’s Miller Gym. 

Saturday’s action is a doubleheader, with the George Fox-Pacific women’s NWC game to precede the men’s game at 6:00 p.m. 

Multimedia: George Fox will provide audio coverage of both games at Pacific via campus radio station KFOX; see the quick link above.  Pacific will also provide a live audio feed of both games via Stretch Internet at http://client.stretchinternet.com/client/pacific.portal#, and will have live stats available at http://www.goboxers.com/sports/2011/3/3/live-stats.aspx.

* Upcoming Opponents: 

Pacific (7-4, NWC 1-1, 4th T): The surprising Boxers from Forest Grove, Ore., were picked to finish 9th in the pre-season NWC coaches’ poll ... The Boxers got off to a 7-2 start but have dropped their last two games, the latest a 66-38 loss at New Hope Christian in Eugene on Dec. 29 despite 10 points and nine rebounds by Dustin Bowser ... Pacific plays at Willamette Friday before meeting the Bruins ... Series record (since 1965): George Fox trails 40-43 (26-14 home, 14-29 road) ... The Bruins won both games last year, 71-64 in Newberg on Jan. 8 and 100-87 in Forest Grove on Feb. 4 ... Pacific’s last win in the series was 72-69 in Forest Grove on Jan. 26, 2010 ... Pacific by the numbers: Scoring (65.3 ppg, 8th in the NWC), Defense (61.3 ppg, 2nd, 42nd nationally), FG% (.462, 6th), 3-pt FG% (.326, 6th), FT% (.700, 5th), Reb Avg. (33.6 rpg, 7th) ... The Boxers have three double-figure scorers: G Colin Wester (15.7 ppg, 4th), G David Berney (11.5 ppg, 19th),  and F Charles Mosley (10.5 ppg, 25th) .... F Dustin Bowser is the top rebounder (7.2 rpg, 4th) ... Wester is the assists leader (2.5 apg, 12th) ... Coach Tim Cleary (Carroll ‘94) is 11-25 to date in his 2nd season at Pacific ... Next game: Jan. 14 at Whitman, 8:00 p.m.

* Recent Games: Bruins Fall to Pioneers on Road in Return to NWC Play

Jan. 3 - at Lewis & Clark 75, George Fox 56

Returning to Northwest Conference play a month after going 1-1 on their first conference foray through eastern Washington in early December, the Bruins dropped a 75-56 decision to the Lewis & Clark Pioneers Tuesday in Portland.  George Fox took a quick 6-0 lead less than a minute into the game on consecutive three-pointers by Mike Taylor and Jon Adrian, but the Pioneers answered with 10 straight points as five different players scored two points apiece and the home team never trailed again.  Despite shooting only .333 (10-30) from the field in the first half, the Bruins were still in the game 35-27 at the half as they limited the Pioneers to a .351 (13-37) mark defensively.  However, while the Bruins continued to struggle to put the ball in the hole in the second half, the Pios had no trouble and pulled away by making .536 (15-28) from the floor in the second half, including .600 (6-10) from beyond the arc.  The final score was the largest margin of the game.  Taylor led the Bruins with 18 points, seven rebounds, and five assists, while Sean Atkins added 10 points and Cam Rier nine.  The Bruins finished with a .350 shooting percentage (21-60), hit .238 (5-21) from beyond the arc, and managed only half their free throws (9-18). 

* Sanchez Named BAA Athlete of the Week, HM for NWC Honors 

With three fine games while leading the Bruins to a 2-1 record in the two-week period covering Dec. 12-25, shooting guard Anthony Sanchez has earned the Bruin Athletic Association Men’s Athlete of the Week award while also receiving honorable mention for the Northwest Conference Men’s Basketball Student-Athlete of the Week. 

Sanchez, a junior from Inglewood, Calif., helped the Bruins to a 79-71 win at Portland Bible on Dec. 12 by scoring 17 points on 6-10 field goals, including 5-8 on three-pointes, with a game-high 9 rebounds, 3 assists and a blocked shot.  In a 57-55 overtime upset of host Trinity (Texas) in the D-III National Invitational Tournament in San Antonio on Dec. 20, he had a team-high 14 points on 6-12 field goals (2-7 on threes), with 6 rebounds and 3 assists.  In an 82-73 overtime loss to Buena Vista on Dec. 21 in the NIT, he scored a career-high 24 points on 9-15 field goals (2-8 on threes) and 4-6 free throws, with a team-high 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, and a blocked shot.  For the two-week period, in three games, he total 55 points (18.3 ppg) on 21-37 (.568) from the field, including 9-23 (.391) on three-pointers, and 4-6 (.667) from the line, with 23 rebounds (7.7 rpg), 9 assists (3.0 apg), 2 steals, and 2 blocked shots. 

In the latest NWC statistics, Sanchez ranks 8th in 3-pt field goals (22), 15th in rebounding (5.0 rpg), and 19th in scoring (11.5 ppg).  He is the fifth different men’s basketball player to earn the BAA award and honorable mention NWC honors in as many weeks. 

The next Bruin Athletic Association and Northwest Conference weekly awards will include games played from Dec. 26-Jan. 8. 

The George Fox 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. 

2011-12 Bruin Athletic Association Men’s Athletes of the Week

Aug. 29-Sept. 4 - Jacob Baker (Soccer)

Sept. 5-11 - Luke Hammer (Soccer)

Sept. 12-18 - Mike Ulstad (Golf)

Sept. 19-25 - Shawn Aldrich (Tennis)

Sept. 26-Oct. 2 - Joseph Pia (Cross Country)

Oct. 3-9 - Chris Lumsden (Golf)

Oct. 10-16 - Luke Hammer (Soccer)

Oct. 17-23 - Aleks Gabrio (Golf)

Oct. 24-30 - Kyle Dreibelbis (Cross Country)

Oct. 31-Nov. 6 - Elliott Davis (Soccer)

Nov. 7-13 - Kyle Dreibelbis (Cross Country)

Nov. 14-20 - Corey Clark (Basketball)

Nov. 21-27 - A.J. Grant (Basketball)

Nov. 28-Dec. 4 - Mike Taylor (Basketball)

Dec. 5-11 - Sean Atkins (Basketball)

Dec. 12-25 - Anthony Sanchez (Basketball)

BRUIN BITS:

* 2011-12 Honors

Corey Clark

- Bruin Athletic Association Athlete of the Week - Nov. 14-20

- Northwest Conference Student-Athlete of the Week - Nov. 14-20 (HM)

A.J. Grant

- Bruin Athletic Association Athlete of the Week - Nov. 21-27

- Northwest Conference Student-Athlete of the Week - Nov. 21-27 (HM)

Mike Taylor

- Bruin Athletic Association Athlete of the Week - Nov. 28-Dec. 4

- Northwest Conference Student-Athlete of the Week - Nov. 28-Dec. 4 (HM)

Sean Atkins

- Bruin Athletic Association Athlete of the Week - Dec. 5-11

- Northwest Conference Student-Athlete of the Week - Dec. 5-11 (HM)

Anthony Sanchez

- Bruin Athletic Association Athlete of the Week - Dec. 12-25

- Northwest Conference Student-Athlete of the Week - Dec. 12-25 (HM)

* NWC POLL: New-Look Bruins Face Uphill Fight after 7th-Place Prediction

With only one starter returning from last year’s 8-17 team, that was no doubt a major factor in the George Fox Bruins being picked to finish seventh in the Northwest Conference pre-season coaches’ poll.  The Bruins received 24 points in the voting, between Willamette’s 27 and Linfield’s 21.  Two-time defending champion Whitworth received six first-place votes and 67 points, while Whitman was the runner-up with 61 points.

(First-place votes in parenthesis. Points awarded on 9-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis).

* NCAA Stats: Grant Among National Leaders in 3-Pt Field Goal Pct.

- In the latest NCAA Division III national statistics release (thru games of Jan. 1), George Fox ranked 26th in fewest turnovers per game (12.2 topg), 37th in assist/turnover ratio (1.18), and 41st in fewest fouls per game (15.5 pfpg) ... A.J. Grant ranked 45th in 3-pt field goal pct. (.439) ...

* NWC Stats: Six Bruins Listed Among Conference Stats Leaders

- In Northwest Conference stats thru games of Jan. 4, George Fox is 1st in assists  (14.0 apg), 2nd in fewest turnovers (12.1 topg), 3rd in 3-pt field goals (93), blocked shots (3.2), 6th in steals (6.0 spg), 7th in defense (72.1 ppg), 3-pt pct. defense (.349), field goal pct. (.405), 8th in field goal pct. defense (.464), free throw pct. (.644), 3-pt pct. (.294), 9th in scoring (63.2 ppg), rebounding (32.6 rpg), rebounding margin (-6.1) ...

- A.J. Grant is 3rd in steals (1.8 spg), 6th in 3-pt field goals (25, T), 3-pt pct. (.417), 7th in assists (2.6 apg), 18th in scoring (11.7 ppg) ...

- Mike Taylor is 1st in assists (4.3 apg), 3rd in blocked shots (1.1 bspg), 10th in scoring (14.5 ppg), 3-pt field goals (22, T), 12th in rebounding (5.3 rpg) ...

- Anthony Sanchez is 10th in 3-pt field goals (22, T), 14th in rebounding (5.1 rpg), 22nd in scoring (10.8 ppg) ...

- Sean Atkins is 4th in blocked shots (0.9 bspg), 6th in steals (1.4 spg), 29th in scoring (9.3 ppg) …

- Corey Clark is 5th in assists (2.9 apg) ...

- Jon Adrian is 10th in assist/turnover ratio (1.9) ...

* Double-Doubles

- Mike Taylor: season 1, career 4 - 18 pts, 10 reb at Whitworth, 12/3

* Triple-Doubles 

- Mike Taylor: season 0, career 1 - 18 pts, 15 reb, 11 ast vs. Willamette, 1/25/11 (first GFU triple-double in 18 seasons)

* Statistician “Biggs” Increases Overall Streak to 729 in a Row

With the Bruins’ game at Lewis & Clark on Jan. 3, long-time statistician Mike “Biggs” Wirta extended his streak of George Fox men’s basketball games attended, home and way, to 729 in a row.  His streak of home games worked reached 643 straight with Dec. 9-10 games vs. Corban and Concordia-Portland.  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 (1,140 of 2,167 for 52.61%) in the 107-plus seasons of Bruin basketball.

* Head Coach Mark Sundquist

Head coach Mark Sundquist (Seattle Pacific ’87) is 115-173 (.399, 59-66 home, 44-92 road, 12-15 neutral) to date in his 12th season at George Fox … He is the second-winningest coach in Bruin history behind Mark Vernon (318-218, 1982-2000) … He was the Northwest Conference Coach of the Year in 2004-05 … 

Sundquist vs. upcoming opponents: 11-13 vs. Pacific (6-6 home, 5-7 away)