WHAT’S BRUIN: Men’s Basketball News & Notes 1/19

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Multimedia: Live Stats / Video / KFOX Radio 

Overall Record: 7-8 (Home 2-4, Road 5-3,Neutral 0-1)

NWC Record: 4-2, 3rd T (Home 2-0, Road 2-2) 

HIGHLIGHTS:

* Coming Up: Bruins Close Out 1st Half of NWC Play with PLU and Linfield

* Recent Games: Bruins Win First Two NWC Conference Games at Home

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

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

* NCAA Stats: Bruins Among National Top 50 in 4 Statistical Categories

* NWC Stats: Bruins, Taylor Both Lead Conference in Assists Per Game

* Statistician “Biggs” Increases Home Game Streak to 645 in a Row 

* Coming Up: Bruins Close Out 1st Half of NWC Play with PLU and Linfield

- Fri., Jan. 20, 8:00 pm - vs. Pacific Lutheran University (7-8, NWC 4-2), Newberg, Ore.

- Sat., Jan. 21, 8:00 pm – at Linfield College (3-12, NWC 1-5), McMinnville, Ore.

NEWBERG, Ore. – A share of second place in the Northwest Conference will be on the line when the George Fox University Bruins host the Pacific Lutheran University Lutes on Friday, Jan. 20, then the Bruins conclude the first half of conference play on Saturday, Jan. 21, on the road against their Yamhill County rivals, the Linfield College Wildcats. 

Both games will tip off at 8:00 p.m. as the second part of NWC doubleheaders, the women’s games preceding the men’s contests at 6:00 p.m.

George Fox and Pacific Lutheran are currently tied for third in the standings, each with 4-2 records in NWC games.  Whitman College is a half-game ahead at 5-2 and is idle on Friday, so the GFU-PLU winner will move into a tie for second with the Missionaries.  The top four teams in the conference standings will compete in the NWC Tournament for the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA Division III National Tournament.  Whitworth University leads the league at 6-1. 

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 members for George Fox employees.

Multimedia: George Fox will provide live audio internet coverage through campus station KFOX, live video through Stretch Internet, and live stats for both PLU games on Friday; see the George Fox links above.

* Upcoming Opponents:

Pacific Lutheran (7-8, NWC 4-2, 3rd T): The Lutes from Parkland, Wash., were picked to finish 5th in the pre-season NWC coaches’ poll ... The Lutes have won their last two in a row, the latest a 69-54 win over Lewis & Clark behind 20 points from James Conti and 13 from Cameron Schilling ... Series record (since 1965): George Fox trails 13-20 (8-8 home, 5-12 road) ... The Lutes have won the last three meetings, including 74-51 in Parkland on Dec. 4 and 60-58 in Newberg on Jan. 28 last season ... The Bruins’ last win in the series was 92-67 in Newberg on Jan. 23, 2010 ... PLU by the numbers: Scoring (69.9 ppg, 5th in the NWC), Defense (67.3 ppg, 4th), FG% (.445, 4th), 3-pt FG% (.398, 1st, 21st nationally), FT% (.694, 5th), Reb Avg. (33.1 rpg, 8th) ... PLU is 38th nationally in fewest turnovers per game (12.2) ... The Lutes have four double-figure scorers: G Andrew Earnest (13.5 ppg, 12th), P James Conti  (13.4 ppg, 13th), W Cameron Schilling (12.2 ppg, 16th), and W Kai Hoyt (11.5, 19th) .... Hoyt in 2nd in the NWC in field goal pct. (616) ... Earnest is 2nd in 3-pt pct. (.463, 11th nationally) ... Schilling is the top rebounder (6.5 rpg, 8th) ... Conti is the assists leader (4.1 apg, 2nd) and leads the NWC in steals (2.5 spg, 45th nationally) ... Coach Steve Dickerson (Washington State ‘69) is 58-74 to date in his 7th season at PLU ... Next PLU game: Jan. 21 at Pacific (Ore.), 8:00 p.m.

Linfield (3-12, NWC 1-5, 8th): The Wildcats from McMinnville, Ore., were picked to finish 8th in the pre-season NWC coaches’ poll ... The Wildcats have dropped their last two games, the latest a 65-61 setback at 9th-ranked Whitworth on Jan. 14 despite 24 points by Andrew Batiuk, 17 by David Lee, and 11 by Zach Anderson ... Linfield visits Puget Sound Friday before meeting the Bruins ... Series record (since 1965): George Fox leads 43-42 (23-17 home, 20-24 road, 0-1 neutral) ... The teams split last year, the Wildcats winning 80-76 in Newberg on Jan. 22 and the Bruins winning 76-61 in McMinnville on Feb. 18 ... Linfield by the numbers: Scoring (69.2 ppg, 6th in the NWC), Defense (78.1 ppg, 8th), FG% (.442, 5th), 3-pt FG% (.357, 3rd), FT% (.709, 4th), Reb Avg. (35.3 rpg, 5th) ... The Wildcats have two double-figure scorers: F Zach Anderson (22.1, 1st, 13th nationally) and C Andrew Batiuk (14.2 ppg,9th) ... David Lee averaged 10.2 ppg but has only appeared in six games due to injury ... Batiuk is 3rd in the NWC in 3-pt pct. (.457) ... Anderson is the top rebounder (7.6 rpg, 3rd) ... G Dakotah Pine is the assists leader (2.4 apg, 10th) ... Coach Larry Doty (Linfield ‘78) is 324-318 to date in his 25th season at Linfield, tied with the legendary Ted Wilson for 1st on the all-time Wildcats’ coaching wins list ... Next LC game: Jan. 24 vs. Pacific (Ore.), 8:00 p.m.

* Recent Games: Bruins Win First Two NWC Conference Games at Home

Jan. 13 - at George Fox 89, Willamette 87

A buzzer-beater in regulation by Sean Atkins that sent the game into overtime and a game-winning drive by A.J. Grant with six seconds left lifted the Bruins to an 89-87 win over the Willamette Bearcats Friday night.  Willamette jumped out to a 7-0 lead and never trailed in the first half.  Terrell Malley’s first-half performance of 18 points carried Willamette to a 44-37 halftime lead.  After the Bearcats scored to open the second half, the Bruins scored eight in a row on a jumper by Grant and threes by Mike Taylor and Grant to narrow the margin to 46-45 with 18:17 to play.  The game remained tight the rest of the way, with neither team holding more than a four-point lead.  In the final 17 minutes of regulation, there were 10 lead changes and 10 ties.  On the final possession of regulation, Taylor had a baseline shot blocked and Anthony Sanchez missed a layup on the rebound, but Atkins nailed a fadeaway 12-footer from the baseline as time expired to knot it 80-80.  The overtime was likewise a seesaw affair until Grant drove for the winning basket, and a desperation wild shot from the corner by Willamette was nowhere near the goal as the Bruins hung on.  Atkins posted his first career double-double with 19 points and 11 boards while also making five key steals.  Grant added 19, including a trio of threes, Taylor scored 18, Sanchez 14, and Spencer Bolte 11.  Taylor handed out eight assists and blocked two shots. 

Jan. 14 - at George Fox 86, Puget Sound 80

After building a 21-point second-half lead, the Bruins saw Puget Sound whittle their lead down to six before hitting 12 of 16 free throws in the last five minutes to hold off the 18th-ranked Loggers 86-80 Saturday night.  The win came before the season’s largest crowd of 1,300 on “Bruin Madness” night, a family fun and spirit-building event sponsored by the George Fox Alumni Association.  The Loggers scored the first three points of the game, but Anthony Sanchez tied it for the Bruins with a three-pointer.  After a swap of baskets, Sanchez hit another three at the 17:26 mark and the Bruins led the rest of the way.  The George Fox lead hit double figures when Spencer Bolte drained a three to make it 30-20 with 7:31 left in the half, and the Bruins led by 18, 47-29, at the break.  The home team was still up 19 at 72-53 with 9:18 to go after a layup by Grant – and then the Bruins went cold.  A 13-0 outburst over the next five minutes, including three straight layups by Anthony Gittens, who totaled 29 points on 10-11 shooting, brought the Loggers within six, and they got within three at 83-80 with 26 seconds left, but Sanchez hit two free throws with 14 seconds left and Mike Taylor one with six ticks remaining to ice the upset win.  Taylor led the way with 25 points, 15 in the second half, followed by Sanchez with 20, Atkins and Bolte with 14 apiece, and Grant with 12.  The Bruins shot .571 (28-49) for the game, including .455 (10-22) on threes, and .714 (20-28) from the line.  Taylor had five rebounds, Grant handed out seven assists, and Jon Adrian made three steals.

BRUIN BITS:

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

Playing a key role in two George Fox wins that boosted the team into the thick of the race for Northwest Conference Tournament spots, wing Sean Atkins has earned the Bruin Athletic Association Men’s Athlete of the Week award for Jan. 9-15, and also received honorable mention for the NWC Men’s Basketball Student-Athlete of the Week.

Atkins, a sophomore from Longview, Wash., posted his first career double-double with 19 points on 7-10 field goals (1-1 on three-pointers) and 4-4 free throws and 11 rebounds, along with 5 steals, 2 assists and a blocked shot in the Bruins’ 89-87 overtime win over Willamette on Jan. 13.  He hit a baseline jumper after rebounding a Bruin miss at the buzzer to send the game into overtime, then scored the first bucket of the extra period to get the team going toward the win.  In an 86-80 upset of 18th-ranked Puget Sound on Jan. 14, he was one of five Bruins in double figures with 14 points on 5-8 field goals and 4-5 free throws, adding 3 rebounds, 2 steals and a block.  For the week, he totaled 33 points (16.5 ppg) on 12-18 field goals (.667), including 1-2 (.500) on threes, and 8-9 free throws (.889), with 14 rebounds (7.0 rpg), 7 steals (3.5 spg), 2 assists and 2 blocked shots.

In the latest NWC statistics, Atkins ranks 3rd in blocked shots (0.9 bspg, T) and steals (1.6 spg), and 25th in scoring (9.9 ppg, T).  He is one of five different men’s basketball players to earn the BAA award and honorable mention NWC honors this season, and the second to do it twice (he also received both honors for the week of Dec. 5-11).

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)

Dec. 26-Jan. 8 - Mike Taylor (Basketball)

Jan. 9-15 - Sean Atkins (Basketball)