WHAT’S BRUIN: Men’s Basketball News & Notes 12/7

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

Multimedia: Live Stats / Video / KFOX Radio 

Overall Record: 2-4 (Home 0-2, Road 2-2)

NWC Record: 1-1, 4th T (Home 0-0, Road 1-1)

HIGHLIGHTS:

* Coming Up: 3 Non-Conference Games in 4-Day Span, Pair at Home

* Recent Games: Bruins Split on Road Swing thru Eastern Washington

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

* Bruins’ Guard Grant Played HS Ball for Ex-Bruin Coach Vernon

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

* NWC Stats: Taylor Moves in Among League Leaders in 4 Stats

* Statistician “Biggs” Increases Overall Streak to 723 in a Row

* Coming Up: 3 Non-Conference Games in 4-Day Span, Pair at Home

- Fri., Dec. 9, 8:00 p.m. - Corban University (6-6), Newberg, Ore.

- Sat., Dec. 10, 8:00 pm - Concordia University-Portland (5-4), Newberg, Ore.

- Mon., Dec. 12, 7:00 pm - at Portland Bible College (2-8), Portland, Ore.

NEWBERG, Ore. – Following a split on the road of their first two Northwest Conference games of the season last weekend, the George Fox Bruins face a rigorous non-league slate of three games in four days against Corban and Concordia-Portland on back-to-back nights Friday and Saturday at home, and at Portland Bible on Monday. 

Home tip-offs are set for 8:00 p.m. following George Fox women’s games at 6:00 p.m. vs. Colorado College on Friday and Chapman on Saturday.  Monday’s game at Portland Bible is set for 7:30 p.m. 

Multimedia: George Fox will provide live audio internet coverage through campus station KFOX, live video through Stretch Internet, and live stats for all games this week; see the George Fox 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 members for George Fox employees.

Corban (6-6): The Warriors from Salem, Ore., are members of the Cascade Collegiate Conference and both the NAIA’s Division II and the NCCAA ... Corban won its last game 90-49 at New Hope Christian on Dec. 6 behind 16 points from Erik Cronrath, 15 from Jordan Carter, and 14 from Jonathan Ramirez ... Series record (since 1981): George Fox leads 54-35 (28-15 home, 26-20 road) ... The Bruins have won the last two meetings, including a 68-64 overtime win in Salem on Nov. 22 this season behind A.J. Grant’s 20 points, including the game-winning bucket with 33 seconds left ... Corban’s last win was 95-90 in Newberg on Nov. 19, 2010 ... Corban by the numbers: Scoring (75.8 ppg), Defense (66.2 ppg), FG% (.476), 3-pt FG% (.401), FT% (.711), Reb Avg. (36.8) ... The Warriors have two double-figure scorers: G Jordan Carter (15.5 ppg), F Erik Cronrath (14.8 ppg) ... F James Green is the top rebounder (6.2 rpg) ... Carter is the assists leaders (2.4 apg) ... Coach Justin Sherwood, a former Bruin assistant coach, is in his 10th season at Corban ... Next game: Dec. 10 vs. William Jessup, 7:30 p.m.

Concordia-Portland (5-4): The Cavaliers from Portland, Ore., are members of the Cascade Collegiate Conference and the NAIA’s Division II... Concordia won its last game 102-86 over the College of Idaho on Dec. 3 as Kevan West scored 21 points, Adam Herman and Austin Dunn 18 each, and Drew Preuninger 16 ... Series record (since 1981): George Fox leads 40-14 (21-6 home, 19-8 road) ... The Cavaliers won the first meeting this season 88-70 in Portland on Nov. 18 this season despite 18 points from the Bruins’ Anthony Sanchez and 11 from Spencer Bolte ... George Fox’s last win was 82-72 in Portland on Dec. 11, 2008 ... Concordia by the numbers: Scoring (90.2 ppg), Defense (76.2 ppg), FG% (.559), 3-pt FG% (.452), FT% (.565), Reb Avg. (42.6) ... The Cavaliers have five double-figure scorers: F Adam Herman (20.4 ppg), G Kevan West (14.4 ppg), F Jourdan Sweeney (11.6 ppg), G Austin Dunn (11.3 ppg), G Drew Preuninger (10.4 ppg) ... Herman is the top rebounder (7.1 rpg) ... PG Gage Aker is the assists leaders (5.33 apg) ... Coach Brad Barbarick is 258-284 to date in his 18th season at Concordia ... The Cavaliers host Portland Bible Friday before meeting the Bruins ... Next game: Dec. 17 vs. Linfield, 7:30 p.m.

Portland Bible (2-8): The Wildcats from Portland, Ore., are members of the Pacific Coast Athletic Conference, the National Christian College Athletic Association’s Division 2, and have advanced to the NCCAA National Tournament each of the last four seasons ... The Wildcats have lost their last six games, the latest an 84-69 setback to Alaska-Fairbanks in a neutral-site game in Anchorage ... Series record (since 1965): First meeting ... Portland Bible by the numbers: Statistics currently unavailable... The Wildcats host Concordia-Portland on Friday before meeting the Bruins ... Next game: Dec. 30 vs. Lewis-Clark State, 7 p.m. ... Directions to PBC: The school is located at 9150 NE Fremont St. in Portland, just west of I-205 between I-84 and Sandy Blvd.  The best way to reach it is to go south on 82nd Ave. from NE Sandy Blvd. to Fremont St. (about three blocks), then turn left (going east) on Fremont to the very end, almost back to I-205. 

* Recent Games: Bruins Split on Road Swing thru Eastern Washington

Dec. 2 - George Fox 57, at Whitman 48

A blistering start by George Fox and a correspondingly-cold streak by Whitman enabled the Bruins to build a 19-point first-half lead and then hang on for a 57-48 upset of the Missionaries. George Fox hit 6-of-8 to start the game (.750), including 3-of-5 from three-point range, while Whitman managed to sink only 1-of-11 to open play.  The Bruins built a 38-19 halftime lead, only to see the Missionaries reel off 126 unanswered points to start the second half and make a game of it. Whitman cut the gap to two at 43-41 with 8:48 left, but the Bruins stretched their lead back out to 10 at 51-41 with 5:43 left following a pair of threes by Jon Adrian and a tip-in by Cam Rier, and the home team got no closer than six the rest of the way.  Sean Atkins scored a game-high 13 points, Mike Taylor added 12, and Adrian scored 10.  Taylor had eight rebounds, six assists, and blocked three shots, while Atkins made three steals. 

Dec. 3 - at Whitworth 75, George Fox 48

After staying with the eighth-ranked Whitworth Pirates for most of the first half, the Bruins saw the defending Northwest Conference champions open it up in the second half and pull away for a 75-48 victory.  A Sean Atkins free throw gave George Fox a 10-9 lead with 14:17 left in the half, but the Pirates went ahead moments later and used an 11-3 run to end the first half with a 36-27 advantage.  Whitworth broke it open with a 23-2 outburst at the start of the second half to make it 59-29, and the Bruins got no closer than 20 the rest of the game.  Mike Taylor led the Bruins with 18 points, hitting 5-8 three-pointers, adding 10 rebounds and three assists and recording his first double-double of the season.  Anthony Sanchez chipped in with 12 points, hitting a trio of triples. 

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

After leading the George Fox Bruins to a 1-1 road trip in eastern Washington to open Northwest Conference play last weekend, wing Mike Taylor has been named the Bruin Athletic Association Men’s Athlete of the Week for Nov. 28-Dec. 4, and also received honorable mention for the NWC Men’s Basketball Student-Athlete of the Week award.

Taylor, a senior from Los Angeles, Calif., helped the Bruins to a 57-48 upset on Dec. 2 of Whitman, which was picked to finish second in the NWC in the pre-season coaches’ poll, by scoring 12 points on 4-14 field goals (2-7 on threes) and 2-3 free throws, with team-high numbers of 8 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3 blocked shots, along with a steal.  In a 75-48 loss to defending conference champion and pre-season favorite Whitworth on Dec. 3, he posted his first double-double of the season and fourth of his career with a team-high 18 points on 6-14 field goals (5-8 on threes) and 1-2 free throws with 10 rebounds, along with 3 assists and a blocked shot.  For the week, he scored 30 points (15.0 ppg) on 10-28 field goals (.357), including 7-15 (.467) on threes, and 3-5 (.600) on free throws, with 18 rebounds (9.0 rpg), 9 assists (4.5 apg), 4 blocked shots (2.0 bspg), and a steal. 

In the latest NWC statistics, Taylor, a Second Team All-NWC selection last year, ranks 2nd in blocked shots (10), 3rd in assists (23), 17th in scoring (12.5 ppg, T), and 19th in rebounding (4.7 rpg).

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)

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)

* Bruins’ Guard Grant Played HS Ball for Ex-Bruin Coach Vernon

Not only does first-year guard A.J. Grant bring a very local flavor to this year’s George Fox men’s basketball team, he brings an affinity to some of the Bruins’ past history with him as well.  Grant starred at nearby Newberg High School under head coach Mark Vernon, who coached the George Fox men from 1982-2000 and is the most successful coach in Bruin history, going 318-218 in his 18 seasons at the university.  After leaving George Fox, Vernon coached at Southridge High in Beaverton, Ore., before returning to Newberg for several seasons.  Grant graduated from NHS in 2010 and attended Whitman College briefly last fall, not playing on the team there, before transferring closer to home for the 2011-12 season.  The Bruins hope to have Grant, their leading scorer at 13.0 points a game, back for this weekend’s games against Corban and Concordia after he missed the games at Whitman and Whitworth due to a mild concussion suffered at the end of the Bruins’ game with Northwest Christian on Nov. 26.

* 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).

* NWC Stats: Taylor Moves in Among League Leaders in 4 Stats

- In Northwest Conference stats thru games of Dec. 7, George Fox is 2nd in blocked shots (3.5), assists (13.5 apg), 4th in fewest turnovers (12.3 topg), 5th in 3-pt field goals (37), 7th in steals (5.8 spg), 8th in field goal pct. (.400), free throw pct. (.655), rebounding (32.0 rpg), 9th in scoring (61.7 ppg), 3-pt pct. (.301) ...

- A.J. Grant is 1st in free throw pct. (1.000, T), 8th in 3-pt pct. (.400, T), 15th in scoring (13.0 ppg, T) ...

- Mike Taylor is 2nd in blocked shots (10), 3rd in assists (23), 17th in scoring (12.5 ppg, T), 19th in rebounding (4.7 rpg) ...

- Sean Atkins is 7th in blocked shots (6, T), 27th in scoring (9.8 ppg, T) …

- Jon Adrian is 7th in 3-pt pct. (.412) ...

- Corey Clark is 4th in assists (20) ...

* 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 723 in a Row

With the Bruins’ two games in eastern Washington on Dec. 2-3, long-time statistician Mike “Biggs” Wirta extended his streak of George Fox men’s basketball games attended, home and way, to 723 in a row.  His streak of home games worked stands at 641 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 (1,134 of 2,161 for 52.48%) in the 107-plus seasons of Bruin basketball.

* Head Coach Mark Sundquist

Head coach Mark Sundquist (Seattle Pacific ’87) is 113-169 (.401, 59-63 home, 42-92 road, 12-14 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:

Corban - 8-4 (5-1 home, 3-3 road)

Concordia-Portland - 2-5 (1-2 home, 1-3 road)

Portland Bible - 0-0