Box Score

TACOMA, Wash. – Hoping for a third straight win to equal their previous longest streak of the season, the George Fox University Bruins instead fell victim to a hot hand by the Pacific Lutheran University Lutes and dropped an 81-74 decision in Northwest Conference men's basketball action Saturday night here at Olson Auditorium.

The game was tight throughout the first half, neither team mounting more than a five-point lead during the first 20 minutes.  The Lutes opened the game with a 5-0 run on a three-pointer by James Conti and a layup by Victor Bull, but Jack Martin put the Bruins on the board with a three and kept his team in the game with 11 first-half points.  After tying the game three times, the Bruins finally took the lead 20-17 with 6:39 left in the half on a three-point play the conventional way by Joe Ahn.  The Lutes used an 8-2 run over the final two minutes, keyed by threes from Gregory Bogdan and Josh Dressler, to take a 31-26 lead at the break.

The game remained close through the first six minutes of the second half as well, George Fox closing within three points at 46-43 on a three-pointer by Evan Atwater with 14:16 left.  The Lutes exploded for a 12-0 run over the next five minutes, however, capped by a Kyle MacTaggart three, to forge a 60-45 lead, then held off a late charge by the Bruins.  

Down by 13 at 68-55 with just over five minutes remaining, Travis Toedtemeier and Martin hit threes to ignite a 17-7 outburst that brought the Bruins within three at 75-72 after an Alex Stockner free throw with 21 seconds left.  However, Dressler and Bogdan each hit a pair of three throws and Bogdan made a layup with one second left, off-setting a basket by Stockner, to secure the win for the Lutes.

PLU torched the nets for a .527 percentage, hitting 29-55 from the floor, and made exactly half their three-point attempts (9-18).  George Fox was a more modest .431 shooting (22-51), and hit .417 from three-point range (10-24).

Martin led all scorers with 22 points for the Bruins, hitting 8-12 from the field, including 6-9 from three-point range.  Stockner added 17 points and Toedtemeier 11.  Martin also had a team-high five rebounds, as did Bryan O'Connell, while Brady Strutz passed out five assists.

Bogdan topped the Lutes with 18 points, making all six of his shots from the field, including three threes.  Conti added 14 points, Dressler 11, and Bull 10.  Bull and Norman Edwards, Jr., collected seven rebounds apiece.  Conti also had five assists and three steals.

George Fox (6-11,NWC 2-6) begins the second half of conference play by hosting Whitworth University Friday at 8:00 p.m., following an NWC women's game at 6:00 p.m.  Pacific Lutheran (8-8, NWC 2-5) goes to Pacific University Tuesday for a makeup of a game postponed earlier in the month due to flooding in Washington.  That game is set for 7:00 p.m. following a women's makeup game at 5:00 p.m.