NEWBERG, Ore. - After digging themselves an 18-point second-half hole, the George Fox University Bruins surged back to give Linfield College a run for its money before the visiting Wildcats held on for an 84-80 win in Northwest Conference men's basketball Saturday night here at the Wheeler Sports Center's Miller Gym.

With the win, Linfield improved to 8-6 overall and 6-0 in the conference, hanging onto a share of first place with Whitworth University, a 75-52 winner at Pacific Lutheran University.  George Fox fell to 6-9 overall and 3-3 in the league.

The Bruins, who played relatively mistake-free ball - only six turnovers, one short of the school record - fell behind by 58-40 with 14 minutes left, but went on a 26-11 run over the next eight minutes to pull within three with six minutes to go. They could not quite get over the hump, however, as the teams played virtually even until the final minute when Linfield built the lead back to 10. A last-second consolation three-pointer by Alex Stockner made the final score only four points. 

Stockner, Stephen Wiseley, and Evan Atwater comprised the Bruin offense in the first half, connecting on 5-of-12 from beyond the arc and scoring all 32 of George Fox's first half points.  The Wildcats used a big scoring half by K.C. Wiser and Joseph Vance - 14 points apiece - and a 20-8 advantage in the post to build a 15-point lead of 47-32 going into the break. Vance made 4-of-6 from downtown.

At the 14:01 mark in the second period, Brady Martin got an easy layup to put the Wildcats up 18 before Stockner sank a long jumper to start the Bruins' furious comeback.  Travis Toedtemeier converted a layup-and-one and Cole Whitehurst knocked down two free throws to bring the deficit to 13, Jack Martin hit a streaking Grant Vahalla for a fast-break lay-in, Dan Lingenfelder hit a three-pointer, and Martin and Vahalla hooked up one more time - all in succession - to bring the crowd to its feet and the score to 62-54 at the 9:48 mark. 

Wiser split a pair of free throws to bring the lead up to nine for Linfield, but Martin added his only points of the game on a three and a Whitehurst steal led to a Lingenfelder lay-in, shaving the deficit to four at 65-61 with 8:29 left.

The next eight minutes were furious, punctuated by a thunderous driving dunk by Whitehurst. The closest the Bruins came was 69-66 with six minutes to play off a Lingenfelder three-ball, but Joel Paul got an easy two-point basket and Kris Rainwater added a conventional three-point play to put the Wildcats up by eight again, 74-68, with four minutes left.

George Fox got the score within four with two minutes remaining on two Stockner free tosses, but a Wiser putback and 8-of-10 free throws in the final 1:08 were enough to keep the Bruins at bay.

Stockner and Wiseley each had 20 points to lead the Bruins, who shot .467 (28-60) for the game and .567 (17-30) in the second half.  Atwater had 10 but was held scoreless and without a shot attempt in the second half.  Rich Smith had six rebounds, and Martin finished with a game-high 11 assists.

Wiser led all scorers with 23 points on 7-of-12 shooting and finished with a game-high 13 rebounds as the Wildcats dominated the boards 42-24.  Rainwater added 15 points on 6-of-7 field goals with11 rebounds.  Vance had only had two points in the second half to finish with 16, and Tesoro had 11.  Rainwater, Tesoro, and Drew Schroeder had three assists each, and Rainwater had three blocks for the visitors, who shot .509 (28-55) for the game.

NOTES: George Fox travels to Lewis & Clark College Friday for another NWC matchup at 8:00 p.m., with the Bruiin women taking on the Pioneers at 6:00 p.m. that same day ... Linfield visits Whitworth Friday at 8:00 p.m. for a first-place showdown following the women's game at 6:00 p.m.