SPOKANE, Wash. - Jack Martin led an upset bid by George Fox University with 28 points, but the Bruins had no answer for Whitworth University 6-8 post Nate Montgomery's career game of 33 points and 11 rebounds as the Northwest Conference-leading Pirates survived 75-70 in men's basketball Saturday night here at the Whitworth Fieldhouse.

George Fox fell to 5-8 overall and saw its conference record evened at 2-2 with the setback.  Whitworth, the pre-season NWC favorite, won its 10th straight to improve to 11-2 overall and 4-0 in the league, tied for the top spot with Linfield College.

The Pirates came out red-hot to start the game, connecting on four of their first five shots to build a 10-0 lead on three-pointers by Eric Beal and David Riley and layups by Felix Friedt and Montgomery.  Rich Smith's layup off a feed from Stephen Wiseley at the 16:49 mark got the Bruins on the board, and they were able to get back in the game when the Pirates hit only nine of 24 shots the rest of the period.  The Bruins, after missing their first four shots, hit 11 of 20 the rest of the way.

A 13-4 run, keyed by a layup and two three-pointers by Wiseley, pulled the Bruins within a point at 16-15 with 13:31 to go.  The Bruins were able to close within one point two more times, a jumper by Grant Vahalla making it 22-21 at the 8:25 mark, and a three by Travis Toedtemeier cutting it to 33-32 with 33 seconds left.  Jack Loofburrow's two free throws with two ticks left gave Whitworth a 35-32 edge at intermission.

Montgomery, who led all scorers with 11 points in the first half, scored nine more in the first eight minutes of the second half as the Pirates began to pull away.  Riley gave the home team its largest lead of 13 points with a three-pointer that made it 56-43 with 11:12 to go, but Martin then went to work, hitting three three-pointers in a four-minute span as the visitors climbed back within two at 58-56 with 7:54 left.

Montgomery and Friedt hit layups to boost the Pirate lead back to six, but Martin, who had 21 second-half points, kept the Bruins close, twice bringing the Bruins within three on a jumper and two free throws, the latter making it a 71-68 game with 1:05 left.  Montgomery, however, grabbed a huge offensive rebound after Bo Gregg missed a three-point attempt and stuck it back in with 38 seconds left for a 73-68 Pirate lead, establishing his career high in points with that bucket and all but clinching the game.

Martin achieved his 28 points by hitting 9-14 field goals, including four threes, and 6-6 from the line, and Wiseley scored 10.  The Bruins shot .453 (24-53) from the floor and made nine of 19 from three-point range.  Toedtemeier had four rebounds, and Martin handed out six assists.

Montgomery, who was 14-23 from the field, got help from Friedt, who had 14 points and eight rebounds.  The Pirates shot .458 (27-59) on field goals and won the battle of the boards 39-32, including 13 offensive rebounds.  Beal passed out four assists.

NOTES: George Fox is back home Friday, hosting the Willamette University Bearcats in a conference game that tips off at 6:00 p.m.  The Bruin and Bearcat women will play at 8:00 p.m. on an experimental weekend in which conference doubleheaders will be reversed, the women's games following the men's ... Whitworth visits the University of Puget Sound Friday at 6:00 p.m., with the women to follow at 8:00 p.m.