NEWBERG, Ore. – Led by Adam Herman's double-double of 29 points and 10 rebounds, the visiting Concordia University-Portland Cavaliers shot over 60 per cent from the field on the way to an 83-68 win over the George Fox University Bruins in a non-conference men's basketball game Saturday night here at the Wheeler Sports Center's Miller Gym.

In their first matchup in the Bruins' season opener on Nov. 18 in Portland, the Cavaliers shot 59 per cent and led by as many as 29 points in the first half before winning 88-70.  The start of their second encounter resembled that first meeting as the Cavs built an early 20-5 lead by hitting 10 of 13 shots in the first seven-and-a-half minutes, with five different players contributing to the run, led by three baskets by Herman. 

A Cam Rier three-pointer slowed the Cavs' outburst, and the lead hung between 11 and 14 points over the next eight minutes before a three by A.J. Grant brought the margin back within single digits at 30-21 with 4:37 left in the half.  Another three by Grant made it a six-point game at 30-24, but that was as close as the Bruins got in the half as the Cavs stretched the lead to 39-29 at the break on a jumper by Gage Aker.

Herman and Grant each turned in fine first-half performances for their teams.  Herman led all scorers with 15 points, sinking 7-8 field goals, while Grant tallied 14, hitting 4-7 shots, all three-pointers, with a pair of free throws.  The Cavaliers torched the twine for a .621 shooting percentage (18-29), while the Bruins struggled to a .321 mark (9-28). 

Threes by Anthony Sanchez and Grant to open the final 20 minutes brought the home team within four at 39-35, and it was still only a five-point game after Sanchez sank another trey with 14:29 to go to make it a 47-42 score.  However, Herman scored a bucket and hit two free throws to fuel an 11-2 Concordia run over a three-and-a-half minute span that pushed the margin back to 14 at 58-44 with 11:06 left.

The lead stayed in double figures until the final five minutes.  Three times the Bruins were able to close within eight, the last on a Corey Clark drive that made it 69-61 with four minutes to go, but Herman and Kevan West scored six points apiece in a 12-2 spurt that stretched the gap to 81-63, the Cavs' biggest lead of the game, with 41 ticks left. 

Grant led a quartet of Bruins in double figures with 20 points, hitting six threes.  He was joined by Sanchez with 11 points, and Rier and Sean Atkins, who was 5-7 from the floor, with 10 each.  Sanchez and Mike Taylor had five rebounds each, and Taylor passed out four assists.  The Bruins' shooting improved in the second half to .455 (15-33), but they finished under 40 percent for the game at .393 (24-61), though they did can 10-28 (.357) from downtown. 

Concordia finished with a .603 field goal percentage (35-58), led by Herman's 11-14 (plus 7-9 from the line).  West was 6-10 on field goals and scored 13 points, while Jourdan Sweeney, who had gone 11-12 on field goals the night before against Portland Bible College, swished 5-6 for 12 points against the Bruins.  Aker handed out five assists.  The Cavaliers won the battle of the glass 37-29.   

NEXT: George Fox will play its third game in four days when the Bruins visit Portland Bible on Monday at 7:30 p.m. for their first game ever against the Wildcats, whose program is in only its sixth season … Concordia hosts Linfield College Saturday at 7:30 p.m.