FOREST GROVE, Ore. – Scoring 21 points, including the go-ahead basket and four clutch free throws in the last 2:15, rookie guard A.J. Grant led the George Fox University Bruins to a stunning 61-53 win over the high-rolling Pacific University Boxers in Northwest Conference men's basketball action Saturday night here at the Stoller Center.

Grant hit a three-pointer to open the game and a two-point jumper three minutes in to give the Bruins a quikc 8-2 lead.  Pacific rallied to take its only lead of the first half 15-14 on a three by David Berney with 11:44 left, but Cam Rier answered with a trey a minute later and the Bruins kept the lead the rest of half.  Spencer Bolte put back a missed shot for the Bruins' largest lead of the half at 24-17 with 7:19 to go, and the visitors took a 31-26 advantage into the locker room when Mike Taylor hit a layup at the buzzer. 

Grant tossed in 11 points to lead all scorers in the first half, including three threes, and the Bruins shot an even .500 (12-24) from the floor in the period, hitting six threes that helped them overcome a 19-11 deficit in rebounds.  Marc Eppinger led the Boxers, who shot .462 (12-26), with 10 points off the bench.

The Boxers scored the first three goals of the second half on two layups and a thunderous dunk by Dustin Bowser to take their second lead of the game 32-31 with 17:32 to play.  The Bruins answered with back-to-back threes by Taylor and Jon Adrian, but a jumper by Charles Mosley and a three by Berney knotted it 37-37 with 15:13 to go. 

Over the next 10 minutes, neither team led by more than three points as the outcome hung in the balance.  Pacific was up 43-41 when Grant nailed a three that gave the Bruins the lead for good at 44-43 with 7:52 remaining.  A layup by Sean Atkins for a three-point George Fox lead was offset by a Berney layup , but the Bruins reeled off seven unanswered points on a jumper by Bolte, two free throws by Taylor, and layup and free throw by Grant to take the biggest lead of the game at 53-45 with 3:55 to go. 

For the rest of the game, George Fox kept the lead between six and eight points.  The dagger in the heart to the Boxers' comeback hopes came when the Bruins, who had been trying to milk the clock, had a throw-in from near mid-court with only four seconds left on the shot clock and got it to Bolte, who dribbled just inside the circle and, with the Pacific defense all over him, hit nothing but net for a 57-49 lead with 1:28 left.  Grant hit 4-of-4 from the line and Taylor hit a pair with 18 seconds left for the final score.

Grant finished with a 6-for-11 game from the floor, including 4-of-7 from long distance, and 5-of-5 from the line.  Taylor added 14 points as the Bruins shot .447 (21-47) for the game, .429 (9-21) from three-point range, and .833 (10-12) from the stripe.  Bolte grabbed a team-high six rebounds, and Taylor and Atkins had three assists apiece.

Berney tossed in 15 points, Mosley 12, and Eppinger 10 (all in the first half) for the Boxers, who shot .440 (22-50) from the field but only .250 (3-12) on threes and .429 (6-14) from the line.  Mosley had a game-high seven rebounds, and Cameron Hayes passed out five assists.  The Boxers were coming off a convincing 78-66 win at Willamette University on Friday in which three players had recorded double-doubles in points and rebounds.

NEXT: George Fox plays seven of its next eight games at home, starting Friday against Willamette University with an 8:00 p.m. tipoff … Pacific makes the eastern Washington swing next weekend, visiting Whitworth University Friday at 8:00 p.m. … Both games will be part of NWC doubleheaders, with women's games preceeding at 6:00 p.m.