PORTLAND, Ore. – With several key figures resting on the bench, Spencer Bolte led a group of five George Fox University players who posted career highs with 25 points as the visiting Bruins bewildered the Portland Bible College Wildcats 87-78 in a non-conference men's basketball game Monday night here at the City Christian High School gymnasium.

Due to minor aches and pains and with two important Northwest Conference games coming up this weekend, coach Mark Sundquist held out starters Sean Atkins and Anthony Sanchez, the Bruins' top two scorers, and high-scoring reserve Jason Martin against the Wildcats, who had defeated the Bruins in Newberg 79-73 back on Nov. 19.  Bolte, in his first start, spearheaded the upset as he surpassed his previous high of 23 points at Willamette while getting help from starter A.J. Grant with 18 points and reserve Cole Ramey, who tossed in a career-high 11.  Also posting career marks were Brett Vernon with 10 points, including three three-pointers, and Mitchell Rettman and Chris Stanfield with four apiece.  All three were making their first appearances of the season.

Usual starting center Seth Brent and Bolte opened the scoring with threes and the Bruins never trailed in the first half.  The Bruins took their first double-digit lead of 21-11 with 10:42 to go in the half on a jumper by Stanfield, made it a 12-point margin of 28-16 on a basket by Jon Adrian at the 7:50 mark, and extended it to 13 at 39-26 on a steal and layup by Ramey with two minutes remaining. 

An 8-3 run to close the period brought the Wildcats within striking distance as the halftime score stood at 41-34.  Brandon Williams, a 6-5 bruiser who played football at the University of Oregon in the fall before leaving school due to an injury and was picked up by Portland Bible at the semester break, kept the Wildcats close with 13 points and seven rebounds in the first half - and he was just getting started.  In the second half, he collected 18 points and 10 boards as the home team rallied and eventually went ahead.

The Bruins were up 49-46 with 14:17 left after a Brent layup when the Wildcats went on an 8-0 run to move in front for the first time.  A Breen Weeks free throw knotted it 49-49, a Weeks jumper gave PBC its first lead, and a free throw by Williams made it 54-49 with 11:30 left.  Bolte hit back-to-back jumpers to get the Bruins going again, and they eventually tied it 60-60 on a three by Grant with 7:51 to play. 

A three by Weeks gave PBC its final lead of 65-64 at the 6:17 mark, but a Bolte layup put the Bruins back in front for good with 5:34 left.  Another Bolte basket made it 76-69 with 2:02 to go, and the Bruins hit 11 of 12 free throws the rest of the way as the Wildcats fouled constantly in an effort to catch up, to no avail.  Grant, who was 13 of 14 from the line in the game, hit 8 of 8 from the stripe in the final two minutes.

In addition to their scoring exploits, Bolte also led the Bruins on the glass with seven rebounds, Grant handed out four assists, and Ramey made three steals. 

Williams ended with 31 points, 17 boards, five assists and three steals, all Wildcat-leading numbers.  Juston Coleman added 15 points, Weeks scored 12, and Dustin Hutley tossed in 10 off the bench.

HISTORY REPEATS: At one point in the first half, Vernon fed Adrian for a two-point jumper, while in the second half, Adrian assisted Vernon on a three-pointer.  George Fox statistician Mike “Biggs” Wirta, who has been calling George Fox games for over 40 years, noted, “I haven't made a Vernon-to-Adrian or Adrian-to-Vernon call in 35 years”, pointing back to the 1977-78 season when Vernon's father Mark and Adrian's father Dave were Bruin teammates.  Both dads were in the stands Monday to watch their sons team up for points, just as they themselves had done three-and-a-half decades earlier!

NEXT: George Fox (11-8) hosts Willamette Friday at 8:00 p.m. as part of a conference doubleheader, with the Bruin and Bearcat women's teams meeting at 6:00 p.m. ... Portland Bible (15-12) is off until next Tuesday, hosting New Hope Christian College at 7:00 p.m. on Feb. 5.