by Jared Beilby, student intern

NEWBERG, ORE. – Behind a torrent of three-point field goals, the George Fox University Bruins became the first Northwest Conference team to defeat the Whitworth University Pirates this season with a 98-85 men's basketball home victory here at the Miller Gym inside of the Wheeler Sports Center Friday night.

George Fox (10-4 overall, 3-2 NWC) shot 12-20 (60.0%) from behind the arc, draining nine in the first half. Whitworth (10-4, 4-1 NWC) had no answer and went 7-24 (29.2%) from distance. Juniors Jonny Howard and A.J. Grant led the Bruins with 21 points each. Both were solid from three-point range as Howard went 6-7 (85.7%) and Grant hit 4-6 (67.7%).

The Bruins crossed the 90-point threshold for the eighth time this season.  They also had success in the paint as senior center Seth Brent was perfect on the night, going 8-8 from the field and 2-2 from the line for 18 total. Brent finished two shots shy of J.R. Smith's school record 10-10 versus Columbia Christian on January 29, 1982.           

The Pirates took control early, shooting out to a 9-6 score in the first four minutes. However, a trio of threes in one minute from Grant gave the Bruins a 15-9 advantage. The Bruins kept the pressure on and built a 23-13 lead halfway through the half with senior Sean Atkins scoring six during the run.

Howard extended that lead to 26-13 with a trey at the 9:41 mark. He then connected twice from deep three minutes later to make the margin 36-19 in favor of George Fox. After Whitworth whittled the margin down to 13, Howard sank his fourth and fifth three-pointers of the half to extend the George Fox lead to 44-26. Freshman J.J. Lacey added a three of his own, making the score 47-31 with two minutes remaining in the half. Whitworth failed to make much indent and the half finished 53-39 Bruins. Atkins, the Bruins leading scoring, left the game in the first half with a broken nose and did not return.

In the second half, Grant kept the downtown downpour going by nailing a long-range effort with 17:30 left in the game, giving the Bruins a 62-48 lead. He then scored three the old-fashioned way when Pirate junior Adam Wilks fouled Grant's layup with 15:09 remaining. The shot counted and the resulting free throw put the Bruins up 67-50.

Whitworth went on a 7-2 run to get within 12 at 13 minutes remaining, making the score the closest it had been since the first half. Senior Spencer Bolte threw down a dunk at the 13:24 mark to make the score 69-55, responding to Whitworth senior Colton McCargar's three-pointer on the previous possession. Both teams went back and forth before Howard drained a trifecta with 8:10 left, giving the Bruins an 81-65 lead. Lacey and Pirates senior Dustin McConnell traded threes with five minutes left, making the margin 88-72 in favor of the Bruins. Bolte then scored a layup to put the Bruins up 18 with four-and-a-half minutes in the game, matching their largest lead since 3:15 remaining in the first half.

The Pirates kept fighting, however, and they edged to within nine on freshman Kenny Love's three-pointer with 1:20 left in the game. The challenge wasn't for long as the Bruins finished strong, winning 98-85.

Besides his 18 points, Brent pulled down six boards, leading George Fox, along with Bolte, in that category. Bolte added 14 points and dished out six assists. As a team, the Bruins shot 32-56 (57.1%) and out-rebounded Whitworth 37-33. From the line, the Bruins went 22-26 (84.6%).

Whitworth was led by McConnell, who scored a game-high 23 points on 8-14 (57.1%) shooting. McCargar (14 points) and freshman Christian Jurlina (10 points) also finished in double figures. Sophomore George Valle had a game-high seven rebounds. Collectively, Whitworth went 32-74 (43.2%) from the field and 14-17 (82.4%) from the line. They turned the ball over 15 times to the George Fox's 18.

NEXT: George Fox hosts Whitman (9-5 overall, 4-1 NWC) at 6 p.m. Saturday. The women's game between both schools will start at 4 p.m. … Whitworth travels south to McMinnville to face Linfield (2-12, 0-5 NWC) at 8 p.m. on Saturday. The women will take to the court at 6 p.m.