TACOMA, Wash. – With playoff positioning riding on every point, the University of Puget Sound Loggers clinched third place in the Northwest Conference men's basketball standings by outlasting the George Fox University Bruins 115-112 in overtime Friday night here at the Memorial Fieldhouse, setting up a “must-win” scenario for the Bruins in their season finale Saturday.

Puget Sound is 14-10 overall and 10-5 in the conference, while George Fox is 15-9 overall and 8-7 in the league.  The Bruins are tied for fifth with Pacific University (15-9, NWC 8-7), both one game back of Lewis & Clark College (16-8, NWC 9-6), which stunned league champion Whitworth University (20-5, NWC 14-2) 73-70 in overtime in Portland. 

For the Bruins to make the NWC Tournament, they must defeat Willamette University (3-21, NWC 1-14) in their home finale Saturday, have Lewis & Clark lose at home to second-place Whitman College (16-8, NWC 11-4), and have Pacific lose at Puget Sound.  A three-way tie between George Fox, Lewis & Clark, and Pacific would put L&C in the tournament by virtue of the Pios going 3-1 vs. the Bruins and the Boxers.

It was another heart-breaking defeat for the Bruins on this particular night in Tacoma as they suffered the setback despite tying the school record for the most three-point field goals in a game, sinking 21 of 45 attempts.  They also made 21 of 51 tries vs. Cascade College on Nov. 21, 1998.  Seven different Bruins connected for threes, led by Spencer Bolte, who made six en route to a game and career-high 37 points.

The game was a barnburner throughout.  Puget Sound never trailed in the first half but could never put the Bruins away, leading by as much as eight at 17-9 following a three by Erin Barber but eventually falling back into a tie as the Bruins knotted it 39-39 on a three by Jason Martin with  2:33 left in the half.  Baskets by Dan Cheledinas and Rex Nelson gave UPS a 43-39 halftime lead.

The Loggers built a 10-point lead midway through the second half at 72-62 on a trey by Cheledinas, but the Bruins rallied and finally forged a 96-96 with 23 seconds to go on a three by Bolte, who had 24 points in the second half and overtime.  Two close-in misses by the Loggers in the waning seconds resulted in the extra period.

UPS opened the overtime with a layup by Cheledinas and never trailed again.  After Nick Holden's layup made it 105-99 with 2:13 left, the Loggers made 10-10 free throws the rest of the way, preventing the Bruins from catching up despite threes in the closing minutes by Bolte, J.J. Lacey, and Jonny Howard.

Bolte hit 12-21 from the field, including 6-9 on threes, and 7-10 from the line for his all-time high in points.  Joining him in double digits were Howard and Sean Atkins with 16, A.J. Grant with 14, Lacey with a career-high 11, and Martin with 10.  Martin had seven rebounds, and Grant passed out nine assists.

The Loggers had four players with 20 or more: Barber with 26, Cheledinas and Nelson with 25, and Holden with 22.  UPS took advantage of the Bruins' 34 fouls to make 38-53 from the line to only 17-24 for the Bruins.  Barber with 11 rebounds and Nelson and Cheledinas with 10 each all had double-doubles.  Barber handed out five assists.

NEXT: George Fox hosts Willamette and Puget Sound hosts Pacific Saturday to close the regular season, both starting at 8:00 p.m. following NWC women's games at 6:00 p.m. … The Bruins will honor their five graduating seniors - Bolte, Atkins, Martin, Seth Brent, and Cole Larson - in pre-game ceremonies.