By: Ryan Lackey

NEWBERG, Ore. --- Despite an impressive, desperate second-half comeback, the George Fox University men's basketball team lost to the Puget Sound Loggers Saturday night, 84-68.

The Bruins dominated stretches of play late-game: after poor shooting in the first half led to a 47-21 deficit, the Bruins' typical breakneck pace and energy led to a resurgence. After regaining their finesse, the Bruins shot 59% and outscored the Loggers by ten in the second half.

Dependable guard Jonny Howard paced the Bruins with 19 points. Howard did the bulk of his work inside, driving and drawing fouls enough to go 6-7 from the foul line. Worth noting were Howard's 29 minutes logged, which led the Bruins by a clear margin and testify to Howard's boundless energy, especially considering the demands of the Bruin's pressure-oriented system.

Mercurial freshman Brendin Quinn was active on both ends of the floor, leading the Bruins with seven rebounds and maintaining stout defense. Quinn finished with an efficient, workmanlike 13 points from his 5-7 shooting, and his three steals were a game-high.

Most facets of the game, despite the final score, were fairly even, with the exception of Puget Sound's precision and ability to convert possessions into points. Even with George Fox's ascendancy in the second half, the Loggers shot a relentless 52% from the field, led by forward Nick Holden.

For the Bruins, wins and losses do not reflect their energy and strong second-half performance. After a 2-0 start to the season, George Fox now stands at 3-8, 1-1 in NWC play. The Bruins will look to turn in a complete performance over both halves when they host Pacific Lutheran on Jan. 9.