By: Alex Plusquellec

WALLA WALLA, Wash. --- With the heart of Northwest Conference play on the horizon, the George Fox men's basketball team traveled to take on No. 1-ranked Whitman College Friday night, falling to the Blues in a tough conference test.

Recap

The Blues, ranked No. 1 nationally, were not phased early. The Bruins got buckets from the Mason Green-Richards and Thomas Rico in the opening minutes but found themselves trailing 14-5 at the 15-minute mark.

Freshman Tyler Yost did his best to provide a spark, scoring seven straight for the Bruins to cut the deficit to 20-13. The Blues continued to provide pressure, maintaining a double-digit lead for the remainder of the half.

The missed shots and handful of turnovers left the Bruins staring at a 58-31 halftime deficit.

In the second half, the Bruins were unable to turn defense into offense, despite forcing 13 turnovers. The Blues continued to control the pace, and came away with a 117-63 victory.

Top Performers

Green-Richards went 6 of 14 from the field to finish with 17 points to go with four steals. Rico added 12 points on 5 of 9 shooting. Dylan Hamlett led the Bruins on the glass, pulling down seven rebounds in 19 minutes.

What It Means

The Bruins now sit at 1-4 in NWC play and 5-9 overall.

What Comes Next

The Bruins will continue their road trip north as they are set to square off with Whitworth Saturday night. Tip is set for 6 p.m.