SALEM --- The George Fox men's basketball team travelled to face the Willamette University Bearcats on Saturday, January 19, and fell in an 88-74 Northwest Conference defeat.

Recap

The Bruins got the first bucket of the night after a Jackson Januik steal led to a layup from Wesley Reynolds on a Dylan Hamlett dime. The Bearcats grabbed the lead after that, but a traditional three-point play from Michael Mercado-Smith and a Ryan Lacey lay-in tied the game at 11-11 with 13 minutes to play in the opening half.

Another old-fashioned trey earned the hard way from Mercado-Smith gave the Bruins a 14-13 lead a minute later, but the Bearcats ripped off a 10-0 run after that to take a 23-14 lead with nine minutes left in the first half.

The Bruins tried to keep pace with the Bearcats, but Willamette took a 30-43 lead at the break and never relented. After the break, the Bearcats scored the first four points before the Bruins put together a run to cut into the lead. Layups from Januik and Mason Green-Richards made the score 47-41 with just under sixteen minutes left to play, but the Bearcats pulled away again.

The Bearcats put another run together and built a 14-point lead with 11 minutes left in regulation. The Bruins played the Bearcats to a draw after that point, but could not eat away at the lead in an 88-74 defeat on the road.

Top Performers

Green-Richards had another great night with 19 points and Lacey tallied 17 to go with four boards, four dimes, and three steals. Jackson added 13 points for the Bruins as the third player in double figures for George Fox.

What It Means

The Bruins fall to 10-7 overall and are now 4-4 in NWC play. After ripping off four straight NWC wins to start the season, the Bruins have followed by dropping four in a row to sit at .500 in conference play.

What Happens Next

The Bruins travel to face Puget Sound on Friday, January 25, at 8:00 pm, before returning home to host the Pioneers of Lewis & Clark on Saturday, January 26 at 6:00 pm.