FOREST GROVE --- The George Fox men's basketball team bounced back from a weekend loss to the Linfield Wildcats with a 30-point victory at Pacific (Ore.) with a 115-85 final score.

Recap

The Boxers won the tip and opened the game on an 8-4 run, but the Bruins took the lead for good after buckets by Michael Mercado-Smith and Zach Sly. After staking a 13-12 lead five minutes in, the Bruins pulled away and held a comfortable lead until halftime after steadily outscoring their hosts by 16 points in the last minutes of the opening period.

A similar story unfolded in the second half as the Bruins opened the period with a trey from JD Ahlstrom. The Ahlstrom triple kicked off a 17-4 run in the first three minutes of the second stanza and drew a quick Boxer timeout, ending with a triple splashed in by Ryan Lacey from the wing off a helper by Jackson Januik for a 74-45 lead with 16:55 showing on the board.

The Bruins cruised from there through the final horn to take a 115-85 win over the Boxers on the road after leading by as many as 36 points midway through the second half.

The Bruins were able to find driving lanes throughout the night, blitzing the Boxers with 74 points in the paint and boasting a plus-34 in the rebounding column on the stat sheet.

Top Performers

The Bruins were sparked by Sly with a game-high 19 points on a scorching 8-10 shooting night from the field. Aside from Sly, the Bruins had five other players in double-figures on the scoresheet: Lacey, Mercado-Smith, Ahlstrom, Kalu Striklin, and Emilio Mancol.

Wesley Reynolds did his part in the middle with 10 boards, four assists, and two steals, while Januik played a well-rounded game at the point with seven dimes, six boards, six points, and three steals.

What It Means

George Fox is back to .500 overall with a winning mark in NWC action at 2-1.

What Happens Next

The Bruins travel to face the Pacific Lutheran Lutes on Jan. 11 with a 6:00 pm tipoff.