FOREST GROVE, Ore. --- The George Fox men's basketball team traveled to face Pacific (Ore.) on Thursday, Mar. 25, and fell 112-98 in an up-and-down, fast-paced matchup.

How It Happened

The Bruins scored first and opened with an 8-1 lead in a fast-paced first half. The Boxers started to hit shots by the fourth minute of action, but the Bruins continued to hold a slim lead for much of the opening 20 minutes. The Boxers pulled in front briefly after sinking a layup with 11 minutes left in the half, but George Fox erased that with a trey on the other end eight seconds later and took a 55-50 lead at the half.

After the intermission the Boxers began to set the pace and built a double-digit lead that they held for long stretches in the second half. Down by ten with four minutes left, the Bruins forced two turnovers and a five-second inbounding violation to cut the Boxers' lead to six, 99-93, with 3:41 on the clock. The Bruins went scoreless after that for two minutes, however, and the Boxers put the pedal down again to race to the 112-98 final.

Top Performers

Kalu Stricklin led the way with 20 points and five boards, while Jackson Januik and Brendan Ritschard tied for the team rebounding lead with six each.

What It Means

The Bruins fall to 1-6 overall and in NWC action this season while the Boxers open their season with a win.

What Happens Next

George Fox will host the second half of the home-and-away weekend series on Saturday, Mar. 27, at 8:00 pm in Newberg