By Joshua Nutter

SPOKANE, Wash. --- The George Fox men's basketball team fell in a lopsided NWC game at Whitworth by a final score of 98-45 to finish up a two-game series with the Pirates for the weekend. The Bruins didn't go down without a fight but their practice limitations put them at a clear disadvantage against a Pirates team playing its fifteenth game of the season. 

How it Happened

The Pirates rushed to a 25-4 lead in the game before Bruins' head coach Mako Hamilton called a timeout and George Fox went on a 12-5 run to cut the Whitworth lead to 15 after the first ten minutes of action. Whitworth took advantage of a media timeout to slow the Bruins' momentum and regain its offensive footing and closed out the half with a commanding 52-25 lead. JD Ahlstrom put up 10 points thanks to a pair of makes from outside the arc to lead the Bruins in scoring going into the break.

In the second half, Whitworth's conditioning advantage continued to show as the Pirates wore down the George Fox defense, outscoring the Bruins 46-25 in the final 20 minutes of play. Bruins reserve Donny Santana added six points to lead the way in the second half. 

The Bruins shot 28% as a whole and 19.4% from deep, and their offensive struggles were too much to overcome in a game where they were again without leaders Ryan Lacey and Jackson Januik on the road trip. 

Top Performers

Ahlstrom put up 14 points on 6-for-9 shooting from the field to lead the Bruins. Charlie Powers added six points to go along with a team-leading eight rebounds in the contest in 22 minutes of action off the Bruins' bench. 

What It Means

George Fox falls to 0-2 on the year with the series sweep at the hands of the Pirates.

What Happens Next

The Bruins will hit the road again for another trip to the state of Washington next weekend as they visit NWC foe the Whitman Blues to play a back-to-back series in Walla Walla starting on Friday at 2:00 PM followed by a Saturday matchup at 1:00 PM.