SALEM, Ore. --- The George Fox men's basketball team put its last 2020-21 game in the books on Saturday, Apr. 24, with an 86-70 road win over Willamette.

How It Happened

The Bruins fought their way out of an early 9-4 hole with jumpers from Zach Sly and Brendan Ritschard, and by the middle of the first half George Fox took the lead with a trey from Zac Schmerber. After grabbing the lead, 16-13, the Bruins traded buckets with the Bearcats the rest of the way until taking a 38-32 lead into the locker room at halftime.

In the second half the Bruins were able to force nine Bearcat turnovers and used their takeaways to notch a double-digit lead early in the period. George Fox would go on to outscore the Bearcats by 10 in the half for the sixteen-point win after some hot shooting by Ryan Lacey in the half, as the senior wing went 6-for-7 in the last 20 minutes of his collegiate career.

Top Performers

Lacey led the way in his last game as a Bruin with 21 points and seven made jumpers, all from inside the arc. JD Ahlstrom tied for the team lead with six boards in his last game as a Bruin, and Jackson Januik grabbed two boards, made two steals, and dished out three assists in his last game as a Bruin.

What It Means

The Bruins and their three seniors get to close out 2020-21 with a win and finish the year at 5-11 overall and 5-5 in the NWC standings. Lacey, who wore no. 11 during his tenure, dropped 21 points in his final game to clock in at 11th all-time in scoring at Fox with 1387 in his four seasons.