NEWBERG, Ore. -- A last-second layup doomed the George Fox men's basketball team in their 84-85 loss to the McMurray War Hawks, the first home game for the men in 38 days.
How It Happened
The Bruins struggled in the first half, trailing by as many as 13 points with six minutes remaining. Fox rallied from this deficit, though — after an explosive 10-2 run brought them within two points, the game shifted to a neck-and-neck battle. The Bruins went into halftime down by six, 41-47. McMurry big-man Elias Garcia had 18 points in the first half, the leading scorer in the game. Fox also dealt with foul trouble, with
Momo Stokes picking up quick fouls that sent him to the bench for extended periods.
Fox ramped up the intensity to begin the second, forcing four turnovers in just over four minutes and tying the game at 54. A
Nick Greenwood layup with 13 minutes left gave the Bruins their first lead since the early minutes of the first half. Back-and-forth action kept the game close, and with both teams in foul trouble, the Bruins had plenty of chances at the charity stripe. However, Fox struggled to convert those chances into points, shooting just 57% at the line in the half on 21 attempts.
With 35 seconds left in the game, Stokes went 1-2 at the line to put the Bruins up by one point. In a wild sequence in the closing seconds, McMurry's TJ Hilliard's putback layup with seconds left gave the War Hawks a one-point lead with just one second left in the game. Fox's last-second heave from half court fell short as McMurry bested the Bruins, 85-84.
Top Performances
Chris Nickelberry impressed again offensively, leading the Bruins in scoring with 17, and leading in efficiency as well.
Davon Walker added 13 points and 7 rebounds, leading the team in rebounds. In total, Fox forced 24 turnovers, with Nickelberry recording four steals.
What It Means
The Bruins drop to 2-7 (1-1 NWC) on the season, while McMurry improves to 4-9 (3-3 Conference).
What Comes Next
George Fox plays again on Wednesday at 7:00 pm, hosting the red-hot Hardin-Simmons Cowboys, who are on a four-game win streak.
