SPOKANE, Wash. --- The George Fox men's basketball team started off it's final road trip of the regular season on Friday night as it headed to Whitworth with possible contention for a conference playoff spot. The Bruins entered the night needing a road sweep of the Whits to earn a trip to the NWc tournament. The Bruins ultimately saw that postseason aspiration fall short with a 91-67 road loss. 

How it Happened

The Pirates nearly led wire-to-wire in the first half after scoring the opening basket. George Fox traded the lead early and kept things close, trailing by less than five points for the majority of the period. Zac Schmerber, coming off a scoreless game last Saturday, would not be similarly silenced by the Pirates, scoring 13 points in 13 minutes of action in the opening frame. Adam Damian added nine points in the first half but George Fox struggled to get production beyond those two, trailing 44-34 at the break.

The Bruins were unable to get a handle on things in the second half. The second half as Whitworth played into its home court advantage and stretched the lead throughout the period. Schmerber and company did their best to wrangle the Pirates, but ultimately Whitworth kept pulling away for a 91-67 final score.

Top Performers 

Schmerber finished his night with 20 points, squeezing out every ounce of effort he could in the loss. Adam Damian finished with 11 on the night.

What it Means

The Bruins were officially eliminated from NWC tournament contention with the loss, needing to win their final two games to qualify for the postseason. They fall to 11-13 and 6-9 in NWC play. 

Up Next

George Fox will finish off the 2021-22 basketball season tomorrow night on the road at Whitman, with tip scheduled for 6:00 pm.