WALLA WALLA, Wash. -- The George Fox Men's basketball team lead for the majority of the game, before slipping in the final minutes in their 81-86 loss to the Whitman Blues.

How It Happened
Momo Stokes had six early points as George Fox opened the game with an 11-2 run in the first three minutes. Fox's superior three-point percentage and ability to get to the free throw line set up well for the half, the Bruins made eight triples and shot 9-13 from the line. In addition to the offense, Fox's press generated four first-half steals, two of which came from James Moore. The steals and other Whitman turnovers resulted in 14 points off turnovers in the half. With five minutes left in the first, the Bruins led by nine, but the Blues responded with a ten-point run to take the lead. 34-33. GFU weathered the storm and took the lead right back; an Austin Clark three with nine seconds left put the Bruins up 43-37 going into halftime.

Unfortunately for the Bruins, the Blues' shooting blues didn't stay for the second half, as they improved their shooting percentage to 51%. Fox would have to withstand yet another surge, as Whitman opened the half with a 10-2 run to tie the game and grabbed the lead. The Bruins found themselves down nine points with just five minutes in the back-and-forth battle. Fox once again responded, rattling off a 7-3 run to bring them to within two. 

The Bruins found ways to stick around, and with 1:13 seconds on the clock, Momo Stokes hit a huge shot to bring the Bruins to within one. After a pair of Whitman free throws, Stokes came through again drawing a foul after a brilliant show of the Bruins' defense he hit two free throws to once again make the game a one-point game with under a minute left. However, Fox failed to stop Whitman on the other end, and the Blues scored a driving layup to put them up three with 18 seconds left. A Fox turnover on the next possession effectively ended the game, as Whitman hit their free throws at the end of the game to hand Fox an 86-81 loss.

Top Performances
Momo Stokes had 23 points, leading Fox in scoring. Davon Walker chipped in 17 points, six rebounds, and two assists. Chris Nickelberry, who has been averaging a team-high 5.7 boards as a guard, set a new career-high with 13 on the glass tonight.

What It Means 
The Bruins are now  3-11 (2-3 NWC),  while Whitman improves to 12-3 (5-1 NWC).

What Comes Next
Fox continues their trip to the "Whits", playing in Spokane on Saturday against Whitworth at 6 p.m.