NEWBERG, Ore. -- After a hard-fought two halves, the George Fox men's basketball team was unable to overcome a hot-shooting Illinois Wesleyan team, falling 77-65 in a midweek matchup.
How It Happened
The game, originally scheduled for December 30, has been rescheduled after Illinois Wesleyan was unable to find a flight into Newberg. The new game gave the Bruins a chance to continue to play in their new reality — one without high-scorers
Momo Stokes and
Davon Walker — without playing in a league contest.
The Bruins got their scoring started off hot with a swished triple from beyond the arc by
Adam Damian, one of only four treys from the Bruins in the half. although no team jumped out to a large lead, the Titans began to extend late in the first half, holding the Bruins scoreless for five minutes. The Titans took advantage, turning a 21-17 deficit into a 33-26 lead at the half.
Much like the first half, the Bruins got their scoring started early, with
Chris Nickelberry draining a mid-range jumper to put the Bruins within five.
Adam Damian followed a minute later with a triple to put the Bruins within a score, and Fox took a 44-41 lead minutes later with a
James Moore trey. However, the Bruins soon fell cold again. A 19-0 run from the Titans shifted momentum and gave Illinois Wesleyan the lead to stay. Lucas Hefflan, who was scoreless for the Titans in the first half, scored 17 in the second with five shots from behind the arc.
Though the Bruins strung together some points late in the half, Fox was never able to get the game down to single digits, leading to a final score of 77-65.
Top Performances
James Moore, Kade Sorensen, and
Charlie Powers led the offensive effort for the Bruins, providing 12,11, and 10 respectively. They shot a combined 10-21 from the floor that included six triples to propel the Bruins offensively. On the defensive side of the ball,
Chris Nickelberry snatched three steals while
Chase Januik contributed two, and
Adam Damian also had two blocks to aid the Bruin effort. Nickelberry led the team with eight rebounds, all defensive.
What It Means
The Bruins drop to 4-13 (3-5 NWC) on the season, while the Titans improve to 10-8 (5-4 CCIW) on the year. Illinois Wesleyan finishes the year 2-0 against NWC opponents, beating Linfield on Monday, 76-68.
What Comes Next
The Bruins take the court next on Friday against Willamette at 8:00 p.m. in Newberg.