NEWBERG, Ore -- After the Wildcats took a narrow two-point lead at halftime, the George Fox men's basketball team was unable to hang on to a late lead in the second half, falling by a final score of 70-67.
How It Happened
The first half got off to a quick start, with neither team pulling ahead for quite a while, as both defenses kept the opposing offenses at bay. Just past the halfway point, George Fox Men's Basketball opened up a nine-point lead and looked to be taking the momentum into half. However, the Wildcats answered back, going on a 9-0 run to knot the game at 34. Fox wrestled away the lead with an and-one, but a foul in the final seconds gave the Wildcats a two-point lead going into half after two free throws found the bottom of the net.
The second half started much like the first, with both teams scoring quickly and continuing a fast pace of play. As the halfway point approached, the Bruins jumped out to an eight-point lead after Jeffry Anyimah drove for two and was fouled to the line. However, the Wildcats did not let up, chipping away at the Bruin lead as the game entered the six-minute range.
Fox kept them at arm's length, consistently hitting free throws to stay in front — the Bruins hit 13 from the charity stripe in the second alone. Meanwhile, the defense used a full-court press to their advantage, snatching multiple steals from the pressured Wildcats, though the steals didn't always turn into points. As the final two minutes arrived, the Wildcats made a surge to take the lead using a 12-2 run to grab a three-point lead.
The Bruins had three chances to tie or take the lead in the final seconds. The first came when
Austin Clark was fouled on a triple with 14 seconds remaining. Clark hit two of three from the line to cut the lead to one, but Fox's best chance to snag the win came with seven seconds remaining. Down by two,
Chris Nickelberry found
Kade Sorenson on the wing for a potential go-ahead triple from the corner. However, the shot was just long, spinning out of the basket and into the hands of Wildcat Trey Bryant. While Bryant missed one free throw, the Bruins were unable to convert on the other, falling to Linfield, 70-67.
Top Performances
Chris Nickelberry,
James Moore, and
Kade Sorenson topped the scoring category for the Bruins with 13, 10, and 10 respectively. The three combined for an 11-28 night from the field including four triples and seven from the line. On the defensive side of the ball,
Adam Damian used his size to swat three blocks, much to the delight of the fans in attendance, while
Austin Clark and Nickelberry snatched two steals apiece to keep the momentum going.
What It Means
The Bruins drop to 4-6 while the Wildcats improve to 5-5 in conference play.
What Comes Next
The Bruins play next at 8:00 p.m. against Pacific Lutheran on Friday in Tacoma, Wash.
