NEWBERG, Ore. -- Despite the scoring prowess of the Bruins guards on Friday night, the George Fox men's basketball team couldn't pull out a win in their first game back to NWC play in the new year.
How It Happened
After a back-and-forth first half that saw seven lead changes, the Bruins went into the half down eight. The GFU bench provided 12 points, outscoring the Loggers bench by five. Fox shot just 43% from the field in the half, but their stingy defense held Puget Sound to similar shooting numbers, allowing only four threes. George Fox was still down big in the rebounding numbers, however, which hurt them defensively, they allowed 10 offensive rebounds and six second-chance points. Guards
Momo Stokes and
Davon Walker had explosive halves offensively, putting up 20 combined points between the two.
The Bruins started the second half within striking distance of one of the best teams in the conference, and a quick run at the beginning of the half brought them to a 57-57 tie. The Loggers responded, however, with a 7-0 run of their own to put themselves back on top. That pattern would repeat itself several times, with the Bruins pulling with one or two scores but never grabbing the lead. At the 7:33 mark, a Loggers layup put them up 11, and soon after Fox found themselves down 16. GFU still fought hard and got to within six points with 3.5 seconds left, but never got closer, losing the hard-fought game, 107-99. The Bruins did not hold a lead in the second half, however, they did tie the Loggers in the frame — both teams scored 57 points in the second.
Top Performances
Momo Stokes rode his 12-point first half to a 23-point scoring night, adding 4 assists and 4 steals.
Davon Walker scored 21 points on 10-12 shooting, and
Chris Nickelberry had 9 second-half points, finishing with 14.
What It Means
The Bruins fall to 2-9 on the season and 1-2 in NWC play. Puget Sound improves to 9-3 (2-1 NWC).
What Comes Next
The Bruins play on the back half of a George Fox Basketball doubleheader Saturday, matching up against Pacific Lutheran University at 6 pm at Wheeler Sports Center.
