ATLANTA -- The George Fox men's basketball team was sure to get head coach Maco Hamilton a late Christmas present in Georgia, gifting him his 100th career win as the Bruins took down a Maryville (Tenn.) team that received votes in the D3Hoops.com poll, 97-84, to continue their torrid start to the season.

How It Happened
The Bruins started the game with authority, with a Samuel Stewart IV fastbreak slam in the opening minutes setting the tone. Though the Scots countered to take a brief 11-10 lead, Aiden Price scored eight of the next 12 Bruin points to give the team a six-point lead.

With nine minutes remaining in the first half, the Scots inched within one point of the Bruins; that one-point deficit would be the closest they would get to George Fox for the remainder of the game. Jett Briceno provided a spark off the bench, burying consecutive triples as the Fox offense got up and running. At one point in the waning minutes of the half, the Bruins scored on seven consecutive possessions, shooting 63% from the field in the half and holding Maryville to 1-12 shooting from deep to give Fox a 57-38 lead at halftime.

Though the Bruin offense shot a hair below 40% from the field in the second half, the defense kept the game in check; Maryville never closed the game within nine points, with the Fox men answering every challenge the Scots had. 

Though the Scots put forth a 14-2 run to cut the score to nine points with 13 minutes remaining, the Bruins responded with a 9-0 run of their own. When Maryville's Daryl Rice cut the lead to 10 points with six minutes remaining, it was Austin Clark who stepped up for the Bruins, burying a trey to keep the lead safe. Momo Stokes and Nick Greenwood closed out the game with 8-8 shooting from the free throw line to give Hamilton his 100th win all-time and give the team a 97-84 victory.

Top Performances
Aiden Price led the Bruins in scoring with another efficient performance off the bench — the freshman scored 22 points on 10-13 shooting, pulling in five rebounds as well. Momo Stokes put himself in the Bruin record books with a historic 11-11 shooting performance from the free throw line, good for the fourth-most free throws made without a miss in school history. Jett Briceno recorded eight points on 3-3 shooting, including 2-2 from deep, while Austin Clark finished with two blocks.

Coach's Thoughts
"Today was very reminiscent of previous games," Bruin head coach Maco Hamilton said, "where we play a phenomenal first half and then have to fight to maintain that intensity in the second. The guys made some great plays on both ends to keep Maryville at bay and give us another quality win."

What It Means
With his 100th win, Hamilton becomes the third Bruin coach to record triple-digit victories, joining Mark Sundquist (137) and Mark Vernon (318). At 8-2 (2-0 NWC) overall, the Bruins continue to tally their best start since Hamilton's first season. With the loss, Maryville falls to 8-3.

What Happens Next
The Bruins will face the winner of the game between Mary Washington (7-4) and No. 14 Emory (7-1). The game is scheduled for 11:00 a.m.