NEWBERG, Ore. -- The George Fox men's basketball team used a second-half run to pull away from Whitworth on Friday night, earning their first win over the Pirates in over nine years, 90-84.

How It Happened
The first half was tightly contested, with both teams shooting 33% from deep and similar numbers in overall field goal percentage. In a defensive-minded half, the Bruins led with five minutes left, 25-22, with Whitworth methodically hitting jumpers to keep the game close.

With 44 seconds left, Whitworth's Rowan Anderson hit a triple to put his squad up 31-29, before James Moore responded with a three of his own to put the Bruins back on top to bring his halftime total to ten. The Pirates fired back with a two-point buzzer beater that touched every inch of the rim before going in to give the Pirates a 34-33 halftime advantage. Fox was severely outrebounded in the first half — losing the rebound battle 29-13 while giving up 11 offensive boards– but poor Pirate shooting kept Fox in the game. 

It wouldn't take long in the second half for Fox to take back the lead: 30 seconds in, a Moore steal led to a Chris Nickelberry layup that gave GFU the lead. At the 17-minute mark, Austin Clark took over. The sophomore scored on five consecutive possessions himself, a solo 14-2 run that featured four triples and a layup to turn the tides. The 12-point lead that Fox accumulated thanks to the run would be too much for Whitworth to overcome, and though they came close to starting a comeback in the final minutes, the Bruin defense held firm to give their team the monumental win, 90-84.

The Bruins shot an absurd 70% from the field in the second half and hit threes at a 54% clip. They brought the rebounds closer in the second half, limiting the Pirate's second-chance points. The improvement on the glass and the ridiculously efficient shooting performance pushed the Bruins over the edge into victory.

Top Performances
James Moore shot at a high mark from everywhere on the floor, shooting 6-8 from the field, including 2-4 on threes and 8-9 at the charity stripe. Chris Nickelberry had 17 points, seven points, and four assists. All 14 of Clark's points on the night came during his three-minute stint as a flamethrower, while Davon Walker scored seven in his first game back after missing nearly a month due to injury.

Coach's Thoughts
"That win goes without saying," Bruin head coach Maco Hamilton said, "We held up well in the paint which gave us a chance and then our ability from the three-point line was the difference. It's an exciting night to be a Bruin."

What It Means
Fox improves to 7-15, and inches closer to .500 in conference play (6-7). Whitworth falls to 14-9 (9-5 NWC).

What Comes Next
The Bruins face off against Whitman on Saturday in their second of four straight home games. Tip-off is at 6 pm.