NEWBERG, Ore. -- In their first Northwest Conference tournament game since 2017, the George Fox men's basketball team fought hard, hanging around in the first half, before ultimately losing to the top-seeding Whitman Blues, 64-86.

How It Happened
The Bruins started out strong in the first, defending the Whitman offense well in a defensive contest — After 10 minutes, Fox trailed 7-12. Kade Sorenson got the Fox bench on their feet with a four-point play to cut the lead to one before taking the lead, 16-15, on an Austin Clark triple. The lead changed hands several times before a Whitman 7-0 run allowing the Blues to grab control with a 27-20 lead. At the half, seven Chris Nickelberry points led Fox as the Bruins trailed, 27-33.

Caffo Murphy came out of the halftime locker room on fire for the Blues, scoring seven of the first nine points as Whitman took a 12-point lead. A Nickelberry and-one, a James Moore jumper, and a Clark layup brought the deficit back to seven points, the closest Fox would get in the remainder of the game.

A 14-3 run from Whitman gave the Blues control of the game for good as they extended their advantage to 18 points with 12 minutes remaining. Fox went cold from the field, with the only bucket by the Bruins over the next few minutes a Nickelberry triple. The final bucket of Davon Walker's GFU career came with 6:44 remaining in the game as the senior knocked down a jumper. With 12 seconds left, Nick Greenwood hit two free throws to end the Bruins' season, losing their first NWC Tourney game in six years, 64-86.

Top Performers
Nickelberry led the Bruins with 17 points on 50% shooting, while four additional players scored eight or more points. Greenwood was the other Bruin scorer with double digits, finishing the night with 11. Nickelberry also finished the night with 11 rebounds to finish with a double-double, the second of his career.

Coach's Thoughts
"I'm so proud of this team," Bruin head coach Maco Hamilton, "The sting of defeat doesn't trump how proud of this group I am. This journey has been amazing and I hope a stepping stone for the future."

What It Means
The Bruins finish the season with a 9-17 record, 8-8 in the conference, their best conference record since 2017.