NEWBERG, Ore. -- The George Fox men's basketball team flexed their muscles in the first three-quarters of the game against Pacific, amassing a 19-point advantage with eight minutes to go, before holding off a charging Boxer squad to win their fifth straight game, 85-79.

How It Happened
Fox stymied the Pacific offense in the opening stages of the game, holding the Boxer offense to just 10 points in the first 13 minutes of the game; the Bruins held their opponents to 26% shooting from the field and 20% from deep in the opening stanza. Fox feasted on triples to start the game — with James Moore nailing and Joshua Jones burying one to account for nine of Fox's opening 12 points.

Following the early treys, the game quickly shifted into the Aiden Price show; the freshman tallying 12 of his 14 points in the first half to help the Bruins jump out ahead of the Boxers. A tough layup from Momo Stokes in the waning seconds of the game gave Fox a 38-29 advantage at the break.

The beginning of the second half featured a frenzied pace, with both teams making their way quickly down the floor. Austin Clark took advantage of the open space in the fast break, nailing two triples to help push Fox's lead to a comfortable double-digit margin. With exactly eight minutes remaining in the game, a Stokes layup gave the home Bruins a 19-point advantage.

From there, though, the Boxers chipped away at the Bruin lead. With 2:54 remaining, the 66-47 lead had been cut back to a 12-point advantage. Then, costly Bruin turnovers and missed shots put the game in jeopardy — with one minute remaining in the game, Fox's advantage was just two points, 81-79. Though Fox missed two free throws to close the stretch, a key offensive rebound from Nick Greenwood kept the ball in the hands of the home squad, gifting them more points at the line and a gritty 85-79 win.

Top Performances 
James Moore led all players with 16 points on the evening, pulling in eight rebounds as well. Nick Greenwood's game-clinching rebound was no fluke, as the junior tallied a career-high 11 to finish with his first career double-double. A quartet of Bruin — Greenwood, Aiden Price, Samuel Stewart IV, and Austin Clark — led the team in assists with three, while Price finished with 14 on a 7-10 shooting day.

Coach's Thoughts
"We learned this week that we are not at the pinnacle of who we can be as a team," Bruin head coach Maco Hamilton said, "I'm looking forward to a new week of preparation ahead of Whitworth and Whitman coming to Miller."

What It Means
The Bruins improve to 11-2 (4-0 NWC) — their best start since the program began the year 14-1 in 1990-91. The Boxers fall to 7-6 (1-3 NWC).

What Comes Next
The Bruins will be back at home for a crucial Whit weekend; Fox will first face defending NWC Tournament Champion Whitworth (8-5, 4-0 NWC) on Friday, Jan. 12. Tip-off is scheduled for 8:00 p.m.