SANTA CRUZ, Calif. -- The George Fox men's basketball team wrapped up their California showcase with a 87-95 loss against the UC Santa Cruz Banana Slugs.
How It Happened
Both teams took their time warming up in the early part of the first half – points didn't begin pouring in until around ten minutes into the game, as Fox trailed just 15-16.. The two teams battled closely, with a run by the Slugs at the tail end of the half giving UC Santa Cruz a nine-point advantage.
Chris Nickelberry made sure the game stayed close, though, scoring four points in the final minute to keep the halftime deficit close, 35-41.
At the beginning of the second half the Bruins came out strong, with
Momo Stokes scoring a three-pointer in the first minute of the game, giving the team momentum. Down 59-50, balanced Bruin scoring helped the Bruins eke back into the game — Stokes,
DJ Evans, and
Nick Greenwood all scored as the defense held the Slugs back. A Greenwood layup with 11 minutes left gave the Bruins a 61-60 lead.
From there, each team went back and forth on the scoring front — but ultimately, the Slugs slowly pulled away. After a Santa Cruz extended 13-5 scoring run put them ahead by seven, the Bruins could get no closer than four. Six straight points from Stokes and another Greenwood layup had the Bruins within striking distance, but timely triples from UCSC's Andrew Ferrara-Jones kept Fox at bay. Though the Bruins fought hard, they dropped the game, 95-87.
Top Performers
Momo Stokes continued his hot start to the season, totaling 25 points on 7-14 shooting from the field and a 4-4 clip from deep, along with five rebounds and four assists.
Aiden Price had 20 points, six rebounds, and two assists, while
Nick Greenwood had a total of 13 points, three rebounds, and one assist.
What It Means
The Bruins now have an overall record of 1-2, while the Banana Slugs have an overall record of 2-1 heading into the remainder of the season.
What Comes Next
George Fox men's basketball will return to their home stats to play in the Ken Schumann Classic in Forest Grove, Ore. after a week off. Their next game will be against another California school in Redlands on Friday, November 22nd. The game is scheduled to begin at 4:00pm.
