NEWBERG, Ore. – The George Fox men's basketball season came to a close at the hands of the Willamette Bearcats, losing 94-83 to eliminate the Bruins from playoff contention. 

How It Happened
Before the game began, the Bruins honored their four graduating players — Austin Clark, James Moore, Joshua Jones, and Kade Sorenson.

The first half was back-and-forth, with neither team able to take a lead larger than one possession until Bearcats went up 19-15 with 12:05 left. It took Fox four minutes to shrink the lead back down to one possession, and they quickly turned it into a 27-25 lead after a pair of Momo Stokes free throws. Though Fox struggled to get shots to fall all night long, their defense kept them within striking distance for much of the contest.

The lead would not last long, as the Bearcats took it right back just two possessions later. Both teams went cold from the field after that, as the sides went into a lengthy scoring drought – GFU shot less than 30% in the first half as the half ended with a 10-5 Bearcat run that saw the deficit increase to double digits for Fox, heading into halftime down, 42-32 thanks to a last-second triple from Charlie Powers at the buzzer to end the half. 

The Bruins needed an offensive spark if they wanted to keep their season alive, and they got it straight out of the gate in the second half. The Bruins opened the frame with a 12-4 run that brought them within two points, down just 46-44 with 18 minutes remaining in the second half. The run was largely driven by Stokes and Samuel Stewart IV, who combined for 10 points in just over two minutes. 

Over the next few minutes, the two teams remained deadlocked scoring-wise, and with 14 minutes left in the game, GFU was down just three points with a chance to go on a run and take the lead. However, the Bearcats kept hitting timely buckets that prevented the Bruins from being able to pull closer than three points. 

Just five minutes after the Bruins pulled within a possession, Willamette found a way to extend their lead to eight points. Minutes later, the Bruins found themselves down by double digits multiple times in the final minutes of the half, a deficit they were unable to overcome. Fox shot just 27% from three in the game and were outrebounded by 18 rebounds, ultimately dropping the game, 83-94.

Top Performances
Momo Stokes capped off his stellar comeback season with 23 points and four assists. Stokes led the team in assists for the season, dishing out 45 dimes in 22 games less than a year removed from a torn ACL. Samuel Stewart IV closed his impressive debut season with the Bruins with 18 points. Other top-season performances were James Moore, who led the team in scoring and rebounds, and Aiden Price, who finished third in the team in points in his freshman season. 

Coach's Thoughts
"I'm appreciative of our seniors," Bruin head coach Maco Hamilton said following the game, "A wonderful group of men who have sacrificed so much for this program.  Their impact on this world will be tremendous!"

What It Means
The Bruins finish their season with a 14-11 (7-9 NWC) record, a vast difference from the year before, where they finished 9-17. Willamette now sits at 13-10 (8-7 NWC) and has a chance to clinch a spot in the NWC playoffs tomorrow in their final regular season game against Lewis & Clark. The Bruins' season included a pair of victories against top 25 ranked opponents, defeating then #23 Claremont Mudd-Scripps, and then #14 Emory; both of those games were on the road.