TACOMA, Wash. -- The George Fox men's basketball team overcame a 12-point second-half deficit to pick up a clutch 75-70 win over the Pacific Lutheran on Saturday evening. 

How It Happened 
The Lutes started the game off with a shot from Emmett Hull, giving them a 2-0 lead over the Bruins. Fox player Samuel Stewart IV retaliated with a three-pointer after receiving an assist from Chris Nickelberry. The game stood at a standstill over the next two minutes until each team scored again. PLU went on a 6-0 run in the seventeenth minute – making the score 5-8. 

The game went back-and-forth for much of the game, with the Bruins taking an eight-point lead before Lutes finished strong, grabbing the lead back with a 13-0 run. The Bruins maintained their fight, but they weren't able to gain back the lead by the end of the half — the end score of the first half was 35-42 with Pacific Lutheran in the lead. 

The second half started similarly to the first half, the ball went back and forth between each team — the Lutes taking a 12 point lead over the Bruins heading into the back half of the second. As has been the case for much of the season, Momo Stokes got things going in the Bruin comeback attempt with a three-pointer in the 14th minute, starting a 5-0 run for the Bruins. 

Before the Lutes could blink, George Fox had tightened up the score up to 51-53. Cory Schramm tied things up for the Bruins with eight minutes to go, 57-57, before Pacific Lutheran pulled ahead with three minutes left. In the closing moments, the Bruins made things count at the line, with Jake Centner making two free throws with two free throws. Nick Greenwood added two more to the board for the Bruins, stealing the ball and drawing a foul to give Fox the lead, 71-70 . The Bruin defense shut down the Lutes in the final minutes, with Stokes and Centner adding the final free throws to give Fox the 75-70 win.

Top Performers
Momo Stokes had 17 points, three assists, and three steals in the win, while Samuel Stewart IV had a total of 15 points, two assists, and five rebounds. Jake Centner had 15 points, four rebounds, and two steals, while Cory Schramm led the team with eight rebounds.

Coach's Thoughts
"Loved the competitive energy and connectivity from our guys tonight," Bruin head coach Maco Hamilton, "I'm glad the fruits of their last few days of practice paid off tonight."

What It Means 
The Bruins now have an overall record of 6-7 and an NWC record of 2-2. The Lutes now have an overall record of 4-9 and a conference record of 1-3.

What Comes Next
The George Fox men's basketball team plays their next game on January 17 at home against a nationally-ranked Whitworth squad. The game is scheduled to start at 6pm.