NEWBERG, Ore. -- The George Fox men's basketball team defeated the nationally-ranked Whitworth Pirates in a close game — taking down the Pirates in dramatic fashion, 81-87.

How It Happened 
The first half began strong for the Bruins, as Momo Stokes made the first shot before Chris Nickelberry came in with a driving layup; Stokes was on fire in the first — a sign of things to come — knocking down two clean three-pointers within less than a minute of each other as the Bruins pounced on the No. 15 Pirates, taking an 18-4 lead in the opening five minutes. 

After the opening rally, the Pirates started gaining control little by little. Before Fox knew it, Whitworth was on Fox's heels, as the Pirates embarked on an extended 25-9 run to cut the GFU lead to one. Aiden Price, Nick Greenwood, and Samual Stewart IV kept the Pirates at bay with points scattered throughout the run. After the Pirates knotted the game for the first time, Nick Greenwood gave the Bruins' defense some air with another layup, 34-36, as the Bruins pulled ahead for only a short amount of time before the Pirates made their way to a tie — Diego Jaques' layup in the final second tying the game at 42 to end the first period.

Fox immediately got their heads in the game as the second half started. Cory Schramm had a tip-in right off the bat, and then Jake Centner and Stokes made back-to-back three-pointers, adding a strong portion to the score—50-42. As the period went on each team went back and forth, but Fox remained in the lead. 

Each time Whitworth got close, the Bruins answered the call. Whether it was a DJ Evans triple or a Schramm dunk, George Fox stayed on top — in fact, the Bruins never trailed in the game. With time winding down, though, that fact seemed to be in jeopardy; with two minutes left, the lead was down to three, 76-73. But rather than back down, Stokes led a strong charge, hitting two free throws to extend the lead. Whitworth would never get closer than four in the remainder of the game, with Fox knocking down their free throws. The game ended fittingly, with Stokes surpassing the 30-point mark for the fourth time in his career with several free throws down the stretch as the Bruins picked up a big-time win, 87-81.

Top Performers
Momo Stokes had 32 points total, five rebounds, three assists, and three steals, while Samuel Stewart IV had a total of 14 points, three assists, and five steals. Nick Greenwood had 10 points, five rebounds, while Aiden Price had nine points, and three rebounds for the night.

Top Performers
"For the second consecutive game I thought we played our best game of the season," Bruin head coach Maco Hamilton, "Our defense continues to be the staple. It was a fun environment to compete in and I'm proud of our guys."

What It Means 
The Bruins now have an overall record of 7-7 and an NWC record of 3-2. The No. 15 Pirates now have an overall record of 12-2 and a conference record of 3-2. The win for the Bruins is their third over a ranked team in the past two years after wins against No. 23 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps and No. 14 Emory one season ago.

What Comes Next
The George Fox men's basketball team plays their next game on January 18 at home against the Whitman Blues. The game is scheduled to start at 4:00 pm.