NEWBERG, Ore. – The George Fox men's basketball team found themselves down by as much as 18 in their contest against the University of Puget Sound Loggers before cutting the lead down to a single possession multiple times; however, their comeback would fall short as the Loggers held off GFU to win, 82-71. 

How It Happened
The Bruins fell behind quickly in the first half, 4-16 at the 15-minute mark. Samuel Stewart IV and Jake Centner hit back-to-back threes to end the run and cut the lead to 16-10 shortly after. However, the Loggers responded with a 9-2 run over the next 3:50 of play, pushing the deficit to 25-12 with less than ten minutes remaining in the half. 

The offense picked up steam in the final minutes of the first half — led by Stewart IV, who ended the half with 17 points. However, the defense could not find answers for the UPS offense, and the half ended with Fox behind 42-26. The 16-point lead was the second largest of the half, the largest coming with 6:30 left in the half, 34-16. 

The second half started with a Cory Schramm bucket down low, followed by another triple from Center and a bucket from Stewart IV to bring the lead down to ten, 43-33, with 18:35 left . Center hit a driving layup to cut the lead down to 43-36, capping a 10-1 run with just over 15 minutes left in the half. The surge was what the Bruins needed, bringing them back into the game with increased shot-making and defensive energy, and with 13 minutes left in the contest the Bruins cut the lead to just three, 49-46. 

The Loggers found a response however, coming back with an 11-1 run that pushed the lead back to 13, 60-47 with 9:29 left. Fox found yet another run, this time a 17-5 five-minute stretch, carried by a 9-9 run at the free throw line – along seven points from Momo Stokes in the run – to inch closer. Schramm had the highlight of the day, a put-back dunk that left GFU down by three yet again, 67-64 with 3:46. UPS's offense did just enough over the final three minutes to keep the Bruins at bay, as Fox lost the last three minutes 15-7, while shooting just 2-6 from the field and 0-2 from beyond the arc. As the final horn blew, the score was 82-71, GFU. 

Top Performances
Samuel Stewart IV led the offense with a season-high 28 points, while also snagging three steals and seven rebounds. Cory Schramm had a double-double, grabbing 11 boards and putting up 10 points, and Jake Centner scored 14 and hit three triples. 

What It Means
The Bruins fall to 7-9 and 3-4 in NWC play, while the Loggers improve to 7-9 (2-5 NWC). 

What Comes Next
Fox faces off against the Lewis & Clark Pioneers on the road, on Saturday, January 25, tip-off is at 4 pm.