McMINNVILLE, Ore. -- The George Fox men's basketball team couldn't quite close out their second half comeback against the Linfield Wildcats, dropping their first game of the new year, 71-79. 

How It Happened
Linfield opened the game with three straight free throws to jump out to the early lead, before Fox responded with a layup and a jumper from Cory Schramm and Samuel Stewart IV. The two sides traded buckets for the first half of the period, before Linfield began to heat up; going on a seven point run to pull eight points ahead. Fox retaliated instantly, however, as a Jake Bishop three pointer was followed by a jumper by Jamar Mitchell and a layup from Nick Greenwood to close the gap to just one.

The Bruins would continue to make buckets throughout the period, but struggled to keep pace with the Linfield offense; outshot 5-9 in the final seven minutes of the half. Triples from Jake Centner and Stewart IV were crucial in keeping Fox within striking distance, who went into halftime 11 points behind, 33-44.

Though the Wildcats scored first in the second half, Fox was explosive offensively, nailing three straight triples on their way to an electric 16 point run that shot them into the lead, 53-48. The two teams traded buckets for the next few minutes; the scores level midway through the half. However, another big run from Linfield put Fox in an eight point deficit with seven minutes to play. 

Linfield extended their lead to 15, after several Bruin fouls were followed by two straight layups from the Wildcats — putting Fox in a deep hole with one minute on the clock. The Bruins never gave up, scoring seven points in the last 45 seconds of play, but couldn't beat the clock, eventually dropping the game, 71-79.

Top Performers
Samuel Stewart IV led the Bruins for the second consecutive game, ending the day with 19 points after going 8-9 from the floor. The senior also led the team in both rebounds (7) and assists (9). Jake Bishop also had a double digit performance with 15 points — the second-most of his career so far, after knocking down four triples. Defensively, Nick Greenwood recorded three steals and a block.

What It Means
Fox falls to 5-6 on the season (1-1 NWC), while Linfield improves to 4-7 (1-1 NWC).

What It Means
The Bruins play a rare Tuesday game, traveling to Forest Grove, Ore. to face Pacific on January 7. Tip-off is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.