FOREST GROVE, Ore. -- Despite a late comeback attempt from the George Fox men's basketball team, the Bruins dropped the first game of the Ken Schumann Classic to Concordia Chicago, 78-66.

How It Happened
Concordia Chicago drew first blood, taking the first four points of the game from the Bruins. George Fox's Sydney Natche was quick to retaliate, taking back score five early points to help draw the Bruins even with an additional Dre Lawrence free throw.

The Cougars began to pull away, racking up 19 points to the Bruins' 11. Quick to remedy the situation, Jake Centner and Noah Marte produced back-to-back three-pointers to raise the score to 19–17 and keep the Cougars within reach. Natche made two consecutive baskets before the Cougars fired off three triples in a row to secure an eleven-point lead. Luke Tobin closed out the half with a final layup for the Bruins, but the score remained tipped in favor of the Cougars, 36–29, leaving a seven-point deficit for George Fox to reclaim in the second period.

The Cougars didn't take their foot off the gas, adding an immediate two more points to their lead at the start of the second period. Centner broke Concordia's momentum with a layup, but this was countered by a 10-point run that put George Fox down by more than 20, 54–32.

Centner was the one to break the Cougars' streak once again, scoring two to end the run. The Bruins battled back with the help of a three-pointer by Centner, followed by layups from Marte and Cory Schramm. A jump shot by Anthony Williams and a steal and free throws from Rylan Nelson put the Bruins back in the game, shortening the deficit to 63–52.

With four minutes left, the Bruins broke into single digits. Natche had five straight points, including an acrobatic and-one, to cut the Concordia lead to just six, 57-63. However, a series of fouls allowed the Cougars free-throw opportunities, giving them the chance to widen the gap to 14, 71–57.

The Bruins weren't able to close the gap from there, and though Natche had the last word with a final layup to raise the score to 78–66, the Bruins exited the court with a loss.

Top Performances
Freshman Sydney Nache dominated on offense, scoring a career-high 24 points to keep the Bruins in range of Concordia. Nache also stacked six rebounds to help himself to more scoring opportunities. Jake Centner sank 12 points for the Bruins, while also collecting six rebounds. Cory Schramm led the Bruins in rebounds with nine, and contributed six points on offense. Vanndon Heard had seven rebounds throughout the game, alongside a stunning five blocks.

What It Means
George Fox is 0-3 on the young season. Concordia Chicago captured their first win of the season, advancing to a 1-2 record. 

What Comes Next
The Bruins will stay in Forest Grove and look to improve for day two of the Ken Schumann Classic against Northwest Indian College. The game will begin at 4:00 pm on Saturday, November 22.