NEWBERG, Ore. -- The George Fox men's basketball team fell, 73-72, in a tense battle against La Verne, losing on a pair of late free throws to drop the game.
How It Happened
The Bruins had a slow start to the game that the Leopards took full advantage of; La Verne scored the first seven points before
Dre Lawrence ended their streak with a driving layup. Despite the score difference, GFU's defense was making it difficult for ULV to score. With 13 minutes left in the first half, the Bruins' offense started to light up;
Sydney Natche broke the cold streak with a smooth layup to make the score 12-4.
If the first 10 minutes of the first half were defensive-based, the last 10 minutes were all about offense for GFU. Sophomore
Luke Tobin brought the heat by making the first triple of the game for the Bruins. Tobin was quick to score again — this time charging in for a layup, 16-9. George Fox continued to close the gap and made the game a close 25-18 by continuing to produce on offense;
Jamar Mitchell, Natche, and Tobin each contributed jumpers, with Tobin also seeing the net for a three-pointer.
For the rest of the half, Fox held La Verne down, ending the half on a 12-0 run. In the final three minutes, Mitchell scored two smooth layups, Natche pulled a jumper after getting an offensive rebound, and both
Anthony Williams and
Nico Cervantes got on the board after swishing treys. The Bruins ended the first half with a five-point lead, 30-25, after continuing their offensive energy.
Cory Schramm continued the energy for Fox with a triple of his own — the second of his career — to start things off in the second half. Following right behind Schramm was Natche and
Jake Centner with two three pointers to widen the gap in the Bruins' favor, 40-30. Tobin built off of this, expanding on his career day with two from the charity stripe and one behind the arc. Natche was a threat to be reckoned with on both sides of the court; on defense, Natche blocked an ULV dunk attempt in a highlight play before running back to make a trey. Suddenly, the Bruins' lead had ballooned to 16.
The Leopards weren't backing down from the Bruins' pressure and began to put up more of a front through their offense. The score became 54-44, as Cervantes kept GFU's offense alive with two successful triples. With eight minutes left, George Fox reproduced their actions in the first half and gained two consecutive offensive rebounds. Cervantes continued to succeed offensively, making both of his free throws and swishing a three-pointer shortly after to make the total 61-54.
It was in the last five minutes of the second half that the contest became a battle on the court. La Verne crept back into the game as they played the short game with layups to make the difference smaller, 62-60, and eventually tied the game in the closing minutes. With time winding down, fouls became the name of the game.
Jake Centner, who helped the Bruins take a three-point lead late with key free throws, was tagged with his fifth foul, sending La Verne to the line with the score tied, 70-70. The Leopards hit one, but Natche responded in turn, drawing a foul with 37 seconds left. The freshman made both of his free throws to give Fox the lead.
With 14 seconds left, an offensive rebound by Jame Christian gave the Leopards life. Christian was fouled on the putback attempt and went to the line to give ULV the lead back. The junior sank both, and the ball was back in Fox's court. Natche again drove to the hoop, but couldn't find the net on the driving layup attempt. The ensuing rebound ping-ponged around several players, taking nearly six seconds before a jump ball was called. With the arrow in the Leopards' favor and just a second remaining in the game, La Verne ran out the clock and handed the Bruins a heartbreaking loss, 72-73.
Top Performances
Luke Tobin led George Fox in points for the night with a career-high 17, finishing 3-4 from deep. Tobin was followed by
Sydney Natche with 15, who also recorded three steals.
Nico Cervantes was next with 14 points, including four from behind the arc, while
Anthony Williams led the team with five assists.
Jamar Mitchell had a team-high eight rebounds alongside 10 points, while
Cory Schramm had three blocks.
What It Means
La Verne rises to 1-1 while George Fox falls to 0-2 on the young season.
What Happens Next
Following a week off of games, George Fox will travel to Forest Grove, Ore., to compete in the Ken Schumann Classic on Friday, November 21. The Bruins' first game of the classic will be against Concordia-Chicago.
