HILLSBORO, Ore. -- For the first time in 20 years, a George Fox men's basketball player has been named Northwest Conference Player of the Year.

Thanks to one of the best single-season performances in GFU history, Momo Stokes adds his name to an illustrious list of players in Bruin basketball history. The senior from San Diego was named to the All-NWC First Team, with his teammate Samuel Stewart IV being named All-NWC Honorable Mention.

Stokes was nearly unstoppable on the offensive end in his swan song with the Bruins, averaging a career-high 22.0 points per game — the fifth-highest single-season average in program history. An efficient scorer from anywhere on the field, Stokes shot 46.6% from the field, 46.5% from deep, and 76.1% from the line despite being heavily guarded and double-teamed in nearly every game.

Three times, the senior scored 30-plus points, including a 38-point performance (the fourth-most in Bruin history) that put him over the 1,000 career point mark. In 23 games, Stokes scored double-digits all but one time and scored 15 or more all but five.

"Work hard, stay patient, and let God show you how great he is!" Stokes said, "I want to thank and give credit to My 'Village' — family, friends, coaching staff, teammates, the school, community, you guys! — all of the support and love has only made me push harder for you guys. None of this is possible without your guys' support… I love you guys!"

Beyond scoring, Stokes was also a key distributor and pesky on defense, averaging 3.3 assists per game and 2.3 assists per game. Those numbers, along with his blocks and points averages, were all career highs.

Stokes becomes the first Bruin men's basketball player to be named NWC Player of the Year in exactly 20 years. Mark Gayman — who will be inducted into the George Fox Sports Hall of Fame on March 7, 2025 — picked up the honor in 2005. It's the second All-NWC First Team honor for Stokes, becoming the first Bruin to earn two in his career since Sean Atkins in 2013-14.

"I'm so extremely happy for Momo and proud of him," Bruin head coach Maco Hamilton said, "He is a phenomonal person and human being who cares deeply for his teammates. He is one of the best players I've ever coached, and has overcome so much despite this being his first full year of collegiate basketball. This award is a great moment for our program, but most importantly, for him and the hard work he has put in."

While the stats for Stokes' year speak for themselves, another Bruin had a career year: Samuel Stewart IV. The senior guard, in his second season with the Bruins after transferring from Grossmont College, was sixth in the conference in scoring with 15.1 points per game.

Stewart IV led the team in both rebounds (137) and assists (93) in an all-around season that saw him pick up an NWC Student-Athlete of the Week award for averaging 21.0 points, 8.5 assists, and 8.0 rebounds in a weekend where the Bruins were without Stokes.

"Sam had a phenomenal season and was definitely deserving of all-conference recognition," Hamilton said, "To me, he was the most versatile player in the entire conference, and was a key piece for us as well. It's cool to see all of his hard work pay off."

Stokes and Stewart IV were the first pair of Bruins to be named all-conference together since Mason Green-Richards and Ryan Lacey in 2019.