NEWBERG, Ore. -- The George Fox men's basketball team held a lead at the halftime break, but eventually fell in a 90-75 game against the Puget Sound Loggers.

How It Happened
The Bruins were behind at the start of the game, but Donovan Cooks made a three-pointer and a jump-shot within the same minute, putting Fox ahead, 5-2. GFU kept that lead with two free-throws by Sydney Natche, and a few minutes later, two free-throws by Nico Cervantes—9-7. 

With 12 minutes left on the clock, Cory Schramm made a fastbreak layup in the paint, going up, 14-13, as the lead ping-ponged back and forth. Jamar Mitchell hit a layup and Natche was able to put the Bruins back in front once again with lay-in; then, the freshman made a three-pointer as the Bruins finally led by two possessions, 25-21.

With just over two minutes left in the first half, Natche scored six consecutive points with a tip-in and two layups—extending GFU's lead to 35-29. Meanwhile, Cooks topped off the last second with a driving layup, putting the Bruins up at halftime, 37-31.

The Loggers gained traction in the second half though — though Cooks was able to make a layup and a free-throw in the first five minutes, the Bruins did not score as Puget Sound went on a 17-3 run. Cervantes made two free-throws to try and stay close, 52-44, but the Loggers continued to extend the lead with excellent shooting; PS made their first six triples of the half and ended the second half 9-11 from deep.

Natche had a highlight-reel dunk to get the crowd on their feet with six minutes remaining, but Fox continued to slip, trailing by 16, 70-54. The freshman continued to score late, hitting a jump-shot and recording another dunk in the final minute thanks to a nice pass from Noah Marte, but the Bruins were too far behind to catch up. Cooks and Anthony Williams made the final two layups for the Bruins, as the Loggers took the cake with a score of 90-75.

Top Performances
Sydney Natche was the top scorer with 23 points, also leading the team with eight rebounds and three steals, while Donovan Cooks had 21 points and a team-high three assists. Luke Tobin, Vanndon Heard, and Cory Schramm each recorded two steals while Anthony Williams had a block.

What It Means
The Bruins fall to 2-17 (1-9 NWC), and the Loggers rise to 12-6 (7-2 NWC). 

What Happens Next
The Bruins will stay in Newberg to compete against Pacific Lutheran (9-9, 3-6 NWC) on Saturday, January 31, at 5:00 pm.