PORTLAND, Ore. -- The George Fox men's basketball team battled throughout, nearly rallying from a 20-point deficit in a 96–86 loss to Lewis & Clark River Otters.

How It Happened
The Bruins controlled the opening tip against the Lewis & Clark River Otters but couldn't draw first blood. The River Otters shot from outside the arc, putting the Bruins down by three early.
Donovon Cooks found an opportunity to steal the ball, passing it down the court to Noah Marte for a layup that put the Bruins on the board. Marte then stole from the River Otters again, flying to the opposite end of the court to sink a three. Jake Centner put the Bruins ahead despite the early deficit with another three-pointer. Marte struck again, shooting from outside the arc to put the Bruins up 11–6 early in the first half.

Nico Cervantes was fouled and took advantage of the opportunity, converting two points for George Fox. Cory Schramm reached over defenders to secure the rebound, answering with a put-back to round out the Bruins' 15-point run. Layups by Centner, Cooks, and Sydney Natche widened the gap between the Otters and the Bruins. Lewis & Clark was able to gain some ground, but Marte, Cooks, and Schramm delivered back-to-back driving layups to keep George Fox's nose in front.

The River Otters regained the lead with three minutes left to play, 35–34, after chipping away at the deficit for most of the half. A Cooks jumper tied the game once more at 36, but the River Otters quickly found themselves back on top. Natche capitalized on a foul opportunity to sink two shots, tying the game for the third time, but the Bruins were again overtaken by Lewis & Clark with a single minute left on the clock.A buzzer-beating three-pointer by Marte knotted the game at 41–41 for the fourth time, sending the teams into halftime tied.

The River Otters scored first in the second half, but Centner answered with a layup to tie the game at 43–43. Despite Lewis & Clark pulling away, Marte continued to prove himself a problem for the River Otters. The junior sank a turnaround jumper for two points, followed by a three-pointer that brought the Bruins closer to overtaking Lewis & Clark.

Lewis & Clark quickly racked up 20 points, leaving the Bruins with a massive deficit to overcome before the final buzzer — and the team got to it. Trey McDonald stole a ball, leading to an Anthony Williams successful layup before Cooks earned back-to-back free-throw opportunities, converting all four shots for George Fox. Freshman Natche sank a three-pointer, followed by two points from the free-throw line as the Bruins continued to trim the Lewis & Clark lead. Cooks drove to the hoop for a layup, followed by a Cervantes steal. Cervantes lobbed the ball down court to Marte, who leapt among defenders to make the shot. George Fox was gaining ground at 83–74, cutting the River Otters' lead to nine points with four minutes left on the clock.

Natche powered through Lewis & Clark defenders to score on a layup despite being fouled and Cooks made another free throw to decrease the deficit to six. The River Otters answered with a run of their own, scoring a layup and two threes to keep their heads above water. The Lewis & Clark offense didn't take its foot off the gas, building a 15-point lead with just one minute remaining.

Layups by Centner and Natche gave the Bruins hope, but they were unable to overcome the deficit with only 50 seconds to spare, as the River Otters secured a 96–86 victory.

Top Performances
Donovon Cooks led the charge on offense with 25 points. He was followed by Sydney Natche with 21 and Noah Marte with 20 points. Cory Schramm led the bruins in the rebound department with seven. Dre Lawrence and Cooks each created opportunities for George Fox with five rebounds each. Cooks, Marte, and Nico Cervantes also created opportunities with two steals, respectively. 

What It Means
The Bruins now find themselves 1-12 overall (0-4 NWC). Lewis & Clark wins their NWC home opener, leaving them 6-6 overall (2-1 NWC). 

What Comes Next
George Fox comes home to face off against Whitworth on Friday, January 16 at 7:30pm.