George Fox University

OBERLIN, Ohio -- The George Fox men's basketball team not only kicked off their season, but also their first day in the Tip-Off Classic; in the close game against York (Pa.), the Bruins fell 84-82 after a frantic comeback to end the game.

How It Happened 
While York was able to take first blood, their lead was short lived. Noah Marte swished a shot from behind the arc to quickly answer back. It didn't take long before the Bruins to show off their offense again; while a Martes trey unfortunately missed, William Alseth swooped in for the offensive rebound to eventually draw Donovan Cooks to the line and secure Fox two more points. 

The battle continued between the two teams, but so did the offensive rebounds for George Fox. Alseth secured another board, before bouncing the ball off the glass for not only a put-back, but the freshman's first career points as well, 7-6. The scoring became more sporadic as the game turned defensive and the Spartans gained the lead. Despite this, the Bruins persisted making opportunities. Vanndon Heard recorded consecutive putbacks thanks to offensive rebounds; not long after, Dre Lawrence followed with a driving layup, 14-13. 

As the Spartans maintained their small lead, they couldn't manage to gain any significant deficit with GFU always right behind them. Cooks contributed two points with his consistent shooting at the line; Jamar Mitchell secured his first points of the night with a pull-up jumper before recording two free throws of his own, 19-19. 

With a little over ten minutes left in the first half, the Bruins' range started to warm up. Cooks and Nico Cervantes both drained a three to give Fox the advantage once again, 25-24. Despite GFU's shots from behind the arch, it took another four minutes before they racked up any more points, thanks to a layup from freshman Cade Hartenstein. 

In the meantime, York slowly crept their way back into the top spot. The rest of the half continued the back-and-forth trend between the two teams as they went on a 10-8 run. For the Bruins, Alseth and Mitchell both had layups while Marte had a jumper in the paint to end the first period in the Spartans favor, 44-35. 

It didn't take long before each team began making moves at the basket. Cooks started things off for GFU with a swishing trey, Mitchell added a free throw not long after, and freshman Luke Unruh recorded yet another three to shorten the gap in the score, 48-42. Fox maintained their hot streak behind the arc — especially after a Marte triple. However, the Bruins made sure to make moves in the paint; Rylan Nelson slammed down a dunk — thanks to a Heard rebound while sitting — and freshman Braeden Davidson put up a smooth lay-in off of a fast break, 53-49. 

Over the next four minutes, the Bruins' dominant offensive stretch came to an abrupt stop as the Spartans regained control for a 10-0 run to give them a 63-49 advantage. However, George Fox wasn't going to go down without a fight. In a little less than two minutes, they responded with nine points of their own. Cervantes started things off had a trey and got fouled in the process for an and-one before going to the line again and continuing his free throw consistency; only seconds later, Cooks snuck in a steal which then turned into two good free throws of his own, while Nelson recorded a smooth basket in the paint off of a fastbreak, 63-59. 

With a little over seven minutes left in the game, tension in the gym was getting high, but the Bruins continued their consistent aggression — especially behind the charity line. Both Cooks and Nelson made both their shots with ease to add another four points to GFU's score. A little while later, Cooks continued to be a threat on the court and swished a shot from behind the outside arc; Mitchell followed not far behind with a good bucket at the line as well as making his way into the paint for a basket at the rim. A free throw from Marte made the score differential 78-70 in the Spartans favor. 

A little less than two minutes remained on the clock, but it wasn't until after a Cooks layin that George Fox's offense came alive under the pressure. Cervantes and Marte hit back-to-back threes, and Cervantes went on to add two baskets from free throws to make the game a one-point differential, 81-80. Despite a crucial layup from Mitchell to cut the lead to one and a missed York free throw, Cook's final driving lay-in was blocked 84-82. York's Ben Troyer had 45 points in the game for the Spartans, the first 40-point game for a York (Pa.) player since 2017.

Top Performances
Numerous players on the Bruins were critical for making the game so close thanks to their work behind the line. Nico Cervantes went 5-5, Donovan Cooks went 8-9, and Jamar Mitchell finished with 4-6. As for points, Cooks has the most with 19 while Mitchell and Cervantes had 14 each. Mitchell and William Alseth led the team with seven rebounds while Vanndon Heard followed up with six each. Cooks also led the team with six assists.

What It Means
York (Pa.) starts 1-0 while George Fox begins the young season 0-1. 

What Happens Next 
The Bruins will stay in Oberlin, Ohio for their second day for the consolation game of the Tip-Off Classic on Saturday, November 7. The game start time is still to be determined.