Overall 8-4: Home 2-1, Road 4-2, Neutral 2-1 / NWC 3-0: Home 1-0, Road 2-0
LINKS FOR MEN'S BASKETBALL TO:
Quick Facts / Roster / Schedule / Statistics / Results
HIGHLIGHTS:
* Recent Games: Bruins Go 2-0, Stay Unbeaten in NWC with Linfield Win
* Coming Up: Three-Game Week at Willamette, Home vs. UPS and PLU
* Bruin Games to be Broadcast and Webcast on KFOX Radio
* Gayman Honorable Mention for NWC "Player of the Week"
* Bruins Beat '04 Wins Total and End Losing Streak to Linfield
* Career Lists: Gayman Up to 17th on All-Time Scoring Chart
* NWC Stats: Schmick Takes Over Lead in 3-Pt Field Goal Pct.
* NCAA Stats: Bruins Among Leads in Four Team and Individual Stats
* Bruins' Special Halftime Promotions for Rest of Season
RECENT GAMES: 2-0 (Click score for link to stories and box scores):
Jan. 11 - George Fox 90, at Multnomah Bible 68
Jan. 15 - at George Fox 81, Linfield 76
COMING UP:
* Tue., Jan. 18, 8:00 pm - at Willamette University (5-8, NWC 2-2), Salem, Ore.
No radio/internet broadcast ... The Willamette Bearcats were picked to finish 4th in the NWC pre-season coaches' poll ... Series record: GFU trails 28-37 since 1967 (home 16-11, away 12-26) ... The Bearcats have won the last 7 meetings, including last year's 75-68 overtime win in Newberg on Jan. 20 and 75-67 in Salem on Feb. 13 ... The Bruins' last win was 106-104 in double overtime on Jan. 16, 2001, in Newberg ... The Bearcats average 68.5 ppg (9th in the NWC) and allow 69.8 ppg (1st) ... The Bearcats lead the NWC in assists (16.00) and assist/turnover ratio (1.16) ... Willamette has two players in double-figure scoring: C.J. Stuvland (13.9, 11th) and John Olinger (11.6, 17th) ... Olinger is 2nd in the league in assists (4.23) ... Todd Lewis is the Bearcats' top rebounder (5.5, 14th) ... Coach Gordie James, the 1993 NAIA National Coach of the Year when his team won the NAIA Division II championship, is 301-175 in his 18th season at Willamette ... High ...
* Fri., Jan. 21, 8:00 pm - vs. University 0f Puget Sound (10-2, NWC 4-0), Newberg, Ore.
Radio/internet broadcast on KFOX ... The Puget Sound Loggers from Tacoma, Wash., are the defending conference champions and were a strong favorite to finish 1st in the NWC pre-season coaches' poll ... The Loggers were ranked 4th in the latest D3hoops.com poll ... Series record: GFU trails 7-19 since 1974 (4-6 home, 3-13 away) ... The Loggers have won the last 9 meetings, including 107-79 in Newberg on Jan. 9 and 111-92 in Tacoma on Feb. 6 last year ... The Bruins' last win was 85-75 in Newberg on Dec. 4, 1999 ... The Loggers lead the NWC in scoring (101.3, 4th nationally), scoring margin (+13.6), free throw pct. (.724), steals (14.42), and turnover margin (+7.00), and are 2nd in 3-pt field goals (9.58, 20th nationally) ... UPS also allows 87.8 ppg (9th) ... The Loggers have six double-figure scorers: Jeremy Cross (19.8, 1st in the NWC), Chase Curtiss (15.3, 9th), Zack McVey (13.0, 12th), Aubrey Shelton (12.7, 14th), Ryan DeLong (11.9, 16th), and Chris O'Donnell (10.5, 27th) ... O'Donnell is the top rebounder (6.8, 7th) ... Coach Eric Bridgeland, the 2003-04 NWC Coach of the Year, is 57-32 in his 4th season at UPS ...
* Sat., Jan. 22, 8:00 pm - vs. Pacific Lutheran University (5-8, NWC 3-1), Newberg, Ore.
Radio/internet broadcast on KFOX ... The Pacific Lutheran Lutes from Tacoma, Wash., were picked to finish 7th in the NWC pre-season coaches' poll ... PLU plays at Linfield Friday before meeting the Bruins ... Series record: GFU trails 7-12 since 1985 (5-4 home, 2-8 away) ... The teams split last year, PLU winning 76-67 in Newberg on Jan. 10 and the Bruins winning 82-72 in Tacoma on Feb. 7 ... The Lutes average 72.5 ppg (5th in the NWC) and allow 86.0 (7th) ... The Lutes have two double-figure scorers: Michael Torbenson (10.9, 22nd in the NWC) and Sudon DeSuze (10.7, 24th) ... DeSuze is the top rebounder (5.7, 11th) and is 2nd in the NWC in steals (2.27) ... Coach Dave Harshman is 21-42 in his 3rd season at PLU ...
ON THE AIR!
George Fox sports can now be heard locally via the airwaves and across the country via the internet through campus station KFOX. To listen to Bruin athletic contests, go to www.kfoxradio.net.
Current schedule of broadcasts for basketball:
Fri., Jan. 21 - vs. Puget Sound (Women 6 pm, Men 8 pm)
Sat., Jan. 22 - vs. Pacific Lutheran (Women 6 pm, Men 8 pm)
Fri., Jan. 28 - at Lewis & Clark (Women 6 pm, Men 8 pm)
Fri., Feb. 4 - vs. Whitman (Women 6 pm, Men 8 pm)
Sat., Feb. 5 - vs. Whitworth (Homecoming - Women 6 pm, Men 8 pm)
Fri., Feb. 11 - vs. Willamette (Women 6 pm, Men 8 pm)
Sat., Feb. 12 - at Linfield (Women 6 pm, Men 8 pm)
Tue., Feb. 22 - vs. Pacific (Women 6 pm, Men 8 pm)
Fri., Feb. 25 - vs. Lewis & Clark (Women 6 pm, Men 8 pm)
NORTHWEST CONFERENCE:
This could be one of the most meaningful weeks in years for the Bruins, with three crucial conference games on tap. If the Bruins can get past Willamette Tuesday - and that's a big "if" as the Bearcats are always tough in Salem - it would set up a Friday night showdown in Newberg for 1st place in the NWC between GFU and 4th-ranked Puget Sound, the only two league unbeatens left. Surprising Pacific Lutheran, Saturday night's opponent, is in 3rd, right on the heels of the two leaders. For the latest NWC standings, visit the NWC web site at www.nwcsports.com.
COACH MARK SUNDQUIST
Mark Sundquist (Seattle Pacific '89) is 35-76 (.315) to date in his 5th season as a college head coach, all at George Fox. He coached the boys' programs at Woodburn (Ore.) High for two years and at Newberg (Ore.) High for one year before joining the Bruins. Click here for the complete bio on Coach Sundquist.
Sundquist vs. upcoming opponents:
Willamette - 1-7 (Home 1-3, Road 0-4)
Puget Sound - 0-8 (Home 0-4, Road 0-4)
Pacific Lutheran - 3-5 (Home 2-2, road 1-3)
BRUIN BITS:
* Gayman Honorable Mention for NWC "Player of the Week"
Mark Gayman led the Bruins to victories in both their games this week, including their first win over Linfield since the 1999-2000 season, receiving honorable mention for Northwest Conference "Player of the Week" for Jan. 10-16. In a 90-68 non-conference win at Multnomah Bible, he scored 24 points on 10-14 from the field (1-1 on 3's) and 3-5 from the line, with 12 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 blocks, and 2 steals. It was the 18th double-double of his career and 3rd this season. In an 81-76 win over Linfield, he scored 13 points on 4-9 from the field (0-1 on 3's) and 5-9 from the line, with 7 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 steal. For the week, in 2 games, he scored 37 points (18.5), hitting 14-23 from the field (.609), 1-2 on 3's (.500), and 8-14 from the line (.571), with 19 rebounds (9.5), 3 assists, 2 blocks, and 3 steals. A First Team All-NWC pick last year, he was last week's NWC "Player of the Week".
* Bruins Beat '04 Wins Total and End Losing Streak to Linfield
George Fox's 81-76 win over their Yamhill County rivals, the Linfield Wildcats, was signifcant to the Bruins for a couple of reasons. For one, it boosted the Bruins' record to 8-4, surpassing last year's total for wins during a 7-18 campaign, with over half the season remaining. It equals the Bruins' highest total of wins since the 1998-99 team went 13-12 (the Bruins won 8 games in 1999-2000 and 2000-01, former coach Mark Vernon's last year and current coach Mark Sundquist's first year). It also snapped the Bruins' 9-game losing streak to their rivals 14 miles down the road.
* Bruins Off to Best Conference Start in Six Years
There is still a lot of basketball to be played, but the George Fox Bruins have to be pleased with their start to the 2004-05 Northwest Conference season. After defeating Whitman and Whitworth on the road to start league play, then ending a 9-game losing streak to Linfield in their NWC home opener on Saturday, the Bruins are 3-0 and a half-game behind nationally-ranked Puget Sound atop the NWC standings, the best start to the conference season for the Bruins in six years. Not since the 1998-99 team won its first four NWC games has a George Fox team gotten out of the blocks with wins in its first three league games.
* 2004-05 Honors:
Mark Gayman - Surf's Up Invitational All-Tournament Team; NWC "Player of the Week" (Jan. 10-16)
Aaron Schmick - RBC Mortgage/Windermere Real Estate Holiday Tournament All-Tournament Team
* Double-Doubles:
Mark Gayman: Career 18, season 3 - 32 pts/10 reb vs. California-Santa Cruz, 11/27 at Honolulu, Hawaii; 13 pts/11 reb at Whitman, 1/7; 24 pts/12 reb at Multnomah Bible, 1/11
Scott Szalay: Career 7, season 2 - 25 pts/10 reb at Whitman 1/7; 11 pts/11 reb vs. Linfield, 1/15
* Career Lists: Gayman Up to 17th on All-Time Scoring Chart
Mark Gayman scored 37 points in the Bruins' two games last week, boosting his career total to 1,205. One of 31 players to have reached the 1,000-point mark as a Bruin, he moved past Hille Van Der Kooy (1,170, 1979-81) and Gary Chenault (1,187, 1976-79) into 17th on the all-time scoring list. Ahead are Gary Blackmar (1,215, 1964-68), Mike Faber (1,222, 1995-99), Jeff Hoffman (1,264, 1990-92), and Travis Melvin (1,268, 1998-2002) ...
Aaron Schmick hit 11-16 free throws in two games last week, putting his career free throw pct. at .802 (178-222), good for 11th on the all-time free throw pct. list. He is also up to 826 career points, and needs 174 in the last 13 games to become the 32nd player in Bruin history to reach 1,000 ...
Chris Parker hit 8-9 free throws in two games last week, giving him a career free throw pct. of .830 (73-88) and moving him up two spots to 5th on the all-time free throw pct. list ...
* NWC Stats: Schmick Takes Over Lead in 3-Pt Field Goal Pct.
In the Northwest Conference stats of Jan. 15, George Fox is 1st in field goal pct. (.491), 3-pt field goal pct. (.387), 2nd in scoring defense (70.7), scoring margin (+4.2), field goal pct. defense (.435), assist/turnover ratio (1.01), 3rd in rebounding defense (35.0), assists (14.33), 4th in scoring (74.8), free throw pct. (.690), blocked shots (2.83), turnover margin (-0.08), 5th in rebound margin (-0.7), steals (6.92), 9th in 3-pt field goals (5.42) ...
Mark Gayman is 4th in scoring (16.5), rebounding (7.7), 14th in field goal pct. (.491) ...
Aaron Schmick is 1st in 3-pt pct. (.562), 2nd in field goal pct. (.632), 6th in scoring (16.3), 7th in 3-pt field goals (2.25), 13th in free throw pct. (.778), 14th in assists (2.50) ...
Scott Szalay is 2nd in blocked shots (1.92), 6th in rebounding (7.2) ...
Brent Satern is 6th in assists (2.75, tie), 8th in assist/turnover ratio (1.32) ...
Chris Parker is 4th in free throw pct. (.853) ...
Philip Heu-Weller is 4th in 3-pt pct. (.429, tie), 6th in free throw pct. (.839) ...
For the latest NWC statistics, go to www.nwcsports.com.
* NCAA Stats: Bruins Among Leaders in Four Team and Individual Stats
In the latest NCAA Division III national stats (games thru Jan. 9), George Fox ranks 13th in field goal pct. (.501) and 26th in 3-pt field goal pct. (.404) ...
Aaron Schmick is 24th in field goal pct. (.620) ...
Scott Szalay is tied for 33rd in blocked shots (2.00) ...
* The Wirta Streaks:
Mike "Biggs" Wirta, George Fox's statistical guru, raised his string of consecutive Bruin men's basketball games attended, home and away, to 550 with two games last week, last missing one on Nov. 25, 1985, at Puget Sound. His streak of men's basketball home games worked is 408, last missing a home game on Dec. 15, 1972, vs. Willamette, when he was in advanced training with the Army at Ft. Jackson in Columbia, S.C. Now in his 34th season of keeping Bruin statistics, Biggs has seen 963 George Fox men's basketball games in his lifetime.
* Halftime Programs for Bruin Basketball Games
A number of special promotions will take place at the halftimes of George Fox men's and women's basketball games throughout the 2004-05 season, including:
"Halftime Hoop Shoot" - Co-sponsored by the Coffee Cottage in Newberg and Country Insurance & Financial Services, this promotion takes place at the halftime of every home game. Tickets for $1 are sold in the gym lobby until just before halftime, and one lucky ticketholder is selected to shoot. A made free throw earns a $5 coupon at the Coffee Cottage, a made three-pointer earns a $10 coupon. A made half-court shot earns the shooter the Country Financial "pot" for the evening, which increases by $50 each time no shot is made (the pot currently stands at $200 for the men's games and $200 for the women's games). All proceeds from the ticket sales go to the GFU basketball programs as a donation.
"Junior Tiger Night", Jan. 22 - Four youth league basketball teams from the Chehalem Parks and Recreation Department will play a short scrimmage game at the halftimes on Saturday, Jan. 22, when the Bruins host Pacific Lutheran. All CPRD youth league players who wear their uniform tops and their coaches will be admitted free. This event was re-scheduled from Jan. 15 when it was postponed due to icy road conditions.
"GFU Cheer Team", Feb. 4 - The George Fox Cheer Team will perform a special dance routine at halftime of the women's game vs. Whitman.
"GFU Sports Hall of Fame", Feb. 4 - The George Fox Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2005 will be inducted in special ceremonies at 4:30 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 4, in the Klages Dining Hall on campus, then the entire class will be introduced to the crowd at halftime of the men's game vs. Whitman that evening at 8:00 p.m.
"Homecoming", Feb. 5 - The Homecoming Court for 2005 will be presented in ceremonies during halftime of the men's game vs. Whitworth on Saturday, Feb. 5.
"Border Collies Night", Feb. 11 - The always-popular Border Collies show from Dallas, Ore., will perform at each half. This entertaining group of trained dogs has performed at many college and professional games, including the Portland Trailblazers and Portland Beavers.
Other promotions may be added as the season progresses.