Men's Basketball Release
1/13 - LEWIS & CLARK 76, GEORGE FOX 69: Bruins' Shooting Woes Continue in Setback to Pios
PORTLAND, Ore. - For the second straight game, the George Fox University Bruins' shooting percentage in the first half put them behind the proverbial eight-ball, resulting in a 76-69 loss to the previously winless-in-conference Lewis & Clark College Pioneers in a Northwest Conference men's basketball game Friday night here at the Pamplin Sports Center.
Shooting only 31.3% (10-32) in the first half, the Bruins trailed for all but 20 seconds of the game. The Pioneers scored the first six points and took a 14-7 lead on a three-point play by Thomas Tillery with 10:34 to go before the Bruins rallied. Baskets by Aaron Schmick and Nate Mansfield and a pair of goals by Chris Parker inside for eight unanswered points gave the Bruins a 15-14 lead with 7:59 left, but it was short-lived. Mark Robinowitz drove the baseline to score, was fouled, and hit the free throw 20 seconds later for a 17-15 and permanent Pioneer lead.
Robinowitz was a perfect 5-5 from the field, with a pair of three-pointers and his free throw for 13 first-half points as the Pios shot 46.2% (12-26) and took a 32-26 halftime lead. Phil Heu-Weller had 9 to lead the Bruins, including 5-5 from the line.
The Pioneers stretched the lead to 15 points at 46-31 on a pair of Jeff Christensen free throws with 14:23 left in the game, the largest lead they would hold. The Bruins finally began to find the range then, reeling off 11 unanswered points over a two-and-a-half minute span to get within four at 46-42. The streak came to a halt when Ryan Wells drilled a three-pointer to make it 49-42 Pios, and they got it back up to as much as 14 before the Bruins closed the gap with a flurry of baskets in the closing minutes. The Pios stayed in front by sinking 14-19 from the free throw line in the last six minutes for all their points.
Five Bruins scored in double figures, led by Schmick with 17 points. Heu-Weller ended with 14, while Brent Satern, Mansfield and Parker had 10 each. Scott Szalay was the Bruins' top rebounder with 8, and Satern had 5 assists. The Bruins' shooting improved to 50.0% (14-28) in the second half, but it was not enough to overcome the early lack of success.
Tillery paced the Pioneers with 22 points, Robinowitz had his first career double-double with 20 points and 10 rebounds, and Christensen added 17 points. Christensen and Tillery had 3 assists apiece. The Pios connected on 46.0% (23-50) for the game, out-rebounded the Bruins 38-30, and made 24-33 from the line to 15-17 for the Bruins.
George Fox (9-5, 3-3 NWC) returns home for its final non-conference game of the season Saturday, against Walla Walla College at 7:30 p.m. Lewis & Clark (5-8, 1-4) hosts Pacific University for an NWC game Saturday at 8 p.m., after the women's game at 6 p.m.