Press Release
2/4 - GEORGE FOX 79, PACIFIC 72: Second-Half Surge Sparks Bruins by Boxers for Homecoming Win
NEWBERG, Ore. - Leading by a slim one-point margin at intermission, the George Fox University Bruins used a 26-10 run in the first eight minutes of the second half to pull away from the Pacific University Boxers en route to a 79-72 Homecoming win in a Northwest Conference men's basketball game Saturday night here at the Wheeler Sports Center's Miller Gym.
The Bruins, with Aaron Schmick tossing in 8 points, jumped out to a 22-9 lead seven minutes into the game and appeared headed for a romp, but rumors of the Boxers' surrender were premature. Brandon Kawazoe's three-pointer ignited a 20-3 outburst over a 10-minute span that lifted the visitors from 13 down to 4 ahead, 29-25, with 2:57 left in the half.
Schmick hit a free throw and Mark Metzler nailed a pair to cut the Pacific lead to one, and after Ross Bartlett's free throw put it back up to a two-point margin, Metzler sank a three from the right wing to give the Bruins the lead for good at 31-30 with 40 seconds left. Schmick and the Boxers' Ryan Turcott then traded two free throws to make it 33-32 George Fox at the break.
Chris Parker scored 10 of the Bruins' first 12 points in the second half and Phil Heu-Weller scored 6 in a row as the Bruins gradually stretched their lead to 17 at 59-42 with 11:52 to play. It was still a 17-point game at 64-47 with just over nine minutes left when the Boxers made one final push. A 16-5 run, capped by a Kyle Motta jumper, brought Pacific within 6 points at 69-63 with 3:46 remaining. Scott Szalay's layup with 2:52 left slowed the Pacific comeback, and the Bruins hit 8-8 from the line in the final 1:07 to keep the Boxers at arm's length.
Schmick led all scorers with 23 points, although he did miss his first free throw attempt of the game to end his streak of consecutive makes at 48, eight short of the George Fox record and 11 from the NCAA Division III record of 59 straight in one season. Parker added 19 points, with a perfect 7-7 night from the field, as the Bruins hit 54.2% (26-48) as a team. Heu-Weller led the Bruins on the boards with 8, Brent Satern passed out 7 assists, and Szalay recorded 4 blocked shots.
Bartlett posted a double-double for the Boxers, scoring 22 points and hauling down a game-high 10 rebounds that led Pacific to 36-32 edge on the glass. Turcott added 16 points, Kawazoe scored 11 with 7 assists, and Motta chipped in 10. The Boxers shot only 38.2% (26-68) from the field, but stayed in the game with good ball-handling, committing only 4 turnovers.
George Fox improved to 13-8 overall and evened its conference ledger at 6-6. Pacific fell to 8-13 overall and 2-10 in league play. The Bruins host Linfield College Tuesday at 8 p.m., while the Boxers play at Willamette University Friday at 8 p.m. Both games will be preceded by women's NWC games at 6 p.m.