By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications
NEWBERG, Ore. -- Led by 19 points from Josiah Frank (Jr., G, Turlock, CA/John H. Pitman HS), a total of six Bearcats scored in double figures to lead Willamette University in a 94-83 win over George Fox University during a Northwest Conference men's basketball game on Friday, Feb. 16. D'Ante Dean (Jr., F, Nassau, Bahamas/British Columbia Christian Acad./Peninsula College) also was on WU's list of double-digit scorers at the Wheeler Sports Center, as he registered his third consecutive double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds.
The Bearcats ascended to 13-10 on the season and clinched a winning record. It is Willamette's first winning season since the team went 12-11 in 2008-09. The win also improved the Bearcats to 8-7 in the NWC.
Willamette is tied for fourth place in the NWC with Pacific, also 8-7. The Bearcats are still in the running for the four-team NWC Men's Basketball Tournament. In order to qualify for the tournament, Willamette has to defeat Lewis & Clark College on Saturday, Feb. 17 at Cone Field House and Pacific has to lose to Linfield University.
The game between the Bearcats and the Pioneers is set to get underway at 6:30 p.m. It will be Senior Night for the Bearcats, who will honor the seniors prior to tipoff.
Willamette's half-dozen players in double figures also included Caleb Moore (So., G, Wadley, GA/Washington County HS/Bard College) with 13 points, Jack Boydell (Grad., W, Sonoma, CA/Sonoma Valley HS) with 12 points, and Ryder Hsiung (Jr., G, Honolulu, HI/Punahou School) and Kahiau Bruhn (So., W, Waimanalo, HI/Kamehameha Schools-Kapalama) with 10 points each. Dean was 7 of 9 on field goals, while Bruhn went 5 of 7. The balanced attack helped WU shoot 56.3% (36 of 64), while building a 64-40 advantage in the paint.
The Bearcats sank 20 of 24 free throws (83.3%). Frank led the way by going 7 for 7 at the line. Anujan Tennathur (Fy., G, Cupertino, CA/Saint Francis HS) supplied nine rebounds, while Hsiung added seven boards. Boydell and Bruhn each latched onto five rebounds. Moore supplied four assists and Dean recorded three steals.
The offensive success, plus Willamette's 48-30 rebounding margin, offset GFU's edge in long-range shots. The Bruins hit 9 of 33 three-pointers (27.3%), while the Bearcats made 2 of 15 three-pointers (13.3%). The Bearcats limited GFU to 40.5% on all field goals (30 of 74).
Momo Stokes of George Fox scored a game-high 23 points to go with six rebounds, four assists, and two steals. He was 8 of 12 from the field. Samuel Stewart IV also went 8 for 12 on field goals as he registered 18 points. James Moore finished with 13 points and six boards. Moore and John Maybean each recorded a 3-for-3 shooting night from 3-point range.
Willamette led throughout the second half, but the first half featured five ties and 11 lead changes. The Bearcats owned a 12-9 edge after Frank put through a layup with 14:37 left in the half. GFU gained a 15-14 lead less than a minute later when Kade Sorenson hit all three free throws after he was fouled on a 3-point shot. Hsiung provided WU with a 3-pointer just 15 seconds after Sorenson's free throws and the Bearcats eventually grabbed a 21-15 margin on two free throws from Frank at the 11:37 mark.
Four minutes later, GFU tied the score 25-25 on a 3-pointer by Stokes. The Bruins led 27-25 on free throws by Stokes with 7:06 to go, but Willamette added a 17-2 run for a 42-29 lead with 10 seconds left. Frank tallied six points in the run, which included scoring by six Bearcats. Charlie Powers hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to reduce WU's margin to 42-32.
The Bruins opened the second half with a 12-4 run to cut the deficit to 46-44 on a jumper by Stokes with 18:06 to play. Willamette moved out to a 56-48 lead with 15:07 remaining when Gavin Rippere (Sr., F, Salinas, CA/Salinas HS/Clark College) scored on a layup. GFU moved within three points twice before the 13-minute mark. WU scored next each time.
George Fox was as close as 69-65 with 8:25 left on a pair of free throws by Stewart IV. The Bearcats went on an 8-3 run, ending with an offensive rebound and layup by Bruhn to grab a 77-67 advantage with 5:41 on the clock. Willamette protected the lead and fended off GFU after the Bruins moved within 79-73 with 3:59 remaining.
The Bearcats outscored the Bruins 15-10 the rest of the way. GFU trailed by just seven points, 90-83, after James Moore sank a jumper as the clock reached 1:24. Hsiung made a layup 32 seconds later to secure the win.
