Whitworth men’s basketball team uses second-half surge to top George Fox

From staff reports

NEWBERG, Ore. – In a matchup featuring the Northwest Conference’s top two teams, visiting Whitworth surged in the second half Friday night and posted a comeback victory over George Fox.

The Pirates outscored the Bruins by 17 points in the second half to claim an 80-73 win at Wheeler Sports Center.

Five players scored in double figures for Whitworth (9-5, 5-0), which extended its winning streak to four games and claimed sole possession of first place in the NWC.

Guard Jojo Anderson led all players with 22 points, shooting 63.6% from the field. Forward Ty Edwards contributed 19 points and seven rebounds. Guard Jake Holtz added 16 points and seven boards.

The Bruins (11-3, 4-1) led by as many as 13 points in the first half. Whitworth fell into a 10-point hole at halftime, but the Pirates shot 60% from the floor in the second half and held George Fox to 29.4% shooting, including 1 of 21 on 3-point attempts, in the final 20 minutes.Overall, the Pirates shot 52.7% from the floor and went 5 of 14 from beyond the arc. The Bruins made just 3 of 28 attempts from 3-point range.

James Moore and Momo Stokes had 18 points apiece for the Bruins, who had their winning streak stopped at four games.

Whitworth next faces NWC opponent Linfield at 6 p.m. Saturday in McMinnville, Oregon.

Women’s basketball

George Fox 73, Whitworth 64: The Bruins (2-10, 2-3 NWC) shot out to a double-digit lead in the first quarter and preserved an advantage for the rest of the game, topping the visiting Pirates (4-10, 1-4).

Alyssa Wells scored 17 points to lead five Bruins in double figures.

Whitworth shot 17 of 51 (33.3%) from the field.

The Pirates were led by freshman center Zalissa Sanfo, who had 14 points and seven rebounds. Mya Edwards added 11 points. Guard Mya Edwards contributed 11 points – nine coming at the free-throw line.

The Bruins shot 47.2% from the floor and committed just eight turnovers. George Fox built a 23-11 lead in the first quarter, holding Whitworth to 3 of 16 shooting in that period. The Pirates cut the deficit to five at halftime, but didn’t get any closer.

Five players scored in double figures for the Bruins, who were paced by guard Alyssa Wells’ 17 points.

Whitworth next meets NWC foe Linfield at 4 p.m. Saturday in McMinnville, Oregon.