Eagles Hang On for Down-to-the-Wire Win Over Bruins

George Fox (4-3) takes on the Oregon Institute of Technology Friday at 6:00 PM in the Hillyers Mid-City Ford Classic at Corban College in Salem.

Phil Heu-Weller led the Bruins with 19 points. Photo: George Fox Athletics

KIRKLAND, Wash. - Despite surrendering all by one point of a 12-point lead with 10 minutes left, the Northwest University Eagles managed to hang on for a 72-68 win over the visiting George Fox University Bruins in a down-to-the-wire non-conference men’s basketball game Tuesday night here at the Northwest Pavilion.

With Phil Heu-Weller opening up on fire, the Bruins jumped out to a 17-10 lead 10 minutes into the game. Heu-Weller scored the Bruins’ first 11 points, including three three-pointers, and 15 of the 17, but left the game with his second personal foul with 9:26 to play.

The Eagles then went on a 14-0 run, capped by a three-point play by Aaron Sawyer, to take a 24-17 lead with 3:05 remaining.

A jumper by the Bruins’ Grant Vahalla ended the Northwest streak and ignited a 10-3 George Fox run to close out the period, Brent Satern making a pair of free throws with no time left on the clock to create a 27-27 halftime deadlock.

Sawyer, who had 12 points in the first half, scored 11 in the first six minutes of the second half as the Eagles moved ahead 42-36 with 14:08 to play.

Heu-Weller sank another three to make it 42-39, but the Eagles then reeled off eight unanswered points to take a double-digit lead at 50-39 on a three-pointer by 24 with 12:11 left.

A layup by Chris Keller gave Northwest its largest lead of 12 points at 54-42 with 10:48 left.

The Bruins answered with a 7-0 run to get back in the game, sparked by a three-pointer and a layup by Mark Metzler that made it 54-49 with 7:45 left.

The teams then traded scores several times before the Bruins got a three-pointer from Satern and a free throw by Heu-Weller after a Northwest turnover to cut the gap to two at 68-66 with 33 second left.

Morgan Axton hit one of two free throws before Satern drove for a basket to cut it to one at 69-68 with 17 seconds to go, but Chris Burnett hit a pair of free throws with 15 seconds left for a 71-68 lead, then added a free throw with two seconds left after Satern’s three-point try for a tie was just short.

Heu-Weller led the Bruins with 19 points, Satern scored 16, and Parker added 13. Brady Strutz topped the Bruins on the boards with five rebounds.

The Bruins had their lowest shooting performance of the season, hitting only .397 (23-58) from the field.

Sawyer led all scorers with 26 points, Burnett added 12, and Keller had 10. Sawyer and Burnett had eight rebounds each as Northwest won the board 39-32. The Eagles connected on .453 (24-53) of their shots from the floor.

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