NEWBERG, Ore. – Overcoming a halftime deficit of 10 points, the George Fox Bruins defeated the Linfield Wildcats, 106-102 in the Northwest Conference opening game at the Wheeler Sports Center on Friday night.
 
This was the first regular season game for the Wildcats in the 2020-21 season, the Bruins played four non-conference games against Whitman and Whitworth and are now 1-4 on the season overall.
 
Linfield led 52-42 at halftime and extended it to 57-42 on a three-pointer by Will Burghardt and a layup by Dempsey Roggenbuck, who had 16 points in the first half.
 
George Fox tied the game at 78 at the 9:25 mark in the second half on an and-one by Ryan Lacey. Neither team was able to pull away from that point until the Bruins took a five-point lead with 41 seconds left in the game. George Fox forced 19 turnovers on the night.
 
Roggenbuck and Max Lommen started out their senior seasons with career nights. Roggenbuck shot 12 for 20 from the field for 31 points, which was four points shy of his career-high. In his last three games against the Bruins, the Marin County, California native has averaged 29.7 points per game. Roggenbuck made five three-pointers on Friday night.
 
Lommen scored career-high 23 points on 8 for 13 shooting and a perfect 6 for 6 from the free-throw line. The Portland, Oregon, native also had five rebounds and three assists. Burghardt had 18 points and five assists. Aaron Baune had 12 points, nine rebounds, five assists and two blocks. Matt Berger had two points, six rebounds and three blocks.
 
Off the bench, Carson Bonine scored seven points while freshmen Jackson Dupree and Kellen George made their Wildcat debuts.
 
For the Bruins, Lacey was the team leader with 25 points and eight rebounds, Jackson Januik had eight assists. Zac Schmerber made six three-point shots off the bench and James Moore scored 12 off the bench on four made shots from beyond-the-arc.
 
George Fox made 17 three-pointers, shooting 42.5 percent. Linfield shot 52.5 percent from the field and 37.5 percent from the three-point line.
 
This is the first of four meetings for the two teams this season, all four count towards the conference standings.
 
UP NEXT
George Fox comes to Ted Wilson Gym on Saturday at 6 p.m. to wrap up the first of two home-and-home series between the two Yamhill County teams this season. Per Northwest Conference protocols, fans are not allowed.