NEWBERG, Ore. – Whitman College pulled away from George Fox University Friday night at the Wheeler Sports Center. The Northwest Conference contest was close throughout a majority of the second half, but pressure defense and hot shooting gave No. 21 Whitman an edge down the stretch, as the visiting Whits downed the Bruins, 91-73.
 
It looked as if Whitman (12-2, 4-1 NWC) was going to coast to a win holding a 16-point advantage with just 12 minutes to play in the game. But George Fox (5-9, 2-3 NWC) did not go away quiet. The Bruins battled back and cut the Whit lead to just seven with 8:01 to play, but Whitman used a 17-4 run to turn the tables and shut the door on Fox.
 
"Tochi [Oti] and JoJo [Wiggins] gave us a huge lift from a defense and rebounding standpoint." head coach Eric Bridgeland said. "Both played their best minutes of the year tonight. Austin Butler was everywhere and it was a great team defense by our guys."
 
Sophomore, Tim Howell led all scorers with 25 points, while adding eight rebounds and two steals. First year wing, Austin Butler poured in 17 points and just missed a double-double with nine rebounds. Seniors, Tochi Oti and Evan Martin combined for 21 points in the game and JoJo Wiggins' game-high 11 boards helped cap off the win that took a full team effort.
 
Whitman's defense was key early, holding the Bruins to just 10 points in six minutes of action. The Whits started just 2-for-7 from the field, but eventually got going offensively and jumping out to an eight point lead seven minutes into the game. At the mid-point of the first half, Whitman held its largest lead of the contest after Butler scored on a layup that pushed the lead to 10.
 
Fox was up for the task of running with the twenty-first ranked Whits, staying within striking distance for the entire first half. Whitman entered the break with a 47-42 advantage and was in no means comfortable with the lead. At the half, Howell led all Whitties with nine points, while Oti and Christian McDonald each contributed eight.
 
Whitman came out in the second half and pushed its lead to 13 before going cold from the field. Over a three-minute span the Whitties shot just 1-for-6 from the field and committed five turnovers. Fortunately for Whitman, its defense never missed a beat, as Fox was held to just two points during that stretch.
 
Whitman's lead eventually grew to 16, but the Bruins made a run midway through the second half and cut their deficit to just seven. The Whits turned it up offensively from that point, pouring in 20 points in the final seven minutes of the game and running away with the victory.
 
Whitman dominated the glass throughout the night, outrebounding Fox 55-35 while grabbing 18 offensive boards. The Whits outscored the Bruins 52-30 in the paint and just missed reaching their season average 95 points, which continues to rank in the top-10 nationally.
 
Whitman will look to finish up its long road trip in winning fashion Saturday night when the team visits Willamette University (4-10, 1-4 NWC) in a game that is set to tip at 6 p.m. PST in Salem, Ore.