George Fox GFU 4-18,3-10 NWC

Whitman Whitm 9-13,4-9 NWC

George Fox GFU

4-18,3-10 NWC

Final

Feb. 13, 2026

Whitman Whitm

9-13,4-9 NWC

Score By Periods
Team	1	2	F
George Fox GFU	42	42	84
Whitman Whitm	32	47	79

Summary
Box Score

Whitman Communications

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | 2/13/2026 9:48:00 PM

Men's Basketball Falls To George Fox

WALLA WALLA, Wash. – A furious second-half rally came up just short for the Whitman College men's basketball team, as the Blues fell 84-79 to George Fox in Northwest Conference action Friday night at the Sherwood Center.

Whitman (9-13, 4-9 NWC) trailed by 10 at the half and by as many as 14 in the opening period before outscoring the Bruins 47-42 after the break to claw back into contention. The Blues tied the game at 60-60 on a pull-up three from Marcel Elicagaray with 11:51 to play, then briefly took a 70-69 lead on a Jacob Fotu triple with 6:28 remaining, but George Fox answered with timely perimeter shooting and clutch free throws down the stretch.

Fotu powered Whitman with a game-high 26 points on 10-of-14 shooting, including 2-of-3 from beyond the arc and a perfect 4-of-4 at the foul line, while adding six rebounds. Ali Efe Isik continued his all-around production with 19 points and nine rebounds to go with a team-best seven assists, and Elicagaray finished with 13 points—hitting four threes—and four rebounds. Luke Johnson chipped in nine points on 3-of-3 shooting from deep as the Blues went 9-of-19 from long range as a team.

George Fox (4-18, 3-10 NWC) countered with a balanced attack led by Donovan Cooks' 25 points, including 4-of-8 from three and 7-of-8 at the line, and 19 points and nine rebounds from Sydney Natche. The Bruins used a 42-32 advantage at halftime, fueled by 15-of-20 free-throw shooting in the opening 20 minutes, to control the early tempo. For the night, the visitors shot 44.6 percent from the field and 47.4 percent from three, compared to Whitman's 44.6 percent and 47.4 percent, while converting 20-of-25 free throws to the Blues' 15-of-18.

Whitman's comeback was built on defense and paint touches, as the Blues held a 28-26 edge in points in the paint and a 15-9 advantage in second-chance scoring behind a 32-32 deadlock on the glass. The hosts also tightened up in transition after the break, limiting the Bruins to seven fast-break points in the second half after surrendering 14 before intermission. However, George Fox capitalized on key Whitman miscues, turning 15 Blues turnovers into 15 points.

Whitman closes out its regular season home slate on Saturday against Lewis & Clark before closing the league season on the road next weekend. Tipoff against the River Otters is set for 5:00 p.m.

#GoWhitman

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