TACOMA, Wash. -- The Loggers come back from as much as 20 down in the first half, pulling off an impressive 71-70 victory over the George Fox Bruins. This marks the first time since 2014 that the Loggers started 2-0 in Northwest Conference play, kicking off an impressive start to the season. 

How it Happened
It was all Bruins early, as the Loggers couldn't get anything to fall in the first fifteen minutes of the game. The majority of points came via free-throw, as all of a sudden, the Loggers found themselves down 33-13 with 6:36 left to go in the first half. The final couple of minutes were positive for the Loggers, though, as they started to pull back into the game. Aaydan Saucedo drilled a three-pointer, and Ian Cook scored six straight points to pull the Loggers within 11. After a short Fox run, the Loggers pulled back within eight thanks to a Conor MaGuire triple and a Cook lay-in. 

The second half started back-and-forth, as the Loggers found themselves down six after the first four minutes of action. Dante Deshautelle got his first basket of the game, and another MaGruire three helped make it 42-46. After back-to-back buckets by Hugo Rutherfurd, the Loggers found themselves within two and on a 9-0 run. 

MaGuire rolled in another layup, and after a quick trading of buckets, another Rutherfurd layup gave the Loggers their first lead of the game, as they only needed 15 minutes to pull the game back. Zane Miller got in on the action as well, giving the Loggers a 56-53 lead. The Loggers' largest lead was five down the stretch, as another Rutherfurd bucket made it 65-60. 

The Bruins went on a little run to tie the game at 65, but four straight Rutherfurd free throws made it 69-65 with 31 seconds remaining. A Bruin three made things interesting, but a pair of free throws by Saucedo gave the Bruins another three-point advantage. Despite a final buzzer-beater by Fox, it wasn't quite enough, as the Loggers took this one 71-70. 

Top Performers
Rutherfurd led the Loggers in scoring, picking up 18 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 blocks for the Loggers. Cook had a double-double of his own, going 17 and 12, as Miller finished one point shy with 9 points and 10 boards. 

Coach's Thoughts
"Gutsy, gutsy win," said Logger head coach Aubrey Shelton. "To start off down 20 and only shoot 30% for the game against a very talented and hungry team was quite impressive. Second straight game where we dominated the glass with 26 offensive boards and I was very happy with us only having 9 turnovers vs a pressing team. Ian carried us in the first half and helped get us back into it, Hugo plays like an All-American in the 2nd half with 17 points that half, Conor continues to make huge plays, and overall great defensive effort by the team to hold them to 29% shooting the 2nd half."

What Happens Next
The Loggers jump right back into the action with a game against Pacific Lutheran on Tuesday, January 6th. They head to Parkland as they look to extend their win streak in conference play. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 pm.