PARKLAND, Wash. - Pacific Lutheran closed out its 2009-10 men's basketball season with a hard-fought 70-67 Northwest Conference victory over the visiting George Fox Bruins on Saturday night in Olson Auditorium.

Curtis Trondsen led four PLU players in double figures as the Lutes rallied from an early 10-point deficit, making plays in the closing minutes of the game to pull out the victory. Pacific Lutheran finishes its campaign 9-14 overall and 7-9 in the Northwest Conference, good for fifth place. George Fox, meanwhile, wraps up the regular season with a 12-13 overall record and a 9-7 conference mark, good for third place and a conference tournament semifinal berth against Linfield College next Thursday in McMinnville.

The Bruins raced out to a 17-7 lead barely five minutes into the game as Travis Toedtemeier knocked down a trio of three-point shots and Dan Lingenfelder added two more. That shooting set the tone throughout the contest as the Bruins were 15-for-32 from beyond the arc, good for 47 percent accuracy.

Fox still led by eight points, 23-15, when the Lutes got back into the game with a 7-0 run highlighted by five points from Trondsen. PLU tied the game at 28-28 on a layup by Zachary Klein before the Bruins took a 34-31 lead at the break on an Evan Atwater three-point shot with 35 seconds left. At that point, Fox was 9-for-17, or 53 percent, from long range.

After the Lutes took a 36-34 advantage on James Conti's three-point basket two minutes into the half, the Bruins regained the lead and held it for most of the final period. PLU finally went ahead for good, 63-60, on Conti's layup and ensuing foul shot with 2:27 left.

Curtis Trondsen knocked down a pair of foul shots with five seconds left to give the Lutes a 70-67 margin, setting the scene for one last George Fox effort to tie the game. Instead, Kyle MacTaggart stripped the ball from Alex Stockner as he rose for a three-point shot, and the Lutes grabbed the loose ball as time expired.

Joining Trondsen in double figures for the Lutes were Victor Bull with 11 points and Gabe Smith and Conti with 10 each. Smith, a 6-1 guard and the only PLU senior, led all players with 12 rebounds.

George Fox also had four players in double figures, led by Jack Martin and Toedtemeier with 14 apiece. Atwater added 12 points and Stockner had 10 for the Bruins. Martin and Toedtemeier each had four three-point makes and Lingenfelder added three more. Atwater led the team wtih six rebounds and Stephen Wiseley chipped in with six assists.

- PLU -