NEWBERG, Ore. -- (From GFU Sports Information Office) Running their record to 13-0 for the best start in team history, the Whitworth College Pirates jumped out to an early lead and were never threatened in an 83-53 rout of the George Fox University Bruins in Northwest Conference men’s basketball action Saturday night here at the Wheeler Sports Center’s Miller Gym.

Symes scored 15 of his 24 points in the 1st half

In topping the 12-0 start by the 2002-03 Whitworth team, the Pirates jumped out to a 7-1 lead, and reached a double-digit lead for good on a layup by Jon Young to make it 18-7 with 10:17 left in the first half. The Pirates hit a 20-point lead with 6:32 to go when Ryan Symes’ jumper made it 29-9. The Pirates shot .481 (13-27) while holding the struggling Bruins to a .167 figure (5-30) in building up a 42-13 halftime lead behind Symes’ 15 first-half points.

The Bruins battled the Pirates on virtually-even terms throughout the second half, being outscored only 41-40, but the damage had been done in the first half. Whitworth’s largest margin was 36 points when Calvin Jurich made a rebound basket to for a 68-32 advantage with 6:41 remaining.

The nation’s best-shooting team at .548 coming in, Whitworth managed a .481 mark this time, making 26-54 from the field, but they didn’t need more accuracy as George Fox wound up at only .298 for the game on 17-57 shooting. The Pirates also owned the boards with 43 rebounds to 30 for the Bruins.

Chris Parker scored 13 points and Mark Metzler 12 to lead the Bruins. Brady Strutz had a team-high eight rebounds, Brent Satern handed out three assists, and Metzler made three steals.

Symes finished with 24 points for the Pirates to lead all scorers, and also had a game-high nine rebounds. James Jones added 17 points and Young had 10. Bryan Williams, the national leader in assists, had five this time around.

George Fox (6-6, NWC 2-2) hosts Willamette University and Whitworth (13-0, NWC 4-0) returns home to play 13th-ranked University of Puget Sound in a showdown for first place in the league Friday, both games at 8 p.m. following women’s NWC contests at 6 p.m.