The BJU Bruins took the court in Madisonville, Tennessee on Saturday evening against the Hiwassee College Tigers. The team was playing without starting forward Caleb Owen, after he suffered a broken nasal cavity in Friday night's loss against Lincoln Memorial. The Hiwassee crowd was energized and in full voice as they welcomed the Bruins for their homecoming game. 

From the opening tip, the Bruins realized that size was going to be an issue. The team struggled to secure rebounds, and the Tgers exerted great defensive pressure on the Bruins. Despite the pressure, the Bruins were able to capitalize on several offensive possessions to keep the game close. As the game was nearing halftime, the Tigers lead slowly grew to ten points. After a Bruin turnover, the Tigers swished a three-point shot just as time expired. The Bruins entered the half down 13 points. 

"We just didn't do the little things right," Coach Ring said. "We missed several easy layups and free-throws which hurt us in the long run."

At the start of the second half, Evan Brondyke hit three straight three-pointers to cut into the Tigers lead. From there, the teams exchanged baskets back and forth with neither team making a run. The Bruins continued to struggle with turning the ball over and securing rebounds giving the Lions second chance opportunities. As the final buzzer sounded, the Bruins had lost their second straight game 78 to 67.

"They were a good transition team and made us pay for our mistakes," Coach Ring said. "We just have to keep taking little steps towards improvement."

With the loss, the Bruins move to 1-8 on the year. The team will rest up over the weekend before travelling for a game against Southern Polytechnic State University on Monday.