Box Score
After suffering a difficult loss on Friday night, the Bruins took the court again on Saturday night against the Hiwassee College Tigers. The Tigers came into the game having lost 4 of their last 5. The two teams last met in November in which Hiwassee captured a 78-67 win over the Bruins. The two teams were looking to get a "W" on their record as the game began.
The Bruins rallied behind the play of Josh Clater to start the game as Clater made several baskets and defensive stops to spark a 13-3 run and give the Bruins an early lead. The offense was firing on all cylinders as the Bruins shot 64% from the field throughout the first half. "It's all about confidence," Bruins' guard Darnel Antoine said. "Wherever your confidence is determines how you play." The level of confidence steadily rose all throughout the first half as the Bruins worked the ball for easy layups and wide open shots.
The Bruins changed up their offensive strategy coming into this game by bringing Evan Brondyke off the bench instead of his usual starting role. Brondyke knocked down several three pointers throughout the 1st half to give the Bruins a comfortable 39-31 lead going into halftime.
"Our guys are really starting to get an understanding of what we are expecting on offense," Coach Ring said. "We really want to get the ball inside and that opens up our perimeter shooting. Guys are learning when they should be knocking down shots and now they are."
In the second half, the Bruins continued to work the offense and generate open shots. Evan Brondyke continued to knock down perimeter shots while Darnel Antoine and Josh Clater battled for points in the lane. The Bruins also forced a number of turnovers and limited the Tigers ability to score in transition. At one point the lead stretched to 14 but then the Tigers began to make a run and score baskets. Eventually the lead was cut to four with just minutes remaining in the game. The Bruins led 64-60 before Josh Clater scored back to back baskets to increase the lead and give the Bruins the edge in the final seconds. "We all know our roles," Clater said. "We knew our job was to control what we could control."
The team knocked down several clutch free throws in the closing minutes and when the final buzzer sounded, the Bruins had ended their home stand with an 81-67 win.
"These guys have worked so hard," Coach Ring said. "We've played a home a long time and it's nice to wrap up the last one in this home stand. We've seen some success and hopefully we can continue that."
The Bruins had five players in double figures on the night with Josh Clater leading the way with 15 points. Darnel Antoine and Evan Brondyke each added 14 while Zach Mercado added 12. The Bruins won the rebounding margin at 34-32 and finished the night with an impressive 58% shooting from the field.
Up next, the Bruins will have the week off before beginning their next road trip on Friday. The Bruins will travel to Warren Wilson College on Friday night and then play Tennessee Temple on Saturday.
