Box Score
The Bruins played their second road test of the season as they traveled to Emmanuel College to battle the Lions. Emmanuel was ranked #20 in the NAIA coming into the game and had blown out their previous four opponents on their way to a perfect 4-0 record. The Bruins were coming off their first loss of the season on Saturday night to Thomas University. The two teams met twice in the 2012 season with the Lions winning handily in both meetings. The Bruins knew that to stay with the Lions their defense would have to be at its best.
As the game began, the Bruins came out strong and played excellent defense in the opening minutes to limit the Lions chances. The team allowed a few easy inside baskets but were able to keep the score close. The Bruins even took the lead at one point in the first half behind their 47% shooting from the field. As the half was nearing its end, the Bruins yielded an 8-0 run in the final minute of the half to go from having the lead to down 33-25 at the break.
"We had them right where we wanted them and they made some good shots down the stretch," Coach Ring said. "I was pleased with our defense because we made them work for every one of their shots. We needed to finish the half strong and we didn't do that."
In the second half, the Bruins slowly chipped away at the Lions lead. Each time the Bruins would make a short run, the Lions would knock down several shots and make several stops on defense to increase the lead again. The Bruins were dealt a blow when Larry Taylor picked up his 4th foul of the game nearing the midpoint of the second half. The Lions went on a 10-2 run in Taylor's absence to increase their lead to double digits.
As the game neared its end, the costly turnovers continued to hurt the Bruins as they tried everything to get back into the game. The final buzzer secured the victory for the Lions and handed the Bruins their second straight loss 62-43.
"The credit goes to Emmanuel. They are a strong athletic team and they have shown what they can do in how they have played this season," Coach Ring said. "We have to take better care of the basketball. We turned the ball over too much but that is just something we are going to have to work on."
With the loss, the Bruins fall to 2-2 on the season. Kyle Turner led the way for the Bruins with 13 points and 11 rebounds. Larry Taylor had 10 points and 4 assists, but also committed 8 turnovers in the loss. The Bruins committed 26 turnovers as a team while shooting just 16% from the field in the second half.
The team will compete in the Roger Taylor Invitational tournament coming up this weekend in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. The team will play Greensboro College on Friday night and North Carolina Wesleyan College on Saturday afternoon.
