Box Score
The Bruins were on the road on Tuesday night as they traveled to cross-state rival Columbia International University. The CIU Rams are in their first season of basketball competition and have had a tough time so far this season with an 0-5 record. The Bruins were coming off a tough 88-48 loss against Erskine College on Saturday. The team was looking to bounce back as they took the court to battle the Rams.
From the opening tip, the Bruins looked like a completely different team from their performance on Saturday. The offense worked through their progressions and was able to execute a great in and out game which opened wings Hannah Tompkins and Maggi Ford for open looks. Kendra Jeffcott continued her offensive dominance by driving the lane and getting easy baskets. The team used several great runs in the first half as it seemed the Bruins couldn't miss. At the half, the Bruins had a comfortable 45-29 lead.
"The girls got together after last game and they realized they had gotten mentally soft," Coach LeViere said. "Saturday woke us up and we responded the right way tonight by coming out and playing tough right away."
In the second half, the Bruins continued to force turnovers and relied on the great outside shooting of Hannah Tompkins to increase their lead. Tompkins shot 4-6 from behind the arc and scored a team-high 21 points for the Bruins. As the half wore on, the lead became larger and larger as the Bruins offensive dominance was in full swing. The Bruins also controlled the glass by crashing the boards on shots and getting loose balls. The Rams had several short runs, but each run was matched by a basket by the Bruins. The final buzzer handed the Bruins a big road win with a 83-59 victory over Columbia International University.
"We played a good team game tonight," Coach LeViere said. "We ran the floor well and limited our turnovers. We showed good intelligence with the ball tonight. I am very proud of their effort coming off a loss on Saturday."
Kendra Jeffcott and Hannah Tompkins each had 21 points for the Bruins while Kourtney Hoefler had 13 rebounds. The Bruins only committed 10 turnovers and did a great job of taking care of the ball and taking good shots. With the win, the team improves to 5-2 on the season. Next up, the Bruins will travel to Wesleyan College on Thursday night for a matchup with the Wolves.
