Men's Basketball by Jonny Gamet

Bruins Fall to Crusaders 72-64

Team battles back to come up just short against TTU

Box Score
The Bruins welcomed the Tennessee Temple Crusaders on Saturday night to the Davis Field House. The Bruins were coming off a tough loss on the road against Piedmont on Friday night, and were looking to get back on track against the Crusaders. The team knew this would be a special night as it was the last home game of the season for the Bruins. 

The team honored their seniors before the game, and the Bruin faithful applauded the leadership brought by the three seniors on the Bruins squad. The team knew this would be another tough test of their inaugural season as the Crusaders were on a red-hot winning streak, having won their last six games. The two teams met back in January, with the Crusaders getting the 64-59 win. 

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From the opening tip, the Bruins battled against the physical style of play by the Crusaders. Senior forward Josh Clater went back and forth establishing momentum for the Bruin bigs down low. The Crusaders were much bigger in size, and used their size as an advantage to work their offensive sets. "We knew we needed to keep them from gaining position," Clater said. "We knew we needed to establish that early to set the tone." 

Early on, the two teams kept it close with neither team able to build a lead. The Bruins shot 50% from the field in the first half, but shots came few and far between with both teams struggling to score. At the break, the Bruins were down 33-22.

"We knew we needed to try to grind the game out," Coach Ring said. "We kept them close and were able to play good defense." 

The Bruins were facing adversity going into the second half against a bigger and stronger opponent. The team made several adjustments that helped to give more of an offensive flow as the Bruins cut into the lead. In the middle of the second half, the Bruins were dealt a serious blow as Ray Holden Jr. went out with an injury. Despite the setback, the Bruins continued to fight and claw their way back into the game. 

In the closing minutes, the Bruins cut the lead to 60-65 as the team came up with several big turnovers down the stretch. Each time the Bruins would cut into the lead, the Crusaders would find an answer through the stellar play of Rashaud Bell who finished with 23 points. Several desperation three's rattled out for the Bruins, and as the final buzzer sounded, the Bruins were handed a 72-64 loss. 

"It's the same formula for us: We want to compete, we want to earn the respect of our opponent and ultimately honor Christ through how we play," Coach Ring said. "We showed a lot of growth and maturity tonight."

Darnel Antoine led all scorers for the Bruins with 17 points while Josh Clater added 14. The Bruins had 22 turnovers tonight while shooting 46% for the game. With the loss, the Bruins fall to 6-20 on the season and will be on the road for their remaining schedule.  

In the final seconds of the game, the Bruin faithful poured down the praise for the seniors. "It was an awesome feeling," senior forward Jordan Corriveau said. "It is a sad feeling knowing it was our last game, but at the same time it was an honor." 

The three seniors showed great leadership all season long in helping to build the foundation for the program in this inaugural season. "We're a family," senior guard Craig Richards said. "We've been through the up's and down's and ultimately we play for an audience of One. Our sole goal is to live Christ on and off the court." Through tears, many of the seniors relayed their thanks to the fans and the program. "There is so much more to life than basketball," Jordan Corriveau said. "You learn so much from these coaches as they invest their lives into you. God has taught me a lot this year with this team." 

The holes left by the seniors will be felt as they leave the program. "We all started as freshman this year," Josh Clater said. "We have seen tremendous growth both on the court and in our spiritual walk as well." While the seniors will leave at the end of the school year, the seniors will always remember being a part of that first team. 

Coming up next, the Bruins will travel to Southern Wesleyan University on Tuesday night. 
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