Box Score
The Lady Bruins have been on a roll winning their last five games. The team knew they would be in for a tough test as they welcomed in the Tennessee Temple Crusaders on Saturday night. The Bruins were playing their last home game of the season and the team honored their seniors after the game. The two teams met back in January, with the Crusaders winning 58-38 over the Bruins. The Crusaders were riding a hot streak having won 7 of their last 8 games entering their matchup with the Bruins. 

From the opening tip, the Bruins were set for a very physical matchup. The two teams went back and forth in the opening minutes, with neither team able to establish tempo and control. Both teams struggled to score and many fouls were called in the opening minutes. "We knew it was going to be a very physical game," Coach LeViere said. "We had been working on not letting that physical style dictate what we were doing and I thought we did a good job of not letting that affect us." 

The Crusaders began to slip away from the Bruins to gain the lead. Try as they might, the Bruins struggled to score on the offensive end with the team shooting 32% from the field.  The Bruins got some help from Kourtney Hoelfer in the paint scoring baskets. At the break, the Bruins were down 20-32. 

"We can't have mental lapses," Coach LeViere said. "There are stretches at times where we kind of go to sleep on offense. We played great defense which kept us in the game."

In the second half, the Bruins came out with a new mindset and went on a 20-4 run to get back into the game and take the lead. With the Crusaders on their heels, the Bruins used great defensive pressure to force turnovers and generate points. The Bruins also stepped up their rebounding to take away second-chance opportunities from the Crusaders. In the closing minutes the two teams exchanged baskets and the lead with both looking for that killer blow to take control of the game. 

With less than a minute to play, Kendra Jeffcott banked in a layup to tie the game at 53-53. The Crusaders responded with a second chance layup down the stretch. The last chance desperation heave came up just short as the Bruins' winning streak stopped at five with a 56-53 loss. 

"These girls have come a long way. Tonight was proof of that," Coach LeViere said. "You can see the growth they have had all season in how they compete against good teams like TTU."

Kendra Jeffcott led the Bruins with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Kourtney Hoefler added 10 points and 15 rebounds. Chalice Pack also chipped in 12. The Bruins won the rebounding battle 40-34 and shot 46% in the second half. 

The Bruins also paid special tribute to senior guard Angela Potts as she played her final home game. Although not a regular starter, Potts was a leader for the team. "Angela is one of the sweetest girls we have on the team," Coach LeViere said. "Her sweet personality was what we needed and she was a big encouragement to her teammates as they played."

With the loss, the Bruins move to 10-12 on the season and will travel to Southern Wesleyan University on Tuesday night.