Box Score
The Flying Fleet rallied behind 17 first-half points from Andrienne Bannerman to hand the Lady Bruins their first home loss of the season 90-64 on Tuesday night. "We fought well and played a much improved game from last year against this same team," Coach Mike LeViere said. "It's a tough opponent to have your first home game with but this is the kind of team we want to play and compete with."

 

The Bruins entered Tuesday's game with a 2-5 record having played their first seven games of the 2014-15 season on the road. The team was looking forward to being back in familiar territory as they welcomed the Erskine College Flying Fleet to Greenville. The two teams met during the 2013-14 season with the Bruins falling 88-48 in Due West, South Carolina. Erskine entered Tuesday's game with a 1-1 record.

In the opening minutes, the Bruins used strong defensive play and good penetration to jump out to a 9-5 lead. The Flying Fleet then came roaring back as the team shot 50% from behind the arch in the first half. Erskine used the powerful offensive play of Bannerman and Espinosa as the two combined for 28 first-half points. The Bruins came back in the late stages of the half and were able to cut the lead to 28-25 behind an 8-0 run.

The Bruins capitalized on the play of Kendra Jeffcott and the team's ability to get to the basket and the free throw line. Despite their efforts, the team committed several costly turnovers which turned into points for Erskine. At the half, the Bruins found themselves down 49-38.

"We needed to recognize their ability to knock down shots and get out on them defensively," Coach LeViere said. "I was really pleased how we started off the game in playing well and handling their pressure."

In the second half, the Flying Fleet used their defensive pressure to force turnovers. Erskine used their crisp passing and up-tempo play to generate open looks and the team took advantage shooting 80 shots throughout the game. After an 11-3 run to open the half, the Flying Fleet climbed into the driver's seat and never looked back. The Bruins tried desperately to get back into the game, but just couldn't keep pace with Erskine as the final buzzer handed the Bruins a 90-64 loss at home.

"I really can't fault the effort of our team tonight," Coach LeViere said. "We came really close to fulfilling all of our goals for the night. For us to be in the game at halftime and competing was an improvement for us. We're on the right track and we just need to keep moving forward."

Kendra Jeffcott led the way for the Bruins with 17 points and 8 rebounds. Julia Wright scored 12 points for the Bruins while Brianna Delaney scored 11. Bridgette Gleed provided a boost for the team off the bench with 6 points and 9 rebounds. The team committed 22 turnovers and shot just 56% from the free-throw line. With the loss, the Bruins fall to 2-6 on the season. The team enjoyed playing at home in front of their fans, but the home stand will be short lived as the team will be on the road again on Saturday afternoon against Emmanuel College.