Box Score The Bruins played the last of their NCAA DI opponents on Saturday afternoon as they battled the Presbyterian College Blue Hose in Clinton, South Carolina. The Blue Hose used 52% shooting from behind the arc and 28 points by Jordan Downing to run away with the contest in an 88-39 win.
Kyle Turner had 18 points in the
loss to Presbyterian College"You play these games to find out more about yourself as a team," Coach Neal Ring said. "Presbyterian played really well today andreally took it to us. They picked a great day to shoot the ball and we struggled to compete with their hot shooting."
The Bruins came into the game with a 3-6 record, having dropped their last four games. Their most recent defeat came in a hard fought loss to the Citadel last week. The Blue Hose opened the 2014-15 season with a 1-4 record but bounced back with a 63-40 win over Toccoa Falls College on Tuesday night.
The two teams traded baskets in the opening minutes before the Blue Hose used a 10-2 run to jump out to a 14-6 lead. The Bruins tried to climb back into the game behind the slick shooting of Kyle Turner but the team committed 10 first-half turnovers to allow Presbyterian College to build a sizable lead behind 58% shooting from the field. The Blue Hose Jordan Downing rained down three's against BJU as he scored 18 first half points. At the break, the Bruins trailed 45-19.
"We really struggled to execute on offense," Coach Ring said. "On defense we really got beat up and couldn't stop them offensively."
In the second half, the Bruins offensive struggles continued as the team shot just 25% from the field throughout the game. The Blue Hose kept the pressure on with a 25-3 run in the second half to bury the Bruins. As the dust settled, BJU dropped their fifth straight with a 88-39 loss against Presbyterian College.
"When you are not making shots and the other team can't miss that is going to translate to a tough day," Coach Ring. "It will be nice to have our opponents not at the NCAA DI level coming up. We're looking forward to getting back at it and hopefully picking up a win at home next week."
Kyle Turner was the lone bright shooting spot for the Bruins on the night with 18 points while shooting 41% from the field. Marshall Riddle was the only other Bruin in double figures with 11 points. With the loss, the Bruins fall to 3-7 on the season. The team will be back in action next week as they take the court at home in the Davis Field House against Barber-Scotia College Thursday night.
