Box Score Despite playing without their captain and leading-rebounder Kourtney Hoefler, the Lady Bruins overcame obstacles en route to capturing their first win of the 2014-15 season with a 65-61 victory over Trinity Baptist College on Saturday afternoon.
"This was a good win for us," Coach Mike LeViere said. "This is not the best that we can play but any time we can win at this level we are pleased. I am happy with our team. We beat a tough opponent tonight."
The Bruins entered Saturday's game on a 4-game losing streak. Their opponent would be the Trinity Baptist College Eagles who were 1-2 on the season. The Bruins suffered a decisive 82-32 loss on Friday night to the Thomas University Night Hawks and the team was looking to bounce back as they took the court in Jacksonville, Florida.
From the opening tip, the Bruins brought a new energy and poise to the floor that hadn't been present all season. The team played excellent defense by way of Bre Bullard who had several steals and forced several turnovers. On offense, the Bruins spread the floor well and got several players involved and the shots were falling. Maggi Ford and company knocked down several three's for the Bruins who shot 40% for the game from behind the arch. The team was playing well, but the Eagles refused to quit as the Bruins took a slim 31-27 lead into the half.
"We have to keep working hard and focus on the right things while minimizing mistakes and having a great effort," Coach LeViere said. "If we do that we can let the results take care of themselves."
In the second half, the Bruins shored up their defense and forced the Eagles to take tough shots. On offense, the team relied on Kendra Jeffcott who recorded a double-double on the night and made her presence known in rebounding with the absence of Kourtney Hoefler. Julia Wright stepped up big for the Bruins in the rebounding as well as the junior forward snagged 13 rebounds on the night.
The Eagles made a late run to try to overtake the Bruins, but the team stood strong and held on for a 65-61 win.
"We were much improved from our previous games," Coach LeViere said. "We needed players to step up and we got production from several tonight."
With the win, the Bruins are 1-4 on the season. Kendra Jeffcott led the way for the Bruins with 15 points and 15 rebounds while Brianna Delaney added 13 points and 9 rebounds. Maggi Ford also secured a double-double with 10 points and 10 boards. The Bruins owned the rebounding margin as the team outrebounded the Eagles 63-32.
Next up, the Bruins will continue their road trip on Tuesday night as they travel to cross-state rival Columbia International University for a matchup with the Rams.
