Box Score
The Bruins were coming off back to back tough losses at the hands of Warren Wilson College and Clearwater Christian College. The sting of those losses was fresh in their minds as they prepared to welcome the Southern Wesleyan Warriors at the Davis Field House. The Warriors compete in NAIA DI and are transitioning to NCAA DII competition in the next year. The Warriors were 9-10 on the season, and were in the midst of a two-game losing streak. Both teams were looking to snap their losing streaks as they set to tip-off this conference game. 

As the game began, Zach Mercado set the tone for the Bruins by burying a dagger three-point shot to open the scoring for the Bruins. The team was able to spread the floor and play great defense en route to a 19-12 advantage early on. "We have the ability to compete with good teams," Bruins' Darnel Antoine said. "It was all about being focused and committed to defense." The Bruins had a comfortable double digit lead with minutes remaining in the first half, but then the Warriors finished the half on a 16-0 run to go into the break up 31-25. 

"We talked about getting back to what we were doing," Coach Ring said. "We knew we were getting shots but had lost the defensive pressure. We changed some things up from a philosophy subbing standpoint in switching guys out tonight. The last two home games we have lost late because some of our guys weren't fresh." 

In the second half, the Bruins began to slowly chip away at the Warriors lead behind the play of Darnel Antoine and Larry Taylor. The Bruins went on a 9-0 run to regain the lead. The defense fueled the offensive flow by forcing tough shots and getting out in transition. In the late stages of the game, the Bruins were able to hit clutch shots and free throws to hold the lead. As the final buzzer sounded, the Bruins got a much-needed 72-65 win against Southern Wesleyan. 

"This win should cause a lot of people to see where we are now and we're getting better," Bruins' guard Larry Taylor said. "This was a big win for our program. It's all about having trust in each other. You trust your teammate enough to pass it to him, and trust him enough to give it back to you."

This win was the highest level team the Bruins have beat in their two-year history. "These are the kinds of teams we are going to have to play at this level," Coach Ring said. "We talked about defining the season in these last games. Our guys worked really hard, and that is a sign of a growing and maturing team to be able to play the way we did tonight. It was a really good team effort." 

Larry Taylor led the Bruins with 19 points while Darnel Antoine added 18 and Zach Mercado scored 13. With the win, the Bruins improve to 11-13 on the season. The team will have a few days of practice before welcoming Piedmont International University on Friday night.