Box Score
In an emotional game of ups and downs, Bruins captain Kyle Turner propelled the team to finish on a high note as the Bruins rallied for a 75-73 victory over Warren Wilson College on Friday night.

"We had so much energy and got after it in the second half," Turner said. "It's awesome to see the team embracing what the coaches are telling us. We had an attack mentality and everyone bought into it tonight."

 

The Bruins entered Friday's game with a 4-15 record after suffering a tough loss on Tuesday night to Johnson and Wales University. Warren Wilson entered the game riding a five-game winning streak with a 12-10 record. The two teams had met earlier this season with the Owls winning 77-61. The Bruins would have a boost from the 6th man in the stands as over 1,300 fans filled the Davis Field House.

As the game began, the Bruins started out slow as the team struggled to score. The Bruins shot just 1-14 to begin the game and allowed the Owls to take an early lead. Justin Gonyea seemingly couldn't miss for the Owls as the guard poured in 18 points throughout the first half. Ray Holden provided a spark for the team with a one-handed dunk, but the Bruins continued to trail.

Despite their shooting struggles, the team played good defense and didn't allow the Owls to extend the lead. Chae Dexter helped theoffense fight their way back into the game by attacking the rim and getting to the foul line as the team generated 23 free throw attempts throughout the half. The team closed out the half strong by going on a 19-5 run to cut the lead to 38-33 at the break.

"I told the guys in the locker room I was proud of them not sticking their heads down but fighting and persevering," Coach Ring said. "We knew we were going to have to defend well and we wanted to put a lot more pressure on them defensively and I felt like we did that well at times tonight."

In the second half, the Bruins continued to ride their momentum and continued to draw closer and closer to taking the lead. Each time they came close, Ty Johnson and Justin Gonyea helped to push the Owls back on top. The Bruins offense was night and day difference from the first half as the team shot 70% in the second half to eventually take the lead with just minutes to play. The fans were on the edge of their seats as they knew this game would go all the way down to the final shot.

EJ Patterson banked home a layup with 1:25 left to play in the game to give the Owls the lead, but on the next Bruins possession Dustin Killough knocked down a three-point shot to give the Bruins a 72-70 lead. The Owls would respond with a clutch basket by Garth Bailey to tie the game at 72-72. On the next possession, the Bruins turned the ball over and gave the Owls an opportunity to steal the win at home. After a missed shot, Marshall Riddle secured the rebound and found Kyle Turner on the break and Turner buried a three-point shot with just 6 seconds left to play. The team then fouled Owls guard Ty Johnson and the Owls failed to convert the offensive putback as the Bruins held on for a 75-73 win.

"We were determined not to lose this game," Bruins' captain Ray Holden said. "They gave us work at their place and we didn't want to lose this one at home. It doesn't matter what game or what night we know winning starts on the defensive end and as a young team I felt we handled success well tonight. The pads in our gym say that this is our house and we were going to protect our house."

Kyle Turner and Chae Dexter led the Bruins with 16 points and Ray Holden added 14. The Bruins won the rebounding margin 37-27 and won the game despite committing 27 turnovers on the night. With the win, the Bruins improve to 5-15 on the season. The team will now welcome rival Clearwater Christian College on Saturday night.