Box Score
Despite a stellar performance by captain Kyle Turner, the Bruins rally came up just short as the team fell 67-64 to Washington Adventist University. "I was very proud of our effort tonight," Coach Neal Ring said. "Our guys showed a lot of character in battling back and that is the first time in a long time that we were in the game from start to finish. This gives us a platform to build on to continue to improve going forward." 

 

The Bruins entered Thursday's game with a 3-11 record and were in the midst of a 9 game losing streak. Their opponent would be 2013-14 USCAA National Champion Washington Adventist University Shock who came into the game with a 7-8 record. The Bruins were hoping to play the role of spoiler as they took the court in Takoma Park, Maryland. 

In the opening minutes, three straight turnovers by the Bruins and poor defensive play allowed the Shock to jump out to a 15-4 lead. The Bruins continued to struggle on the offensive end as shots just wouldn't fall allowing the Shock to convert on the other end. After a basket by Juwan Grant, the Shock extended their lead to 23-7. After a timeout, the Bruins came roaring back as captains Ray Holden and Kyle Turner knocked down key baskets to chip away at the Shock's lead. The team began to tighten defensively and was able to get to the free throw line for points. At the half, the Bruins had come all the way back to trail 35-29. 

"We still had too many turnovers tonight," Coach Ring said. "But we were able to get back into the game by controlling what we could control defensively and in rebounding."

In the second half, the Bruins came out of the gate with four straight points to cut the lead to 35-33. Momentum had swung in their favor as the team became more and more confident with each possession. After a 
Kyle Turner three-point shot, the Bruins took their first lead of the game 40-38. From there, the two teams went back and forth trading baskets and dreams with the hope of a victory in their sights. Neither team was able to build more than a 5 point lead as this game went down to the wire. 

In the final minutes, the Shock were able to take advantage of their free throw opportunities while the Bruins failed to capitalize on some key free throws in the late stages of the game. With 5 seconds to play, Marshall Riddle made a layup to cut the lead to 66-64. The Bruins fouled on the ensuing possession to send Jerry McFadden to the line. McFadden made the first shot but missed the second. The Bruins were unable to get off a shot in the final possession as the rally came up just short in a 67-64 loss on the road. 

"You have to make your free throws to win close games," Coach Ring said. "But I am proud of the way our guys battled and came back. It's been a while since we played really well against a very good team. Our players really encouraged one another tonight and although we lost, we really hung with a very good team." 

Kyle Turner led all scorers on the night with 19 points and 11 rebounds. Marshall Riddle also chipped in 15 points for the Bruins while shooting 80% from the free-throw line on the night. The Bruins controlled the rebounding stat line on the night as they outrebounded the Shock 46-31. The team committed 22 costly turnovers handing the Bruins their 10th straight loss. The team is now 3-12 on the season. The Bruins will wrap up their two-game road trip on Saturday afternoon, as the team will battle Penn State York at 2 p.m.