Box Score The Lady Bruins started off the 2015 season on a high note as the team used suffocating defense and an onslaught of scoring to come away with a 69-28 victory over the University of Valley Forge on Thursday afternoon. "We played good team basketball today," Coach Mike LeViere said. "The stat of the game for me was in seeing how many assists we had with how many baskets we scored. The entire team played good defense and we limited our mistakes."
The Bruins entered the game with a 4-10 record but finished the first half of the season well with a 48-44 win over Johnson University. The team would be on the road in Florida for a three-game tournament in Kissimmee to begin the second half of their season. Their first opponent would be the University of Valley Forge Patriots who were 1-7 on the season and in the midst of a three-game losing streak.
As the game began, the Bruins used some great defensive pressure to force turnovers and jump out to an early 8-2 lead. The Bruins were able to find the open player en route to great looks near the basket. The Bruins also rode the stellar play of Kourtney Hoefler and Brianna Delaney in the post as the duo combined to shut down the block and control rebounds for the team.Despite their defensive prowess, the Bruins struggled from beyond the arch as the team shot just 8% for the half. Even with their struggles, the Bruins finished out the half strong and took a 22-8 lead into the break.
"We were somewhat shaky in the first half in our scoring," Coach LeViere said. "We did some things well in rebounding and on the defensive side but were looking to take advantage of our scoring opportunities."
The halftime adjustments worked as the Bruins came out on fire and went on a 21-2 run to take control of the game. Maggi Ford and Hannah Tompkins caught fire to help the Bruins shoot 50% from behind the arch in the second half. The team continued to ride their defensive pressure as they forced 26 Patriots turnovers. The Bruins had every single player on the roster score as the team looked unstoppable on the offensive end. As the final buzzer sounded, the Bruins earned a good team win with a 69-28 victory.
"In the second half we were able to settle down and make good decisions," Coach LeViere said. "I am looking forward to continuing on from the great 2nd half that we played as we move on into the second half of the season."
Maggi Ford led the Bruins with 12 points while Brianna Delaney recorded a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds. The Bruins owned the rebounding stat line as they outrebounded the Patriots 40-22. With the win, the team improves to 5-10 on the season. The Bruins will have a quick turnaround as they play games on both Friday and Saturday in Kissimmee, Florida. Next up, the Bruins will play Mid Atlantic Christian University on Friday afternoon.
