Box Score
Despite being down by as much as 15 points in the 2nd half, the Bruins rallied to win their fifth straight game in an 85-69 victory over the University of North Georgia Nighthawks on Tuesday night. This was the first win over an NCAA DII opponent in program history. "We're just trusting each other and not trying to do it on our own," Bruins' guard Shawn Lipscomb said as he finished with 14 points and 5 assists. "I feel like we are going to keep it going as we keep trusting each other. We're growing a lot off the court which helps us on the court."  

 

The Bruins entered the game at 4-0, having started off the 2015-16 season strong. The Nighthawks came into Tuesday's game with a 0-2 record, and were looking to bounce back as they took the floor in the Davis Field House. The Bruin faithful were out in full voice as both teams were ready for tipoff. 

In the opening minutes, the Nighthawks used several Bruins turnovers to jump out to an early 16-4 advantage. The Bruins slowly began to work their way back into the game by getting to the free throw line, and being more patient offensively. After a Kyle Turner three-point shot, the Bruins cut the lead to 21-11. The team then put in Ray Holden and Dustin Killough hoping they could provide a spark as the tandem combined for 40 points in the last game. The two picked up where they left off as Ray Holden knocked down several tough shots on the drive and Dustin Killough provided the shots from the line as the Bruins clawed their way back to within two 31-29. "Every time I come in I just want to give the best effort I can," Killough said. "It's been a humbling experience for me [coming off the bench] but I have just embraced it." 

From there, the Nighthawks closed out the half strong as they took a 39-32 lead into the break. "We were very positive in the locker room at halftime," Coach Ring said. "Our focus was on the good things we had done. We didn't feel like we were out of the game and knew we could come back." 

In the second half, the Nighthawks came out with a 7-0 run to increase their lead. The Bruins tried to chip away at the lead, but the Nighthawks continued to stay on top. With just over 13 minutes to go, Justin Matthews knocked down a jumper which sparked a 10-0 run for the Bruins as they jumped right back into the game. After a Kyle Turner three-point shot, the Bruins tied the game at 60-60. 

With momentum on their side, the team unleashed an offensive tidal wave as Dustin Killough and Marshall Riddle caught fire from the outside to spark an 18-1 run to put the Bruins in the driver's seat. The Bruins made key free throws down the stretch and held on for an 85-69 victory. 

"Our guys did their jobs tonight," Coach Ring said. "We've got guys scoring, we've got guys playing defense and guys are buying in and trusting each other. I was pleased with the way the guys handled success tonight in making huge shots for us tonight. We had great support from the fans and our guys fed off of that in this game."  

Dustin Killough led the Bruins with 23 points off the bench. Marshall Riddle had 15, Shawn Lipscomb had 14 and Kyle Turner had 13 as the Bruins shot 49% from the field and 55% from three in the second half. During the midway point of the game, the Bruins outscored the Nighthawks 45-14 to rally for the win. The team outrebounded the Nighthawks despite going with a much smaller lineup 44-36. With the win, the team improves to 5-0 on the season. Next up, the Bruins will travel to USC Upstate on Saturday night.