Box Score The Bruins put together an impressive run in the 2nd quarter en route to an impressive 68-52 road win over Johnson University on Saturday afternoon. The Bruins improve to 3-1 on the season.
"Really happy with how the team came out and competed today," Bruins coach Mike LeViere said. "Johnson is a very well coached team and I was really happy with our defense overall. It didn't matter who we put into the game they all just played well."
The Lady Bruins entered Saturday's game with a 2-1 record and were set to play their 4th straight road game. Johnson University came into the game having won their season opener in a 68-54 win over Pensacola Christian College.
As the game began, both teams came out slow trying to establish a rhythm. The Bruins had opportunities to score, but the team wasn't able to capitalize as at the end of one both teams were tied 10-10. In the second quarter, the adjustments made during the break worked as the team came out with suffocating defense to force turnovers. The Bruins went on a 15-0 run to close out the half 34-17.
"Defense was key for us in the 2nd quarter," Coach LeViere said. "Our posts had a tough assignement as Johnson really focuses on their inside game. Even though we weren't shooting particularly well we made up for it in defense and rebounding."
In the 2nd half, the Bruins continued to play good defense, and the team became more patient offensively to allow for better looks. Freshman Bhrianna Jackson led the Bruins with 15 points while shooting 50% from the field. In the post, Brianna Delaney came up big as she nabbed 10 rebounds throughout the contest as the Bruins continued to increase their lead. At the end of the third, the Bruins were up 51-34.
The team came out looking to put an exclamation point on the win and they did just that as back-to-back baskets early on gave the Bruins the upper hand. They continued to limit the Royals on defense and turned their transition opportunities into points. As the final buzzer sounded, the Bruins came away with a 68-52 win.
"It is exciting because the team is really just beginning to play like we know they can," Coach LeViere said. "Very balanced scoring for us on the night and we played a good game as a team. We have a short turnaround, but looking forward to playing our first game at home on Monday!"
Bhrianna Jackson led the way for the Bruins with 15 points while Maggi Ford chipped in 10. Eleven different players scored for the Bruins and the team outrebounded the Royals 51-33 in the game. The team continued their impressive performance from the line as the Bruins shot 84% as a team throughout the game while forcing over 20 turnovers. Next up, the Lady Bruins play their home opener of the 2015-16 season as the welcome Columbia College on Monday night.
