Box Score
The Bruins snapped their losing streak on Friday night as Kyle Turner powered the team with 24 points and 12 rebounds in the Bruins 80-71 win over Piedmont International University. "It was good to get a win as we head to the end of this semester," Turner said. "This being the 7th time I have played PIU, I felt like I knew what to expect. They went with a smaller lineup to try to get some matchup advantages but I was excited because that gives me, Kirtis and Tre a matchup advantage of our own." 

 

Four different players scored in double figures for the Bruins as the team bounced back with a big road win. The Bruins entered the game with a 6-5 record, having dropped five-straight games after opening the season 6-0. The next chapter of the battle of the Bruins was ready to be written as the two Bruin-squads took the floor at the Pope Center in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. 

Both teams traded baskets in the opening minutes as the score remained close. The Bruins were able to work the ball inside to Kyle Turner who was able to capitalize as the captian shot an unbelievable 10-11 from the field throughout the game. Still, Piedmont kept the game close and didn't allow the Bruins to extend their lead. The team also got a big boost from the outside shooting of Marshall Riddle and the power-play of Tre' Tipton. Piedmont closed out the first half on a run and cut into the Bruins lead 36-33 as the two teams went into halftime.

"We got some good action in the post that helped us out a lot," Coach Neal Ring said. "I thought we also did a great job defensively in making adjustments to make it tough for them to score." 

In the second half, the Bruins came out strong with multiple buckets to extend their lead. Kyle Turner continued to be hot from the outside as the Bruins senior played in his 100th game with the program. Tre' Tipton silenced the crowd early on in the half as Marshall Riddle found Tipton on the alley-oop for the slam. From there, the Bruins continued to capitalize on offense to extend their lead while limiting Piedmont International's opportunities offensively. After Turner completed a three-point play, the Bruins led 60-45. 

From there, Piedmont tried to claw their way back into the game but the Bruins continued to capitalize. The team got a big boost defensively from Shawn Lipscomb as he shutdown Piedmont's Justin Valentine to help the Bruins limit Piedmont's opportunities. As the final buzzer rang, the Bruins had held on to snap their 5-game losing streak with an 80-71 road win. 

"They always play us really tough at their place but we did a good job of coming out and creating some turnovers," Coach Ring said. "We really never felt like it was going to slip away from us and we came down the stretch and made the plays we needed to win. We took advantage of the things they gave us and now it's time for our guys to finish strong on their exams and get ready to spend some time ministering together next week." 

Kyle Turner led the Bruins with 24 points and 12 rebounds while Tre Tipton had 13 points and Marshall Riddle and Dustin Killough each had 11 points. The Bruins owned the rebounding margin as the team outrebounded Piedmont International 41-22 in the game. With the win, the Bruins improve to 7-5 on the season. Next up, the Bruins travel for two games in the Puerto Rico tournament beginning next week.