Box Score
The Bruins came roaring back in the final minutes to tie the game and rode the momentum to an 85-80 overtime victory over University Metropolitan in San Juan, Puerto Rico. "We trusted each other and had each other's backs defensively," Bruins' guard Shawn Lipscomb said after finishing the game with 22 points and 8 rebounds."Kyle came in clutch for us at the end and as our captain stepped up as our leader. We clawed back into the game possession by possession and just focused on getting stops one at a time."

 

With the win, the team improved to 8-5 on the season. The Bruins took the stage for a two day Puerto Rico Clasico tournament. The team was fresh off an 80-71 victory over Piedmont International University last week. 

In the opening minutes, the Bruins appeared to show some jet lag as UMET jumped out to a quick 11-0 lead. The team was held scoreless for the first four minutes of action as the Bruins couldn't seem to find a rhythm. Eventually, the team began to chip away at the deficit by working through their offensive sets for open looks.

The team got a boost from Kirtis Yurchak off the bench as the senior forward sparked a 6-0 run by himself with three straight baskets to cut the lead to 17-13. The Bruins stood strong defensively to limit UMET looks and used the transition game to get open baskets. After Shawn Lipscomb scored on a three-point play, the Bruins trailed 26-22 with just over 5 minutes remaining in the half. The team continued to execute and closed out the half strong trailing UMET 32-29 at the break. 

"We struggled with turnovers and finishing with contact at the rim," Bruins' coach Neal Ring said.

In the second half, the Bruins used the stellar play of Shawn Lipscomb to overtake UMET and take their first lead 37-34. Lipscomb continued to carry the Bruins offense and was in the groove slicing through the lane for points and getting chances at the free throw line. With just over 5 minutes remaining, the Bruins led UMET 62-52. Then UMET came stroming back with several baskets to cut into the Bruins lead. 

With under a minute to play, UMET took the lead off free throws from Javier Rivera 71-70. The Bruins had a costly mistake which allowed Enrique Ramos to score on a layup 73-70. With one last chance, the Bruins drew up one final play and Kyle Turner would capitalize with a three-point dagger with just 9 seconds to play to tie the game 73-73 and send it to overtime. 

In the overtime period, the Bruins played smart basketball and maximized each possession to take care of the ball. The team got a number of opportunities from the free throw line as the Bruins were 8-10 from the line in OT. The team also played great defense in forcing UMET into tough looks. As the final buzzer rang, the Bruins held on for an 85-80 overtime victory. 

"It was a tough game for us today but I am grateful for the win," Coach Ring said. "This was one of those experiences where you have to control what you can control and go out and play. I was proud the guys came together and picked up the win." 

Shawn Lipscomb led the Bruins with 22 points and 8 rebounds while Kirtis Yurchak had 11, Marshall Riddle scored 12 and Justin Matthews had 10. Kyle Turner helped the Bruins dominate the rebounding margin 55-38 as he snagged 12 boards to go along with 9 points. With the win, the team is 8-5 on the season and will play the second of their two-day tournament in Puerto Rico tomorrow against the University of Puerto Rico Humacao at 7 p.m.