Box Score The Bruins went into halftime with a comfortable 20 point lead as the team was firing on all cylinders, but the Owls weren't done as they stormed back to send the game into overtime and then handed the Bruins their fourth straight loss with a 109-104 victory on Saturday afternoon.
"You have to congratulate Warren Wilson on a great 2nd half," Coach Neal Ring said. "They never gave up."
The Bruins had six players in double figures, but the team's 30 turnovers allowed the Owls to come back. The Bruins entered the game with a 6-3 record after a rough couple of weeks against very tough opponents. They were hoping to bounce back as they took the court in Asheville, North Carolina.
From the opening tip, the Bruins came out strong as Tre Tipton sent a powerful message by rocking the rim with a dunk early on to give the Bruins a boost. The team was also on fire from the outside as they shot 75% from beyond the arc in the first half. The Bruins rode the hot hand of Marshall Riddle as they continued to stretch their lead. As the halftime buzzer rang, the Bruins had a 53-33 lead.
In the second half, the Bruins looked to continue to pad their lead as the team continued to shoot well offensively. Slowly, the Owls began to claw their way back into the game by getting hot from the outside. With just over 5 minutes remaining, Shawn Lipscomb scored to give the Bruins a 77-61 lead. From there, the Owls went on a tear and battled all the way back to within 5 with just under a minute to play. The Bruins missed key free throws and shots down the stretch and held an 88-86 lead with just 3 seconds left on the board.
The Owls had one more chance and threw a full court pass and knocked down a baseline jumper as time expired to complete the comeback and send the game into overtime tied 88-88.
In the overtime period, the Bruins shooting cooled off while the Owls continued to ride the momentum and the energy of their home crowd. After a three by Tyler Triplett, the Owls took a 5-point lead. From there, the Bruins shots refused to fall as the Owls held on to defeat the Bruins 109-104.
"Coaching has to get better on my end," Coach Neal Ring said. "I didn't give these guys a chance to win at the end of regulation. We all have culpability but my job is to get us in the right D, and have the right offensive combination on the floor and I failed to do that."
Marshall Riddle led the Bruins with 25 points and 5 rebounds. Tre Tipton had 17 points and 10 boards, Kyle Turner with 18 points and 9 rebounds, Shawn Lipscomb had 16 points, Justin Matthews had 13 and Dustin Killough with 11. The Bruins shot an incredible 65% from three-point range throughout the game and 52% from the field overall. Still, the team's turnovers allowed the Owls to come back and hand the Bruins another road loss. Next up, the Bruins will host Johnson and Wales University on Tuesday night.
