Kendra Jeffcott led a 2nd half rally with 23 points and 13 rebounds, but the Lady Bruins fell short against Tennessee Temple University in a 70-65 loss on Saturday afternoon. 

"It is disappointing to lose," Coach Mike LeViere said. "But it is even more disappointing when we beat ourselves. We played really well in some stretches so we have some mixed feelings in knowing we played good but fell short."

The Bruins and Crusaders met earlier this season in Greenville, with TTU escaping the Davis Field House with a 65-60 win. The Bruins played their 2nd straight road game as the team traveled to Chattanooga, Tennessee with a 15-12 record. TTU entered the game with a 12-15 record having won 2 of their last 3 games.  

As the game began, the two teams went back and forth trading baskets with both trying to establish control in the game. Kendra Jeffcott's three-point shot helped the Bruins tie it up at 13-13. From there, the Crusaders used a 10-1 run to gain the upper hand. The Bruins tried to counter defensively, but after Brianna Delaney picked up her second foul, she had to spend most of the half on the bench. 

Offensively, the Bruins hampered their way back into the game by committing several costly turnovers to allow TTU to keep the lead. At the half, the Crusaders were ahead 37-29. 

In the second half, the Bruins came out strong with an 11-3 run to tie the game at 40-40. The team began to execute more efficiently on offense to stick with the Crusaders. Both teams began to see that victory was in their grasp and looked to gain the edge. Each time a team would take the lead, their opponent would come roaring back. 

Bree Smith knocked down a key jump shot with just over 2 minutes remaining to give the Crusaders a 63-57 lead. The Bruins looked to mount one final run but several costly turnovers in the closing minutes halted the rally and handed the Bruins their second straight loss in a 70-65 defeat. 

"We played really well except for turning the ball over," Coach LeViere said. "That was the game for us. We out rebounded them and shot the ball much better in the 2nd half, but ultimately just couldn't overcome our 20-plus turnovers."  

Kendra Jeffcott led all scorers in the game with 23 points and 13 rebounds. She was the only player to score in double figures for the Bruins. Kourtney Hoefler had 9 points and 14 rebounds in the game. The Bruins won the rebounding battle 50-38 over TTU, but over 20 turnovers led to 17 Crusader points which proved to be the difference. 

With the loss, the Bruins fall to 15-13 on the season. The team has just two games remaining on the schedule as the Bruins make their final push towards the regional playoffs. Next up, the Bruins will travel to Warren Wilson College on Tuesday night.