Box Score The Lady Bruins got an offensive boost along with a rebounding machine as Sha'Ron Brunson and Kourtney Hoelfer provided the boost to help the team come away with a 54-49 victory over Pensacola Christian College on Saturday night for their 6th straight win.
"This wasn't our prettiest game but it might be the grittiest, Coach Mike LeViere said. "Defense and rebounding makes up for a lot. This was a good team win against a good PCC squad."
The Bruins and Eagles met earlier this season in Greenville, with BJU winning handily 72-52. The team has been on a tear as of late as the Bruins have won 11 of their last 13 games. PCC entered Saturday's game with a 13-11 record having won back to back games before welcoming the Bruins to the packed-out crowd of the Sports Center arena.
In the opening minutes, the Lady Eagles rode the energy of their home crowd to jump out to a 19-1 lead. The Bruins were held scoreless for the first 12 minutes of play as the team struggled to score. The Eagles were carried by the play of Alyssa Loudermilk, who finished the night with 23 points.
The Bruins finally began to get their offense going behind the impressive play of Sha'Ron Brunson off the bench to help cut into the lead. The team was able to battle all the way back to trail PCC at the half 29-26.
"We were a little passive on both ends of the floor," Coach LeViere said. "They were passing well and we had a very slow start offensively which didn't help us. Once we settled own and played defense we began to let that feed our offense."
In the second half, the Bruins began to assert their dominance as Kendra Jeffcott and Maggi Ford were able to generate open looks and take advantage of their opportunities. Kourtney Hoefler and Brianna Delaney helped to power the Bruins defensively with a combined 23 rebounds on the night to help feed the transition to offense. The Eagles knew a win was still within reach and the fans were hoping their team could battle back.
After a big three by Abby Conover, the Bruins rode the momentum and knocked down clutch shots down the stretch to hold on for a 54-49 win.
"Our team showed a lot of maturity in this game," Coach LeViere said. "The poise and composure we showed to come back from being down big took a lot of toughness and determination. This was one of our best team performances in overcoming that deficit and keeping our game plan."
Sha'Ron Brunson led the Bruins with 14 points, Maggi Ford chipped in 12 and Kendra Jeffcott finished with 11 points and 8 rebounds. Brianna Delaney had 10 rebounds and Kourtney Hoefler finished the night with 13 rebounds. The team outrebounded PCC 43-33 and were able to shoot 41% from behind the arc for the game.
With the win, the team improves to 15-11 on the season and has won 6 straight games. Next up, the Bruins will be on the road again as they travel to Bluefield College on Thursday night.
