Box Score
The clock struck midnight on the Bruins hopes for an upset as the team fell 92-71 to Emmanuel College in the semi-final round of the NCCAA DI South Regional playoff on Friday night.

"I thought we competed really well," Coach Ring said. "It was the little things that we didn't do that really hurt us tonight. We would do things really well and then allow little runs and mistakes to work to their advantage."

The Bruins knew they would have to be at their best as they took on the top-seeded Lions. The Bruins picked up their 1st postseason win in school history on Thursday night with a 97-93 overtime win over Columbia International University. The Bruins and Lions had met twice during the regular season with Emmanuel College winning handily in both meetings. The Bruins had been without key players in the previous two contests against Emmanuel and the full strength Bruins were looking to play the role of spoiler as they took the court in the Williamson Basketball Arena.

The high-tempo Lions came out strong from the opening tip with the games first five points, but the Bruins struck back to even the score at 5-5. The Lions responded with a 9-2 run to gain the advantage but the Bruins continued to battle for points to cut into the lead. After Ray Holden made a layup, the Bruins were trailing by just a basket 15-17. The two teams would eventually tie the game before another 8-2 run by Emmanuel allowed them to build a lead. The Bruins were able to close out the half strong and kept the Lions from running away to end the half trailing 41-35.


"We took care of the ball in the first half and we took good shots," Coach Ring said. "A lot of that was off of us attacking the rim and us taking shots where we wanted to get them from. We had a lot of good possessions but some of the times we didn't finish hurt us."

In the second half, the Bruins looked to work their way closer and take the lead. Each time the Bruins would edge closer, the Lions would come up with back to back baskets to stretch their lead. The Lions then used a 10-0 run to build a double-digit lead. The Bruins tried everything they could to cut into the lead, but the Lions continued to run full throttle to score.With just over 5 minutes remaining, Kyle Turner had a nice put-back layup but it was too little too late as the Lions coasted to a 92-71 victory.

"This group persevered through a very difficult season," Coach Ring said. "They came to work every day and really started to understand each other and how to play with one another. We are much better now than when we started. Our guys know what it is going to take to compete at this level. Now we just have to carry that forward. We have a great mix of players and we look forward to what they can do in the years to come. I am ready to get back at it and prepare for next year."

Kyle Turner led the Bruins with 20 points and 8 rebounds. Marshall Riddle scored 14 points, Ray Holden had 13 and Corey Turner finished with 10. The Bruins shot 48% from the field including an impressive 90% from the free throw line throughout the game. Still it wasn't enough as the team committed 20 turnovers which translated into 26 Lions points. With the loss, the Bruins end their season at 10-20. The team has a strong group of young talent that should improve and grow in the offseason.

The program bids a fond farewell to the team's lone senior Camden Jones. Thank you for your contributions to Bruins basketball on and off the court!