Box Score Despite a strong 23 points and 11 rebound performance by Bruins' guard Shawn Lipscomb, the Ohio Christian University snapped the Bruins three-game 87-67 on Tuesday night in Circleville, Ohio.
"They were better offensively than we were defensively," Coach Neal Ring said. "They took advantage of our smaller lineup inside and executed what they wanted to offensively."The Bruins finished the first half of the season strong with victories over Piedmont International University and back-to-back wins in Puerto Rico. The team stood at 9-5 on the season, but would be in for a tough road test as they battled the 11-4 Trailblazers.
The Bruins came out strong in the opening minutes and jumped out to an early 9-3 lead. The team got an added boost from Corey Turner off the bench as the junior forward knocked down several shots in the first half. The Trailblazers slowly began to climb back into the game namely behind the post play of Carmearl Thomas and excellent transition play to eventually take the lead.
As OCU's shooting improved, the Bruins offense struggled to keep pace as several inside opportunities for the team rimmed out. A three-point shot right at the halftime buzzer gave the Trailblazers a 35-22 lead at the break.
"They exectued well and we struggled particularly in the first half in the offensive end," Coach Ring said. "We didn't get the stops we needed defensively and we didn't knock down the shots we had in close."
In the second half, the Bruins were determined to climb back into the game but several turnovers and poor defensive play caused the team to continue to trail. Slowly, the Bruins began to climb back into the game as Shawn Lipscomb began to knock down shots and get to the free throw line. After a three-point shot by Dustin Killough, the Bruins cut the lead to 47-32.
Each time the Bruins would begin a run, the Trailblazers would knock down several shots to keep the upper hand. OCU shot 7-13 from behind the arc in the 2nd half to continue to build their lead. The Bruins couldn't keep pace as the team struggled down the stretch as OCU rolled to a 87-67 victory.
"It was a shame we didn't give ourselves more of a chance," Coach Ring said. "If we don't give up those easy buckets in transition and get the stops we needed defensively we would have been in the game. We need to rebound the ball better and knock down the shots we get."
Shawn Lipscomb led the Bruins with 23 points and 11 rebounds while shooting 50% from the floor on the night. Marshall Riddle chipped in 12 points and Corey Turner added 10 off the bench. The Bruins lost the rebounding margin 43-35 while shooting 39% from the floor in the game. With the loss, the Bruins fall to 9-6 on the season. The team continues their Ohio road trip on Thursday night as they battle Cincinatti Christian University.
