Box Score Despite four Bruins players scoring in double figures and the team having one of their better shooting performances of the year, the Cincinnati Christian College Eagles spoiled the Bruins chances at a road win with a 87-83 victory on Thursday night.
"We just didn't make the plays we needed to win tonight," Coach Neal Ring said. "The effort was there for our guys and I thought we did some things well in this game, but ultimately we weren't able to finish." The Bruins closed out the first half of the season strong, but opened the second half of the season with a tough two-game Ohio road trip. The Bruins suffered a tough 87-67 loss on Tuesday night and the team was looking to bounce back as they took the court against the Eagles. CCU entered Thursday's game with a 10-3 record.
The Eagles soared to an early 10-3 lead over the Bruins in the opening minutes. The Bruins responded with an 8-0 run thanks to the play of Kirtis Yurchak, who was playing near his hometown of West Chester, Ohio. The Eagles and Bruins exchanged baskets and the lead over the next 10 minutes as the teams didn't allow each other to go on a run.
The two teams eventually battled to a 26-26 tie with just over six minutes to play before the Bruins went on a 7-0 run to take the lead. The Eagles refused to go away and cut back into the lead as BJU went into the half with a 46-43 advantage.
In the second half, the Bruins looked to take their adjustments and increase their lead but the Eagles kept the game close. Shawn Lipscomb helped to pilot the Bruins offense and carved up the Eagles defesne with 10 assists on the night. Kirtis Yurchak brought his hometown fans to their feet with a rim-rocking dunk as the Bruins trailed 64-62. From there, the two teams continued to seek the upper hand as each converted shots at the midway point of the half.
As the game was winding down, the Bruins continued to take care of the ball, but rebounding was a struggle for the team as the Bruins allowed 16 offensive rebounds to the Eagles giving them multiple second-chance opportunities. With under a minute to playremaining, the Bruins were dealt a serious blow as Kyle Turner fouled out of the game with the Bruins trailing 81-78. The Eagles were able to make free throws down the stretch and hung on for an 87-83 victory.
"They make key shots and we made mistakes down the stretch and that was the difference," Coach Ring said. "We give credit to CCU. They won a tough game on their home floor, but we know that tonight we made mistakes and our rebounding wasn't good in giving up what we did on the offensive glass. We tell our guys rebounding requires raw athleticism and hard-nosed talent, and tonight CCU showed that effort on the boards which helped them win this game."
Marshall Riddle led the Bruins with 18 points, Justin Matthews and Dustin Killough each had 14 and Kirtis Yurchak scored 13. Shawn Lipscomb had 8 points, 8 rebounds and 10 assists as the Bruins shot 52% from the field and 43% from beyond the arc throughout the game. The team lost the rebounding margin as the Eagles outrebounded the Bruins 40-30. With the loss, the Bruins fall to 9-6 on the season. Next up, the Bruins will return home for a matchup against Pensacola Christian College next Friday night.
