The Bob Jones University Bruins were defeated by the Furman Paladins 101-72 on Wednesday night in downtown Greenville at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. This was the first ever meeting between the two schools, but tonight Furman had the upper hand from the opening tip. 

"It meant a lot to our team and staff to play a great mid-major program like Furman," Bruins Head Coach Neal Ring said. "We appreciated the opportunity to play them in a nice venue such as Bon Secours Wellness Arena and hopefully we made them better as they made us better." 

The Bruins entered the game with an 0-2 record after back to back losses at the Upike Classic tournament in Pikeville, Kentucky this past weekend. The team was dealt another blow before the game as they would have to play without guard Justin Matthews, who missed the game due to a concussion. With over 1,000 fans at the game, the Paladins and Bruins were ready for the start of the game. 

Marshall Riddle was the story for the Bruins in the first half as the sophomore guard scored the first 12 points for the Bruins. The team kept it close in the opening minutes as neither team was able to gain a large lead. Still, the Bruins struggled to contain the size of the Paladins as Furman was able to capitalize in the post and in extending possessions with offensive rebounds.  

With under 8 minutes to play in the first half, the Bruins were trailing by the score of 31-24. But the Paladins turned it on to close the half as junior guard Devin Sibley led the way with 16 first half points to give Furman a 55-37 lead at the break. 

"It was important for us to cut down on our turnovers and not give our opponents easy fast break points," Bruins guard Marshall Riddle said. "That hurt us tonight." 

In the second half, turnovers and foul trouble haunted the Bruins' attempts to cut into the lead. The Paladins took advantage as they pulled further away to put the game out of reach. Still, the Bruins continued to battle as Dustin Killough provided a spark off the bench with 21 points. But it wasn't enough as the Bruins fell to the Paladins 101-72. 

"We needed to keep our high intensity on defense," Coach Ring said. "When you don't do that against a time like Furman they are going to exploit that and take advantage. We're thankful for the opportunity to play in this game tonight and certainly thank Furman and the city of Greenville for a great experience." 

Marshall Riddle led the Bruins with 28 points while Dustin Killough finished with 21 on 58% shooting from the floor. The Bruins were out-rebounded 46-33 while allowing the Paladins 18 offensive rebounds. With the loss, the Bruins fall to 0-3 on the season. 

Next up, the Bruins will welcome Johnson University on Saturday afternoon for the home opener. The game will start at 4 p.m. in the Davis Field House.