Box Score
Dustin Killough helped the Bruins overcome a first half deficit as the junior scored 20 2nd half points to help the team defeat Toccoa Falls College 85-78 on Monday night in Greenville, South Carolina.
"I was just trying to play as hard as I could to get easy points," Killough said. "Coach challenged us at halftime to play with more heart and I'm glad I was able to step up."
The Bruins entered the game having dropped four straight games. They welcomed the Screaming Eagles who entered Monday's game with a 4-1 record. The Bruins maintained a lead early in the first half, but a 19-3 run helped Toccoa Falls to a 39-30 halftime lead. Foul trouble haunted the Bruins as Tre Tipton had 3 personal fouls at the break and four other Bruins had two fouls each.
Josh Folwell led the way for the Eagles with 12 first half points while presenting a challenge for the Bruins defense. "We didn't play with enough heart in the first half," said Coach Ring. "Folwell played with a lot of heart and we didn't have anyone that matched his intensity. We needed someone to step up for us in the 2nd half."
Dustin Killough helped provide that spark for the Bruins in the 2nd half. He came out strong with several buckets in the opening minutes while coming up with several steals on defense. Junior guard Marshall Riddle was able to break out of his shooting slump as he finished the game with 26 points and hit 7 of his 11 three-point attempts. Quez Fisher led the team in rebounding with 11 and scored 15 points without missing a single shot as he made all seven of his field goal attempts.
"I let the game come to me," Marshall Riddle said after the game. "I didn't rush any of my shots and let the shot opportunities present themselves."
Efficiency was the key to success in the second half for the Bruins. The team shot 57% from the field and 50% from three-point land. They also hit 11 of the 14 free throws attempted. Despite a late run by the Eagles, the Bruins made key shots down the stretch to capture the win.
"We must come out with the same intensity we played with in the 2nd half tonight and show that the whole game," Head Coach Neal Ring said. "We didn't make any offensive adjustments at halftime, but just told the guys that we needed to play better. I was proud of our captains and several guys on our team for stepping up and motivating each other to come away with the win."
The Bruins move to 2-7 on the season with the victory and will have a short break over the Thanksgiving holiday before taking the court again on December 2.
