Box Score Despite having one of their lowest scoring outputs of the season, the Lady Bruins overcame their shooting woes coming away with a 47-43 victory over Johnson and Wales University on Tuesday night. "We really struggled to get into any kind of rhythm on offense and defense," head coach Mike LeViere said. "It wasn't our prettiest game, but I am proud of the team and how they responded to come away with the victory."
The Bruins came into the game having won 7 of their last 10 games, but with their five game winning streak snapped on Saturday afternoon in a 68-62 loss to Warren Wilson College. The team stood at 16-11 on the season but were in for a tough test as they traveled to Charlotte, North Carolina to face the Wildcats. The two teams met earlier in the season with the Bruins winning handily in a 76-52 victory in Greenville.
The Bruins welcomed Brianna Delaney back in the lineup after the forward had been out for several games with an ankle injury. Although limited in minutes in this game, Delaney provided a post presence for the team in her time on the floor. Hannah Tompkins and Bridgette Gleed provided the scoring touch early on for the Bruins as the team was off and running in the opening minutes. The Wildcats responded quickly with a 7-0 run to climb back and take the lead. Hannah Tompkins knocked down a three-point shot as the two teams continued to trade baskets. The Wildcats stole momentum and closed out the quarter on an 8-0 run to take a 20-12 lead going into the second quarter.
The Bruins were looking for answers offensively as the second quarter began. However, the Wildcats slowly built a double-digit lead even though the team missed several opportunities from the floor. The Bruins offense couldn't seem to buy a bucket in the second quarter and both teams had low shooting percentages and scored in single digits. The Wildcats ended the quarter with a 27-20 lead.
In the second half, the Bruins knew they would have to get their offense going and play better defensively to get back into the game. Bridgette Gleed provided the spark for the team as the quarter began with back to back baskets and several key rebounds in the opening minutes to help the team cut into the lead. Julia Wright and Maggi Ford kept the momentum going as the tandem knocked down back to back threes to propel a 16-2 Bruins' run to overtake the Wildcats 38-33 as the third quarter expired.
With momentum on their side, the Bruins came out strong in the 4th quarter and limited the Wildcat chances throughout the final period of play. The Bruins were able to hold the Wildcats scoreless for the first four minutes of the quarter to keep the lead. The Wildcats mounted one last offensive run and cut the lead to 45-43. Despite having free throw struggles for the entire game, the Bruins knocked down the free throws that mattered most as the team held on for a 47-43 victory on the road.
"The 2nd half was a great turnaround for us defensively which helped us come back and get the win," Coach LeViere said. "We let ourselves get frantic and made poor decisions offensively which didn't allow us to shoot well. We did a much better job of rebounding and defense in the 2nd half and made the shots we needed to for the win."
For the first time all season, no Bruins player scored in double figures as Bridgette Gleed, Maggi Ford and Bhrianna Jackson each scored 8 points. Bridgette Gleed led the team with 10 rebounds, and had to leave the game in the 2nd half due to an injury. With the win, the Bruins improve to 17-11 on the season. Next up, the team will travel to Pensacola Christian College on Saturday evening.
