Box Score For the second straight season, the Lady Bruins swept the season series between BJU and PCC as the Bruins captured a 59-49 victory on the road Saturday night at Pensacola Christian College. "We overcame a lot of things to come away with this win and it was a really good game for our team," Coach Mike LeViere said. "Happy for our seniors who played so hard tonight and deserved this win. They have been a great example to our younger players of staying focused and determined."
The Bruins have been rolling in recent weeks as the team is an impressive 10-2 since returning from Christmas break including winning 5 of their last 6 games on the road. The team would be without Bridgette Gleed in this game as she sustained a broken hand in the previous win for the Bruins over Johnson and Wales University. The team knew they would be in for a tough test on Saturday night as they played in the Sports Arena in front of the Eagle faithful.
The Eagles scored back-to-back baskets to start the game as the team rode the momentum of their hometown fans. The Bruins battled back behind the play of Kendra Jeffcott as she sliced through the lane for points. The team was able to work the ball inside, but when Brianna Delaney got into foul trouble the team knew they would need to find other ways to score as BJU led after the end of one 14-11.
In the second quarter, the Eagles mounted a 9-2 run to climb back on top 20-16. Kendra Jeffcott continued to fuel the Bruins offense, and also was a dominant force on the glass for the team. Although in foul trouble, Brianna Delaney managed to be a formidable presence in the post for the Bruins as the team was able to continue to use their size to get baskets. Still, the Eagles refused to go away as the Bruins had a 30-27 lead at halftime.
Another hot start by the Eagles gave PCC the lead as the team came roaring back in the opening minutes. The Bruins had committed several costly turnovers in the first half, but in the second half the team was able to take much better care of the ball to extend their offensive opportunities. Still, the Bruins shots just wouldn't fall as the team managed just 8 points in the quarter and trailed 40-38 heading into the final quarter.
In the 4th quarter, the Bruins and Eagles remained close in the opening minutes as both teams matched each other in scoring. Bhrianna Jackson became the difference maker for the team in the final quarter as she gained several trips to the line by forcing fouls. Kendra Jeffcott scored to give the Bruins a 50-44 lead with just over 4 minutes remaining. From there, the Eagles tried to claw their way back into the game as they scored back to back baskets and trailed by just three points 52-49. The Bruins made each possession count down the stretch and made clutch free throws to hang on for a 59-49 road win.
"We are maintaining poise under stressful situations and just doing the right things again and again," Coach LeViere said. "Our team is really maturing as we have a lot of seniors who know how to grind it out and not let negatives affect their play. We are playing much better defense so that even when we aren't hitting shots, the defense keeps us in the game. We have to be able to keep playing that kind of defense in the future."
Kendra Jeffcott had a monster game for the Bruins with 15 points and 15 rebounds. Brianna Delaney finished the night with 15 points and Bhrianna Jackson finished with 11. The team outrebounded PCC 44-38 while the Bruins defense forced the Eagles to shoot just 31% on their home floor and 16% from behind the arc. With the win, the Bruins move to 18-11 on the season. The team will play their final game of the regular season on Tuesday night as the Bruins welcome Columbia International University. The team will also honor the seniors in their final home game. This will be the first four-year class of Bruins to graduate from the program.
