Box Score
The Bruins won their third straight gams as the team picked up a region road win on Tuesday night defeating Piedmont International University 84-72 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Marshall Riddle led the Bruins with 20 points while Quez Fisher scored 17. With the win, the team moves to 6-15 on the season and 3-2 in region play.
"Thankful for the effort of our guys who played composed to get a quality road win against a good region opponent," Bruins Head Coach Neal Ring said.
The two teams met earlier in the 2016-17 season with Piedmont using a late rally to defeat the Bruins 84-78 in Greenville, South Carolina. The Bruins have played well in recent weeks as the team came into Tuesday's matchup having won three of their last four games. Both teams took the court as the next battle of the Bruins was set to begin.
From the opening tip, both teams were deadlocked as they traded baskets and momentum as the score was tied 13-13. Piedmont pressured the Bruins into tough shots, but Marshall Riddle and company overcame the pressure to keep the score close. Still, Piedmont used the momentum of their home crowd to close out the half strong and take a 44-38 lead into halftime.
In the second half, the Bruins came out and took advantage of their halftime adjustments to claw their way back into the game. The team fed the ball down low to Quez Fisher and the sophomore forward did the rest as he helped the Bruins take the lead 55-48.
As the game began to draw to a close, both teams knew this would come down to the wire. But it wouldn't be déjà vu for Piedmont on this night as the Bruins limited second-chance opportunities while hitting clutch shots at key moments in the final minutes of the game. As the final buzzer sounded, the Bruins held on for an 84-72 win.
"We stayed composed against their tough defense and did a great job of limited their second chances," Coach Ring said. "Probably the best 2nd half we've played this season and it was a great environment to play in tonight."
Freshman guard Nate Ellenwood had a great all-around performance with 10 rebounds, 7 assists and 6 points on the night. The Bruins won the rebounding margin 32-27 while shooting 52% from the field in the game.
The Bruins have now won three straight and four of their last five games. Next up, the Bruins will welcome Pensacola Christian College on Friday night to the Davis Field House.
