Box Score
The Bruins were on the verge of snapping their 6-game losing streak and had the lead with just seconds to go, but a key basket by Trinity College with under a second remaining on the clock handed the Bruins their 7th straight loss in a 93-92 defeat in Tampa, Florida on Thursday night. This drops the Bruins to 2-14 on the season and 1-2 in region play.
"This was a tough way to start out the semester, but I am confident we will find a way to win these close games in the future," Bruins Head Coach Neal Ring said.
With the new year underway, the Bruins were looking to shake off some of their first semester struggles as they headed to Florida for back to back games on the road in the Suncoast Classic at Florida College.
In the opening minutes, the Tigers and Bruins traded baskets with each hoping to dictate the pace of the game. The Tigers rode the hot hand of Rajiv Prabhakar, who finished with 26 points on the night while shooting 83% from the floor and 86% from beyond the arc. It was a team effort for the Bruins offensively as the team spread the ball around for open shots.
With the half coming to a close, Jason Barnhart finished a three point play to help the Bruins gain a 47-42 advantage. The Tigers closed out the half strong as the two teams went into the break tied 50-50.
As the second half began, the Bruins got great play from their guards as Justin Matthews sliced through the lane for points and Dustin Killough and Marshall Riddle knocked down shots from the outside. The Bruins got another double-double from big man Quez Fisher in the post as the sophomore finished with 11 points and 11 boards on the night.
The score remained close throughout the second half, but the Tigers began to gain a slight advantage with just minutes to go. Marshall Riddle responded with back to back three point bombs to tie the game.
With under a minute to play, it was still anyone's ball game as the Bruins had possession trailing 91-90. On the ensuing possession, Quez Fisher made a beautiful pass to Nate Ellenwood who finished the play to put the Bruins up 92-91 with just seconds to play. But the Tigers came up with a big shot of their own as Prabhakar knocked down the jumper with 0.9 seconds on the clock to help the Tigers win 93-92.
Six different Bruins scored in double figures, but the team came up just short in the loss to the Tigers. Marshall Riddle led the Bruins with 17 points while Dustin Killough and Justin Matthews each scored 16 in the game. The Bruins won the rebounding margin 34-32 and played a strong game with 20 assists as a team. Still, the Bruins came up short in another tough road loss dropping them to 2-14 on the season.
Next up, the Bruins will play the second of their two-game road trip on Friday night as they battle Florida College at 9 p.m. in Tampa, Florida.
