Box Score
Sarah Thomsen led the Bruins with 24 points while shooting nearly 70% from the floor, but her stellar performance wasn't enough as the Lady Bruins fell to Converse College 94-70 on Monday night in Spartanburg, South Carolina. The Bruins great shooting was overshadowed by turnovers as the team had 36 on the night.
"We have to play above the competition to the level we are capable of," Bruins Head Coach Mike LeViere said. "We are all irritated with how we played in giving up the ball so many times."
The Bruins came into the game on the heels of their first loss of the season on Saturday at Voorhees College. The Bruins were looking to bounce back as they headed up I-85 for a matchup with the Valkyries. Converse College entered Monday's game with an 0-2 record as they looked for a win in front of their hometown crowd.
Sarah Thomsen sparked the Bruins with back to back buttons off the opening tip as the team jumped out to a 5-0 lead. The Valkyries came right back as they battled to even the score at 12-12. Faith Hart knocked down a three point shot, but the Valkyries closed out the first quarter strong as Converse College led 21-19.
In the second quarter, the Bruins were plagued with turnovers and the Valkyries took advantage as Converse went on a 15-2 run to take a double digit lead. The Bruins battled their way back into the game from the free throw line as they cut into the lead. Sydney Bedsaul made a three point shot for the Bruins, but the team couldn't seem to close the gap as the Valkyries took a 58-34 lead into halftime.
"We had a lapse in the 2nd quarter," Coach LeViere said. "We can't let the pressure or anything else affect our next possession or defensive stance and we did that tonight."
As the second half began, the Bruins were determined to come out and claw their way back into contention. Sarah Thomsen hit three shots from behind the arc to help the Bruins begin their comeback. Defensively, the Bruins were able to force the Valkyries into tough looks as the Bruins recorded 12 steals in the game. After Thomsen knocked down yet another three with under two minutes to go in the quarter to bring the Bruins within striking distance as they trailed 76-62 with just one quarter to play.
In the final frame, the Bruins knew they could close the gap but the Valkyries had other plans as Converse started the quarter with a 12-0 run to put the game out of reach. The Bruins tried to battle back, but the team couldn't sustain their offensive runs as the team fell to Converse College 94-70.
"Our concentration and focus has to be there the entire game," Coach LeViere said. "It's really early in the year, but we have to start controlling things and playing our game."
Thomsen led the Bruins with 24 points on the night while Faith Hart had 16 points and Kylee Leffew scored 11. Although the Bruins committed 36 turnovers, the team also forced 30 turnovers on the night. With the loss, the Bruins fall back to .500 on the season at 2-2. Next up, the Bruins will travel to a weekend tournament in Montgomery, Alabama. The team will battle LaGrange College at 3 p.m. on Thursday.
