Box Score
The Bruins basketball team dropped their third straight game to open the 2017-18 season as the team fell to NCAA DI College of Charleston 77-44 on Thursday night in Charleston, South Carolina.
"We played really well at times tonight against a fierce opponent," Bruins Head Coach Burton Uwarow said. "We tried to break the game down into small four minute games and we either tied or won five of those segments. I view this as a great preparation game for our upcoming opponent next week."
The Bruins came into the game on the heels of a home opener loss to North Greenville University on Monday night. The team knew they would be in for a tough matchup as they battled the Cougars who are favorites to win the Colonial Athletic Association and many think could make an appearance in the March Madness tournament in the Spring. The Cougars went 25-10 last season and welcomed the Bruins to open the 2017-18 campaign.
From the opening tip, the Cougars went right to work as they jumped out to a 7-2 lead. Dustin Killough knocked down a three to cut into the deficit, but the senior captain was limited on the night as he recorded just five points in the game. Nearing the midway point of the half, a fast break dunk by Grant Riller gave the Cougars a 18-10 lead. The Bruins tried to recover, but the team was outsized and at times overmatched as they went into the break trailing 38-22.
In the second half, the Bruins came out looking to chip away at the Cougar lead. College of Charleston came out strong with a 18-2 run to open the half and put the game out of reach for good. The Bruins continued to battle as Jayson Barnhart finished the night with 12 points while Nate Ellenwood finished with his second double-double of the season with 11 points and 10 rebounds.
As the final buzzer sounded, the Bruins moved to 0-3 on the season with a 77-44 loss. "We started the second half with some great looks but we just didn't finish," Coach Uwarow said. "This was a dream come true for me to coach in this arena. We had really good fan support from local alumni and family members. We'll learn from this and move forward."
The Bruins struggled offensively in the game as they shot just 26% from the field and 25% from beyond the arc. Nineteen turnovers also plagued the Bruins as that translated into 29 points for the Cougars. Next up, the Bruins will return home Tuesday night as they welcome Barber-Scotia College at 7 p.m.
