Box Score
The Bob Jones University Bruins men's basketball team picked up their first win of the season Tuesday night as they beat the Barber-Scotia College Sabers 97-77. The win was also the first under new head coach Burton Uwarow.
"We did a really good job," Coach Uwarow said. "There's always room for improvement and we're continually getting better. We've replaced a lot of scoring last year and you look around the country and a lot of teams really have a tough time the first month of the season really figuring out who they are on offense."
From the opening tip, the Bruins came out strong with an 11-0. Jayson Barnhart led the Bruins to a 5-0 opening run which extended to 11 after Dustin Killough sank two three pointers. The Sabers answered the Bruins fiery start with a 9-2 run of their own which cut into the Bruins lead to 13-9.
Later on in the first half, the Bruins took a 32-21 lead after Ellenwood and Killough were each able to make a three and Chris Gray scored a layup and was fouled on the play. The Sabers came clawing back again as they cut the lead to three. The Bruins were able to get points on their last possession as they took a 43-37 lead into the break.
"We just had a gut check, really," Coach Uwarow said about his team at halftime. "We came out and decided that we weren't going to turn that ball over and we weren't going to give up near as many points."
The Bruins id just that as the team shored up their defense while converting offensively as they stretched their lead 53-42. The Sabers began to wear down defensively as fouls were called early and often on Barber-Scotia in the 2nd half sending the Bruins to the free throw line. Despite several short runs by the Sabers, the Bruins answered point for point down the stretch as they went on to defeat Barber-Scotia College 97-77.
"It was just playing with some heart," Bruins' forward Jayson Barnhart said. "The first half we weren't really all there mentally or physically and in the 2nd half we started moving the ball and getting into the right spot."
Dustin Killough and Nate Ellenwood led the team in scoring with 26 points each. Ellenwood also led the Bruins in assists with 9. Jayson Barnhart had 20 points on the night while freshman Quiyante Burroughs finished with 10. The Bruins shot 82% from the free throw line and made 49% of their field goals as the team improves to 1-3 on the season. Next up, the Bruins will be on the road as they travel to Furman University on Friday night.
