Box Score
The Lady Bruins basketball team picked up a road win on Friday night to snap their three-game losing streak as the team defeated Piedmont International University 75-51 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
"This was a good measuring stick for our team to realize where we are," Bruins Head Coach Mike LeViere said. "We outrebounded them and shot well particularly in the 2nd half. We also had 18 assists on the night and got great contribution from our bench."
It was another chapter in the battle of the Bruins series as BJU and PIU took the court. The Bruins jumped out of the gate as they pushed the tempo for points to build an 8-2 lead over Piedmont. PIU came roaring back as they cut the lead to one but the BJU Bruins went right back to work behind the shooting of Sydney Bedsaul and Sha'Ron Brunson to take a 17-11 lead. Piedmont would close the quarter well but the Bruins still led at the end of the first quarter 19-14.
In the second quarter, the Bruins were able to stretch their lead and got great contribution from freshman Julia Simmons who really played well defensively for the team. The Bruins also relied on the strong post play of Amanda Bates and Kylee Leffew as they pair battled for rebounds and points in the paint. As the first half ended, the BJU Bruins led 35-30.
The hometown crowd hoped to rally PIU back into the game. The Bruins weren't fazed as they came out with an 8-0 run to build a 41-32 advantage. Simmons and Leffew continued to battle for boards as they combined for 17 on the night. The good rebounding fed into the Bruins transition game and the team got great play from their bench as Madison Shupe scored 10 points off the bench to help the Bruins take a 52-37 lead into the final quarter.
With just one quarter to play, the Bruins came out strong again with another offensive run to take a 63-40 lead. They never looked back as the team continued to execute their offensive sets, limit turnovers and rebound well. As the final buzzer sounded, the BJU Bruins captured a 75-51 road win.
"We played down in that first half and we shouldn't have," Coach LeViere said. "We were able to clean it up in the 2nd half and I really like how we put things together. We are in the midst of a long session of road games and we are beginning to rise to the challenge and maintain composure in tough environments. That maturity and experience is going to help us in the future."
Sydney Bedsaul led the Bruins with 14 points on the night while Sha'Ron Brunson finished with 12. Madison Shupe had 10 points to go along with 3 assists and 3 rebounds. Julia Simmons was a monster defensively for the Bruins as the freshman finished with 7 points, 10 boards, 3 steals and a block.
With the win, the Bruins improve to 4-6 on the season. Next up, the Lady Bruins will play the last of their NCAA DI opponents for the season as they travel to Furman University on December 5.
