Box Score
The Bruins stormed out of the gate to a 23-9 lead over Emmanuel College and even held the lead into the second half, but a strong push by the Lions late in the game proved to be the difference as the Bruins fell 81-70 in Franklin Springs, Georgia on Friday night. The Bruins finish the first semester of play at 4-8.
"I am really proud of the way we played tonight," Bruins Head Coach Burton Uwarow said. "We've been working all week on everyone touching the ball each possession and the way we were moving the ball tonight created good open shots. In the end, we made some mistakes due to fatigue but we still showed we're a tough team to beat when we are in rhythm."
The team rode the stellar play of Justin Matthews and Nate Ellenwood in the 1st half as the pair combined for 24 of the Bruins 36 first half points. The Bruins came out strong from the opening tip as Matthews hit a pair of threes and Dustin Killough knocked down a three-pointer to spark an 11-2 run. The team wasn't done as Matthews hit another three to push the Bruins lead up to 23-9. The Lions were back on their heels, but came clawing back with two straight three pointers to cut into the Bruins lead.
With the first half coming to a close, the Lions continued to close the gap while the Bruins hot shooting began to slow. Matthews hit his fourth three of the first half to put BJU up 28-18, but the Lions were able to finish the half strong as they trailed the Bruins 36-31 at the break.
In the second half, the Bruins came out looking to increase their lead. Jayson Barnhart went to work in the paint for the Bruins as he scored six straight points to push the lead to 42-39. After a timeout, the Lions came out with a 7-0 run to take the lead. The Bruins were able to remain close, but the Lions kept the slight advantage as the game began to reach its final minutes.
With just under four and a half minutes remaining, Bruins forward Chris Gray hit a jump shot from the elbow as the Bruins trailed 65-64. But another costly 7-0 run pushed the Lions further out in front as Kendrick Colvin buried an open corner three to help push the lead to 72-64. From there, the Bruins tried to rally but the Lions made free throws down the stretch to hang on for a 81-70 victory.
Nate Ellenwood led the Bruins with 25 points, 12 rebounds and 7 assists. Justin Matthews had 15 points on the night while Chris Gray finished with 4 points and 10 rebounds. The Bruins shot 47% from the floor in the game including 50% from three in the first half.
With the loss, the Bruins end the first half of the season at 4-8. Next up, the team will be on Christmas break as they prepare for the second half of the season. The Bruins will be back on the court January 2 as they battle Keiser University in West Palm Beach, Florida.
