Box Score
The Lady Bruins avenged a disappointing loss on Friday night as the team bounced back with a big win on the road Saturday afternoon defeating the Columbia International University Rams 78-55 in Columbia, South Carolina. Sha'Ron Brunson and Sarah Thomsen led the team with 18 points each as the Bruins improve to 11-13 on the season.
"Our team showed a lot of character bouncing back from a poor performance last night," Bruins Head Coach Mike LeViere said. "This was a really good game for us as our passing improved greatly along with our dribble penetration and decision-making. This game shows that if we continue to stay focused on doing the little things right, the results will take care of themselves."
The Bruins jumped out to an early lead as Sarah Thomsen hit back to back buckets to give the team a 13-6 lead. Sha'Ron Brunson helped to carry the Bruins offense as the senior guard drove through the lane earning trips to the free throw line. The Bruins defense also played well as they forced the Rams into tough looks from the field. At the end of the first, the Bruins held a 21-14 lead.
In the second quarter, the Bruins came out strong again as Thomsen scored five straight points to help the team build a double-digit lead. The Rams tried to claw their way into the lead, but the Bruins came up with answers offensively to stay on top. Defensively, the Bruins forced several turnovers while controlling the rebounding as the team held the Rams to just 9 points in the quarter. The Bruins took a 44-23 into the half.
Despite having the lead, the Bruins came out with a sense of urgency as they used a 7-0 run to stretch their lead. The Rams couldn't seem to find an answer offensively as they struggled to keep pace with the Bruins. After Sarah Thomsen hit another three-pointer, the Bruins closed out the quarter strong as they had a 62-36 advantage with just one quarter to play.
With the game all but decided, the Rams looked to make it respectable as they knocked down two straight three point shots to cut into the lead. But the Bruins again found the answers offensively as four players finished in double figures on the night. As the buzzer sounded, the Bruins had put together a solid performance to capture a 78-55 road win over CIU.
"I'm happy for our team," Coach LeViere said. "They showed a lot of resilience coming off a tough loss and facing another tough opponent in less than 24 hours. Our defense was outstanding as was our rebounding. That just speaks to the effort out team put forth."
In their previous meeting in Greenville, the Rams had out-rebounded the Bruins. Today, the Bruins won the rebounding margin 49-38. Sha'Ron Brunson led the way for the Bruins with 18 points and 10 rebounds while Sarah Thomsen finished with 18 points and 5 boards. Hannah Tompkins and Amanda Bates each finished with 10 points while the pair combined for 15 rebounds.
With the win, the Bruins improve to 11-13 on the season. Next up, the Lady Bruins will be on the road again on Tuesday night as they battle Warren Wilson College in Asheville, North Carolina.
