Box Score
The Bruins stormed out of the gate and never looked back as the team routed #2 seeded Manhattan Christian College 115-85 to close out their 2016-17 season. Dustin Killough led the Bruins with 31 points while shooting an incredible 64% from the field and 80% from beyond the arc. The win gives the Bruins a 5th place finish at the NCCAA DII National Tournament.
"This game was about going out and winning the last game," Bruins Head Coach Neal Ring said. "Obviously we want to be in a different last game in future seasons, but I am proud of the guys and the way they responded in this game."
The Bruins entered the National Tournament as the #5 seed, but suffered a tough loss on Thursday night to the defending DII National Champion Randall University. The team responded to the loss with a dominant 104-77 win. Their opponent for Saturday morning would be the #2 seeded Manhattan Christian College who was upset by #7 seed Kentucky Christian University on Thursday. The Thunder responded by defeating #6 seeded Trinity College on Friday. With just 40 minutes of basketball left for the season, the Thunder and Bruins took the court.
From the opening tip, the Bruins caught fire as the team opened the game by going a perfect 6-6 from beyond the arc to open an 18-7 advantage. Marshall Riddle, Dustin Killough and Justin Matthews continued to rain down points putting the Thunder back on their heels. With the hot shooting from the outside, the Thunder were forced to defend the perimeter which opened up the lane for the Bruins post players to score. Defensively, the Bruins pressured the Thunder into turnovers which turned into transition points on the fast break.
At the midway point of the half, Nate Ellenwood scored a layup on the fast break to give the Bruins a commanding 37-16 advantage. From there, the Thunder tried to claw their way back into the game but the Bruins found an answer for every possession and matched MCC basket for basket. As the halftime buzzer sounded, the Bruins took 62-39 lead into the locker room.
"We set the tone early that we were here to play," Coach Ring said. "We got our primary scorers going early which opened up the floor for us and I thought we had a good defensive game plan which worked to our advantage."
In the second half, the Bruins picked up where they left off as Dustin Killough knocked down a three-point shot to begin the half. Killough was dominant in the second-half as the junior guard made jumpers and drove through the lane for lay-ups. Despite the lopsided score, the Bruins didn't let up as they continued to play great defense and force tough looks and turnovers. Several Bruins reserve players made key contributions for the game as Jayson Barnhart played well down low and Matt Dehart knocked down two three point shots to go along with several defensive stops.
With the game all but won, the Bruins gave the ball into the hands of their lone senior and captain Corey Turner to run out the clock. Turner was embraced by teammates and coaches as he played his final game for the team. As the final buzzer sounded, the Bruins closed out the 2016-17 season in convincing fashion winning the game 115-85.
"We started off this season at 2-12, but our guys and our staff never quit all season long," Coach Ring said. "We were able to find a rhythm in the middle of the season and finish the season well. I am very thankful for these men and their effort throughout the season."
Dustin Killough led the Bruins with 31 points while Quez Fisher added a double-double with 19 points and 12 rebounds. Marshall Riddle finished the game with 15 points and Justin Matthews scored 14. The Bruins shot 58% from the field and 64% from beyond the arc while out-rebounding the Thunder 40-24.
With the win, the Bruins finish the season at 16-19. The team will look back on many firsts for the program this season including their first-ever NCCAA DII South Region Championship. With a strong core of returning players, the future is certainly bright for Bruins basketball.
