Box Score
Justin Matthews led the Bruins with 30 points as the team pushed their winning streak to five straight with a 82-68 victory over Columbia International University on Tuesday night in Columbia, South Carolina.
"We don't talk about wins and losses but rather playing to a standard," Bruins Head Coach Burton Uwarow said as the Bruins improve to 12-10 on the season. "We're not as concerned with wins in a row but how many games in a row we execute to our championship standards. We did that in part tonight but struggled at times as well."
The Bruins came into the game on the heels of back to back region wins over the weekend with victories over Pensacola Christian College and Johnson University of Florida. The Rams came into the game with a 6-12 record but were winners of three of their last four games.
Dustin Killough knocked down a three to open the scoring for the Bruins but the Rams came right back as the teams remained close in the opening minutes. The Bruins were able to maintain the lead thanks to 15 first half points by Justin Matthews.
At the halfway point of the half, Damian Hurta hit a three to help the Rams take a 23-18 lead. The Bruins were able to claw back and take the lead as Justin Matthews hit a jumper and then a three to help the Bruins go up 30-27. Both teams traded baskets down the stretch as the Bruins took a 42-41 lead into the break.
In the second half, the Bruins stormed out of the gate as Nate Ellenwood knocked down a three to spark a 9-0 run and take 51-41 lead. The Rams came roaring back as they cut the lead to 54-51. Justin Matthews proved to be the difference again as the senior guard was a headache for the Rams' defense all game long. The Bruins pushed the tempo with multiple fast break layups to spark a 21-6 run as the Bruins extended the lead 76-59. From there, the Rams never could recover as the Bruins held on for an 82-68 win.
Justin Matthews shot an impressive 67% from the field as he scored 30 points for the second time in the last three games. Nate Ellenwood had 18 points and 8 rebounds while Dustin Killough scored 17 points in the game. The Bruins out-rebounded the Rams 32-26 while shooting nearly 60% from the floor as a team. The win marks the eighth in the last nine games for the team.
Next up, the Bruins will return home for a region matchup as the team welcomes Toccoa Falls College on Friday night.
