Box Score
Fourth quarter struggles led to the fifth straight loss for the Lady Bruins basketball as the team fell to University of Valley Forge 61-47 in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania on Saturday afternoon. With the loss, the team falls to 4-10 on the season.
"This game was big disappointment for us," Bruins Head Coach Mike LeViere said. "Last game, we played well and lost but today we just were awful. The competitive level was different and we didn't maintain our high level of play."
The Patriots jumped out on a 7-2 run to open the game, but the Bruins remained within striking distance as they clawed back with two straight baskets from Mandy Bates and Kylee Leffew. At the end of the first, the Bruins trailed 11-8.
In the second quarter, Sarah Thomsen hit a three point shot to tie the game and then hit a jumper to give the Bruins a 13-11 lead. Both teams played well defensively and forced their opponent into tough looks from the field. Despite the back and forth struggle, the Bruins and Patriots ended the half tied 18-18.
As the second half began, both teams shook off their offensive struggles as each team scored as many points in the third quarter as they had the entire first half. The Bruins continued to ride the hot hand of Sarah Thomsen as the junior guard hit shots from the outside. In the post, Kylee Leffew battled through the lane for points as she finished the night with 12 points and 7 boards. The Bruins closed out the quarter strong to take a 36-34 lead into the 4th.
The Bruins offense went cold in the 4th as the team took over five minutes to record a basket. The Patriots took advantage of the Bruins' mishaps and went on a 15-0 run to take a 49-36 lead. The Bruins couldn't regroup as the team committed several costly turnovers which turned into points on the other end. As the final buzzer sounded, the team's dismal 4th quarter allowed a 61-47 loss.
"We're very disappointed but this provides us an opportunity to show some character and old fashioned grit," Coach LeViere said. "We need to pull up our bootstraps and help each other get better."
Sarah Thomsen led the Bruins with 15 points on the day while Kylee Leffew finished with 12. The Bruins finished with 21 turnovers in the game which translated into 19 points for the Patriots. The team struggled offensively as they finished shooting just 29% from the field and 14% from beyond the arc for the game.
Next up, the Lady Bruins will return home Monday night as they welcome Piedmont International University to the Davis Field House.
