The Bruins basketball team suffered another tough road loss on Saturday afternoon as they fell to Pfeiffer University 113-73 in Misenheimer, North Carolina. With the loss, the Bruins remain winless to begin the 2018-19 season at 0-4.
"We knew it was going to be a tough game as Pfeiffer was the leading scorer across all divisions last year," Bruins Head Coach Burton Uwarow said. "We want to be challenged like that and they represent what we hope to face as we transition to NCAA D3. Our guys have done a great job of learning on the fly and using the experience of these tough games to get better."
Kyle Riddley knocked down back to back three pointers for the Falcons in the opening minutes as Pfeiffer jumped out to an 8-0 lead. The Bruins struggled to find their offensive rhythm as it took nearly three minutes before the team recorded its first point. The Bruins were able to climb back into the game after Stone Champion hit a three to spark an 8-0 run for the Bruins to tie it at 8-8. From there, the Bruins shooting again hit a stall as the Falcons went on a run to take the upper hand.
With just over seven minutes in the first half, Craig Sabb made a layup for the Falcons as Pfeiffer led 31-18. The Bruins used a run to close the gap, but the Falcons came back with a run of their own to close the half as the BJU trailed Pfeiffer 56-33 at the break.
As the second half began, the Bruins knew they were going to have to get their offense going to climb back into the game. Despite several brief runs in the second half, the Bruins couldn't close the gap as the Falcons ran away with the game in a 113-73 victory.
"Playing a team like this early in the season helps us learn to handle the pressure and face a fast-paced style," Bruins captain Jayson Barnhart said. "It teaches us to play our game and at our speed."
Barnhart led the Bruins with 27 points as the senior shot 63% from the field. Quiyante Burroughs was the only other player in double-figures on the night as he had 16 points. The Bruins outrebounded the Falcons 36-31 but 27 turnovers hurt the Bruins against the up-tempo style of Pfeiffer.
Next up, the Bruins will be on the road again on November 20 as they face Brevard College in Brevard, North Carolina.
