The Bruins suffered another tough loss in their young season on Tuesday night as the team fell to the Furman Paladins 102-48 in Greenville, South Carolina. With the loss, the team falls to 0-3 to begin the season.
"There are certain things we know we need to get better at," Bruins Head Coach Burton Uwarow said. "Every game against tough competition gives you a blueprint of what you need to work on. We've been talking about our own internal scoreboard in making sure we are getting better in specific areas."
It has been a tough start for the Bruins as the team has had several injuries to key players in recent weeks. On top of that, the Bruins were entering one of the toughest weeks on their schedule with back to back games against high-powered teams. It was the season-opener for the Furman Paladins who finished the 2017-18 season at 23-10 and fell in the semifinals of the conference tournament.
Alex Hunter knocked down a three point to help the Paladins build an early 10-4 lead. The Bruins then went on a 6-0 run as Quiyante Burroughs scored in the paint and Jayson Barnhart knocked down a jumper to tie the game at 10-10.
At the midway point of the half, the Paladins began to find their rhythm as they knocked down several three point shots to spark a 22-4 run and take a 32-14 lead. Quiyante Burroughs knocked down a three to stop the bleeding, but the Bruins found themselves in a big hole down 51-29 at the break.
The Paladins knocked down another three to begin the second half which sparked another run for the team. The Bruins were able to show some good things, but the team was just overpowered by the Paladins as Furman went on to win 102-48.
"Last year when we played Furman we had a similar result with more of a veteran team," Coach Uwarow said. "We encouraged the guys to continue to be unified and work hard and to continue to improve with each opportunity."
Jayson Barnhart led the Bruins with 13 points while Quiyante Burroughs had 11. Zac Orr was the only other player in double figures as he had 10 points and 4 rebounds. With the loss, the Bruins fall to 0-3 on the season.
Next up, the Bruins will be on the road again on Saturday as they battle Pfeiffer University in Misenheimer, North Carolina. Tip-off is set for 3 p.m.
