Sarah Thomsen and Sydney Bedsaul were a dominant duo on Saturday afternoon as the pair combined for 34 points to lead the Bruins to a 69-38 victory over Columbia International University. With the win, the Bruins improve to 6-9 to close out the first semester of play.
"It was a really good game for us," Bruins Head Coach Mike LeViere said. "I was a little worried coming into this one because of it being exam week and the players being mentally exhausted. But they responded well and got the shots we needed and did the little things well to get this win."
The Bruins came into the game on the heels of a tough loss to USC Upstate last Saturday. With one game to play before Christmas break, the Lady Bruins wanted to close out the first half of the season with a win.
Sydney Bedsaul and Gracen Ledford hit three-pointers to open the scoring for the Bruins as the team jumped out to a 6-2 lead. Bedsaul hit another three as the Bruins offense was in sync from the start. Defensively, the team shut down the Rams leading scorer Jordan Sprueill, forcing her into tough looks on offense. The Bruins were able to get to the free throw line where they added to their lead as the team led CIU 18-10 after the opening quarter.
In the second quarter, Madison Shupe hit two three-pointers to spark a 10-2 run by the Bruins as the team took a 28-12 lead. The Rams responded with a run of their own before Sarah Thomsen stole the ball and scored on a fast break to help the Bruins close out the half strong leading 34-21. A key reason for the Bruins lead was the team's ability from the free throw line as they finished the half shooting 12-13.
As the second half began, the Bruins continued to force the Rams into tough looks while finding open lanes to score on the offensive end. Bedsaul hit her third three of the contest and the stellar free throw shooting continued as the Bruins distanced themselves from the Rams to lead 52-31 at the end of the third quarter.
With the game all but decided, the Bruins didn't let up as freshman Tamrah Konieczka hit a layup and then a pair of free throws to help the team increase their lead. The Rams tried to find an answer, but each basket by CIU was answered by the Bruins as they rolled to a 69-38 victory.
"We just played one of the toughest first semester schedules we've ever played," Coach LeViere said. "It has been good for us. Our goal has been to continue to improve and we want to be playing our best when we get to the end of the season. We're getting into a good rhythm and playing well defensively and look forward to getting back into it second semester."
Sarah Thomsen led the Bruins with 18 points while also snagging 7 rebounds in the game. Sydney Bedsaul also had a strong outing for the team with 16 points while shooting 43% from three point range and a perfect 7-7 on her free throw attempts. The Bruins won the rebounding margin 42-40 while also forcing CIU to commit 22 turnovers in the game.
The Lady Bruins will have a few weeks off for Christmas break before returning to play after the first of the year. Next up, the Bruins will be on the road at Warner University in Lake Wales, Florida on January 2.
