Box Score
The Bruins are once again champions of the region as the team defeated #3 seeded Trinity College 83-76 in the NCCAA DII South Region Championship in Pensacola, Florida on Saturday afternoon. Dustin Killough led the way for the Bruins with 29 points as the team won their 13th game in a row.
"I am so proud of these guys," Bruins Head Coach Burton Uwarow said. "We are really tired and really beat up but these guys gave it everything they had. This was a very physical tournament and we are so fortunate to still be playing."
In a rematch of the 2017 region championship, the Tigers and Bruins once again provided a memorable title game. The top-seeded Bruins were coming off a victory over #5 seeded Pensacola Christian College on Friday night while the Tigers had upset #2 seeded Trinity Baptist College.
The Bruins came out strong in the opening minutes as the team scored on seven of their first ten shots from the field. Dustin Killough and Justin Matthews led the way as the pair helped build a 22-6 lead for the Bruins. The Tigers were back on their heels but clawed their way back into the game behind the scoring touch of John Coleman. With just under nine minutes to play in the half, the Tigers had brought it back to within single digits as they trailed the Bruins 28-21. The Bruins responded with a 13-2 run as they worked the ball into the post and Quez Fisher and Jayson Barnhart scored in the paint. Killough continued to be dominant for the Bruins as the senior tallied 19 first-half points. The Bruins closed out the half with momentum as they took a 47-31 lead into the break.
In the second half, the Bruins came out looking to put the game out of reach. Dustin Killough scored as continued to find their groove offensively. At the midway point of the half, the Bruins continued to maintain their double-digit advantage with the region championship in their sights.
The Tigers weren't about to go down without a fight as they again used an offensive run to claw their way back into the game. Nate Ellenwood came up with a big three-point shot with just over three minutes remaining to put the Bruins up 79-67. The Tigers were able to convert down the stretch, but the Bruins free throws made the difference late as the team held on for the 83-76 win.
Killough led the Bruins with 29 points while shooting 56% from the field while hitting five three pointers on the day. Jayson Barnhart also had a strong performance for the team with 17 point while Nate Elllenwood finished with 14 points and 13 boards. Quez Fisher also had a near double-double with 9 points and 12 rebounds. The Bruins shot 48% from the field and 42% from beyond the arc. The team also had another strong free throw performance shooting 81% as a unit in the game.
With the win, the Bruins improve to 20-10 on the season while winning 16 of their last 17 games. The team captured its second-straight NCCAA DII South Region Championship, punching their ticket to the national tournament. The Bruins will await final seeding for nationals as the tournament will be played March 8-10 in Greenville, South Carolina.
