The Bruins upset #4 ranked Johnson University on Friday night in the Davis Field House in one of the most intense games of the 2018-19 season. The Bruins were able to make key baskets down the stretch to win 75-69, pushing the team's winning streak to three in a row.
"We've proven several times this second semester that we are getting better at guarding the three," Bruins Head Coach Burton Uwarow said. "We had people out with injury and other guys hampered with sickness and injury and to still have those guys play so well inspired our team."
Going into the game, the Bruins knew they were in for a tough matchup as they had lost to the Royals 98-71 on November 3 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Adding to the difficulty, the team would play without forward Quiyante Burroughs who was out due to sickness. Zac Orr and Cam McKennedy also played the game under the weather and put forth a gutsy performance in the win.
Jon Allen hit two three-point shots early on in the game as the Bruins were able to match the intensity and speed of the Royals. On defense, the Bruins contested the Royals on every shot, forcing Johnson University to miss early and often.
As the half wore on, the Bruins continued to maintain a lead as a layup by Orr put the Bruins head 27-16 with just over five minutes to play. The Royals closed the gap to end the half as they trailed 33-30 with just thirty seconds to go. Daniel Fuller hit a big three for the Bruins on the next possession and Jayson Barnhart added a three at the buzzer as the Bruins took a 39-30 lead into the break.
Second half began with a quick jumper from Orr. The Bruins continued to keep the lead, but about five minutes in to the half, the Warriors closed the gap. Stone Champion provided the answer with back to back three-pointers, but the Royals sank two three-point shots of their own immediately after to keep pace.
The Bruins began moving the ball quicker, driving in and taking some jumpers. The Royals began to slowly chip away at the lead and with 10 minutes remaining in the game, Johnson University took its first lead of the game.
The physical play picked up towards the end of the game as fouls were called on both teams in the closing minutes. Jayson Barnhart fouled out with a minute and a half left of the game, giving the Royals a chance to battle back and even the score. Instead, the Bruins came up with several key stops defensively and converted on free throw attempts down the stretch to hang on for a 75-69 win.
"We've been wanting to play this style of defensive play of pressing so we can dictate tempo a little bit," Coach Uwarow said. "We're being more aggressive and able to play the kind of defense we want to play as a team."
Jayson Barnhart led the Bruins with 20 points in the game. Zac Orr had a double-double for the team with 10 points and 10 rebounds including 6 offensive rebounds in the game. The Bruins also got key contributions from their guards as Daniel Fuller finished with 13 points while Jon Allen had 14 points, 9 assists, 6 rebounds and 4 steals in the win.
The Bruins shot well from three as they finished shooting 47.6% for the game while holding the Royals to one of their lowest scoring outputs for the season. Next up, the Bruins will host Johnson & Wales University on Tuesday night at the Davis Field House. The tip-off is set for 7:00 p.m.
