The Lady Bruins remained winless to start the new year as the team fell to Johnson University of Florida 77-51 on Saturday afternoon in Kissimmee, Florida. With the loss, the team falls to 6-11 on the season and 2-1 in region play.
"We weren't ready to play today and that is all on me as the coach," Bruins Head Coach Mike LeViere said. "We needed to have a better game plan and we needed to be better prepared to play today."
The Bruins again had a slow start to the game as the team fell behind early with the Suns jumping out to a 13-2 lead. The Bruins offense couldn't seem to find their rhythm which translated into extra possessions for Johnson University. At the end of the first, the Bruins were only able to muster up four points as they trailed 15-4.
The Suns used a strong run to push their lead as they outscored the Bruins 13-4 in the early stages of the second quarter. Looking for an answer, the Bruins kept working through their offensive sets but shots continued to miss. At the half, the Bruins trailed 36-18.
As the second half began, the Bruins looked to shake off their first half struggles and claw their way back into the game. Madison Shupe was able to provide a spark for the Bruins offensively but the Suns continued to maintain a double-digit lead as they ended the third quarter up 57-29 over BJU.
With one quarter to play, the Bruins hoped to spark a rally to keep their perfect region record intact. Shupe again provided some clutch shooting for the team down the stretch but the Bruins were not able to get the consistent stops they needed defensively. As a result, the Suns ran away with a 77-51 victory.
"We just didn't play like us," Coach LeViere said. "Offensively and defensively we couldn't get into our rhythm and it showed in every aspect of the game. We couldn't make an open shot. We didn't rebound and we got beat off the dribble."
With the loss, the Lady Bruins have dropped three of their last four games. The Bruins will have some time off this next week before their next game on January 15 when they face Johnson and Wales University in Charlotte, North Carolina.
