The Bruins basketball team held their own on Thursday night as the team fell in a preseason exhibition to UNC Asheville 91-70. Jayson Barnhart led the Bruins with 20 points while Chapman Harwood and Jon Allen each finished with 10 points.
"This was a great game tonight and everyone had a chance to play against a high pressure team in a DI atmosphere," Bruins Head Coach Burton Uwarow said. Thursday's game was the lone preseason tuneup for the Bruins and the team had a strong showing against the Bulldogs. The Bruins will open the 2019-20 regular season on Saturday as they face Johnson University (TN) in Knoxville, Tennessee.
From the opening tip, the Bulldogs jumped out to an early 10-2 lead before the Bruins came back thanks to a three by Daniel Fuller and a layup by Jayson Barnhart. Later on in the half, Chapman Harwood knocked down a three to help the Bruins battle back to tie the game at 24-24 with just over seven minutes to go in the first half.
The Bruins were able to keep pace despite the relentless defensive pressure by the Bulldogs throughout the game. Barnhart hit another jumper with just over two minutes to play as the Bruins trailed 39-30. From there, the Bulldogs closed out the half strong as they led the Bruins 47-36 at the break.
In the second half, the Bruins came out looking to climb back into the game. The Bulldogs were able to stretch their lead thanks to the play of LJ Thorpe and Lavar Betts as they increased their lead back to double digits.
As the half wore on, the Bruins continued to give chase but couldn't maintain a consistent offensive production as the Bulldogs continued to pull away. While the final buzzer handed the Bruins the loss, the team took a lot of positives away as they competed well against an NCAA DI opponent.
"We had to play against full court pressure the whole game and I thought we handled it well," Coach Uwarow said. "We have some things to improve on before our season opener on Saturday but I am really happy with where we are at right now."
The Bruins shot 45% from the field including 43% from beyond the arc. While Barnhart led the Bruins for points, Nate Ellenwood had a near double-double with 8 points and 9 rebounds and Zac Orr finished with 7 points and 7 boards.
Next up, the Bruins will open the regular season of play on the road Saturday as the team faces Johnson University (TN). Tip-off is scheduled for Saturday at 4 p.m. in Knoxville, Tennessee.
