The Bruins rallied late but a game-tying three pointer by Daniel Fuller missed the mark as the team fell to Johnson University (TN) 84-81 in their season opener in Knoxville, Tennessee. Five Bruins scored in double figures for the team in the loss with Nate Ellenwood leading the way with 16 points and 9 rebounds.
"Really the difference tonight was you had a veteran team playing against a young team and that showed late in the game," Bruins Head Coach Burton Uwarow said. "Johnson was a team that won their region last year and beat the eventual national champion. They had a lot of their players back and some good transfer players. Still, each one of our guys contributed and we were in a position to win. This was a good test for us to open the season."
The Bruins faced the Johnson University (TN) Royals, who advanced to the NCCAA DII final four last season. The Bruins and Royals had split their season series last year with each team winning on their home floor.
From the opening tip, the Royals came out strong as they jumped out to an 8-0 lead. The Bruins struggled to get into their offensive flow to start the half as Nate Ellenwood scored just over five minutes into the game for the team's first points.
The Bruins began to settle in and clawed their way back into the game thanks to a jumper by freshman Kendall Norrington and a three by Daniel Fuller. With just over seven minutes remaining in the half, Ellenwood hit a three to tie the game at 20-20.
Although the game was close, the Bruins struggled to keep possession of the ball as the team committed thirteen turnovers throughout the first half. The Royals took advantage as they closed out the half on a run to take a 40-31 lead into halftime.
In the second half, the Bruins got a spark as Cam McKennedy and Jon Allen each hit a three as the team trailed the Royals 45-37. Still, the Bruins couldn't seem to close the gap as each shot was answered by the Royals.
Near the midway point of the half, the Bruins went on a run as Fuller hit a jump shot and Norrington made a layup as the team fought back to tie the game 58-58. The Royals came back to hit shots as they held a slim lead heading into the late stages of the game.
With just two minutes to go, the Royals stretched their lead back to double-digits but the Bruins mounted one last push as back-to-back threes by Ellenwood and Fuller helped the Bruins cut the lead 79-75. Freshman Devin Dean then hit a three to bring the Bruins within one with just over a minute to go.
On the next possession, Jayson Barnhart committed a foul sending Estiven Estacio to the line and the forward made the free throws to put the Royals up 81-78. The Bruins had a chance to tie the game, but Barnhart missed on a three attempt forcing the Bruins to foul again.
Gavin Grubb made one of two free throws for the Royals increasing their lead 82-78 with under thirty seconds to go. Daniel Fuller knocked down a three on the next possession as the Bruins trailed by one. Committing another quick foul, Royals' guard Nick Jones hit two free throws to put the Royals up 84-81.
The Bruins had one more chance as they raced up the floor looking for the tie. Chapman Harwood drove through the lane and found Daniel Fuller in the corner for an open look. Unfortunately, Fuller's three hit the iron as time expired with the Bruins coming up just short.
"We will learn from this," Coach Uwarow said. "Our guys hit the shots that we needed to hit to get back into the game. We were able to be effective in full court pressure which gave us the tempo we needed to come back. This is the first game that we'll have film on for us and I expect our guys to see what we did wrong and have a better showing for our next game."
Ellenwood's near double-double led the way for the Bruins while the team also got a boost from several other players. Daniel Fuller shot 50% from beyond the arc for the team finishing with 15 points and 6 rebounds while newcomer Kendall Norrington finished with 12 points and 5 rebounds.
Next up, the Bruins will be on the road again on November 8 as the team faces South Carolina State University (NCAA DI) in Orangeburg, South Carolina.
