The Lady Bruins struggled on Friday night as the team suffered a tough road loss to LaGrange College 61-40 in LaGrange, Georgia. The Bruins shot just 26% from the floor in the game as the team drops to 3-4 on the season. Kylee Leffew led the Bruins with 10 points and 7 rebounds in the game.
"I was pleased with our defensive effort tonight," Bruins Head Coach Mike LeViere said. "We held a very good and quick team to 29% shooting but we just didn't reward ourselves enough on offense."
The Bruins came into the game having won two of their last three games. The Panthers entered Friday's game after back to back wins over Judson College and Berry College.
From the opening tip, the Bruins were able to find open looks but the team struggled as they missed their first six shots of the game. The Panthers had their own struggles as the Bruins trailed just 7-4 near the midway point of the quarter. The Bruins continued to play well defensively, but shots continued to rim out as the Panthers ended the quarter up 16-9.
Shea Dickinson hit a three to start the scoring for the Bruins in the second quarter as the team looked to chip away at the lead. Instead, the Panthers went on a 13-2 run to take a double-digit lead over the Bruins. Madison Shupe was able to hit back to back threes to cut into the lead but the Bruins had some ground to make up as they went into halftime trailing 39-23.
As the second half began, Gracen Ledford hit a three pointer for the Bruins as the team looked to climb back into the game. Still, the Bruins shots continued to miss and the Panthers slowly increased their lead. After a layup by Makayla Phillips, the Panthers led 49-29 heading into the fourth quarter.
In the fourth quarter, the Bruins came out looking to mount one last charge. Kylee Leffew scored two baskets in the paint but the Panthers answered on each possession as they kept their double-digit advantage. Freshman Shea Dickinson hit her second three of the game for the Bruins but the team couldn't close the gap as the final buzzer sounded to hand the Bruins a 61-40 loss.
"We went through spells where we would turn the ball over two and three possessions in a row," Coach LeViere said. "They were very aggressive on defense and we let that affect us too many times. It took too long for us to recognize and respond correctly to the pressure but we eventually did."
The Bruins struggled shooting on the night, but the team's 23 turnovers also proved costly in allowing the Panthers extra possessions and shots. Leffew and Dickinson were the only players in double figures for the Bruins as each scored 10 in the game.
Next up, the Bruins will be on the road again next week as the team will have back to back games on Monday and Tuesday in Indiana. First, the Bruins will matchup with Earlham College on Monday in Richmond, Indiana.
