The Bruins were on the road again on Saturday as the team battled Maryville College in Decatur, Georgia. Unfortunately, a strong first half for the Scots pushed the game out of reach as the Bruins fell 89-55. With the loss, the Bruins fall to 1-2 on the season.
"This was a really good game for us that provided an opportunity to learn and grow," Bruins Head Coach Mike LeViere said. "Maryville was picked to finish in the top of the USA South and we knew what we needed to do to compete with them. The positive that we can take away from this is that we can correct several things as we move forward."
The Bruins came into the game on the heels of their first victory of the season as they defeated Agnes Scott University 71-43 on Friday night. The Scots opened their season on Friday night with a dominant performance in a 74-48 win over Sewanee.
As the game began, the Bruins came out strong with back to back baskets from Delaney Edwards. The teams remained close with the Bruins playing good defense to force the Scots into tough looks around the basket. As the first quarter came to a close, the Scots went on an 11-0 run to grab momentum and take a 16-6 lead into the second quarter.
Jessiann Wiedmann scored on a layup and Gracen Ledford hit a three as the Bruins looked to climb back into the game. The Scots caught fire from beyond the arc as they went 5-8 from three-point range in the second quarter to increase their lead. The Bruins were able to close out the quarter well, but found themselves with a big deficit at the half as they trailed the Scots 44-26.
In the third quarter, Madison Shupe knocked down a three as the Bruins began to chip away at the lead. Unfortunately, the Bruins baskets were answered by two or three for the Scots as they continued to maintain the upper hand. As the third quarter came to a close, the lead had stretched with the Scots up 71-44.
With the game out of reach, the Bruins refused to quit as they came out looking to finish the game strong. The Scots hit back to back threes which sparked a 15-1 run for Maryville as they extended their lead. Wiedmann and Shupe added points at the end of the game but the deficit was too much to overcome as the Bruins fell 89-55.
"These are the teams we want to play as they force us play at our very best to compete," Coach LeViere said. "It was a very positive weekend overall for us and now we're ready to refocus and get ready for our home opener on Monday."
Delaney Edwards led the Bruins with 15 points and 9 rebounds in the game while Madison Shupe shot 50% from three-point range to finish with 12 points and 5 rebounds. The Bruins were able to win the rebound margin 38-37 while forcing 16 turnovers defensively. Unfortunately, the Bruins committed 25 turnovers which turned into points for the Scots.
Next up, the Bruins will return home as the team welcomes Wesleyan College for the home opener on Monday night. The tip-off for the game is set for 6 p.m. at the Davis Field House.
