A last-second desperation three hit the front of the rim as the Bruins women's basketball team held on to defeat Trinity Baptist College 65-62 on Saturday afternoon in the Davis Field House. Jody Bates led the Bruins with 16 points and 7 rebounds while Kylee Leffew had 14 points and 8 rebounds as the team improved to 5-6 on the season and 1-0 in region play.
"We knew they were going to be aggressive defensively and our goal was to move the ball and find the open shooter to take advantage of transition opportunities," Bruins Head Coach Mike LeViere said. "We're always happy to get a win and they are a much-improved team but we are more concerned with how we played than what is on the scoreboard. We did some good things but also have some things to work on."
The Bruins came into the game after defeating Covenant College on a last-second three point shot on Tuesday night. The Eagles came into Saturday's game at 1-5 on the season after falling to Toccoa Falls College on Friday night.
In the opening minutes, the Bruins came out strong as Rachel Clark and Gracen Ledford hit three point shots to help spark a 12-4 lead. The Bruins looked in control as they worked the ball around to find the open shooter for points.
The Eagles came right back as they used tough defensive pressure to force the Bruins into turnovers. As a result, TBC closed out the quarter on a 15-1 run as they took a 19-13 lead at the end of the first quarter.
In the second quarter, the Bruins came out strong again as Delaney Edwards made a layup and Madison Shupe hit a three as the team battled back to lead 21-19. The Bruins were dealt a blow as Delaney Edwards left the game due to a shouler injury. Freshman Jody Bates gave the Bruins a spark as she helped the Bruins push their lead.
Defensively, the Bruins stood strong as they pressured the Eagles into tough shots and turnovers. The Bruins held the Eagles scoreless for nearly eight minutes in the second quarter and took advantage offensively with a 17-2 run to go into halftime leading 32-25.
As the second half began, Kylee Leffew scored three straight baskets for the Bruins but the Eagles answered back as BJU led 38-29. The two teams continued to trade baskets with the Bruins maintaining a slim lead. The buzzer sounded to end the third quarter with the game still up for grabs with the Bruins leading 48-41.
With just one quarter to play, the Eagles and Bruins looked to grab momentum early on. The Eagles clawed their way back into the game as they gained opportunities from the free throw line before Selena Perez hit a three to tie the game at 50-50. Madison Shupe answered right back with a three for the Bruins as the team continued to maintain a slim lead.
Still, the game went back and forth with several ties and key baskets in the remaining minutes of the game. With just over three minutes remaining, Leffew scored on a fast break for the Bruins to make it 60-57. The Bruins pushed their lead to 63-59 thanks to free throws at the line.
With under a minute to play, Jaela Green hit a three pointer for the Eagles to cut the lead to 63-62. On the next possession, Jody Bates scored on a second-chance layup as the Bruins led 65-62. The Eagles got an open look to tie the game as Melanie Newton took a last-second three which hit the front of the rim as time expired as the Bruins held on for the win.
"It really was a team effort tonight and everyone did a great job of doing their part in finding the open player," Bruins freshman Jody Bates said after a strong performance with 16 points and 7 rebounds off the bench.
The Bruins controlled the rebounding margin 33-25 while snagging 10 offensive rebounds in the win. The team got several great performances in the game as Bates and Leffew had near double-doubles while Madison Shupe finished with 12 points and 5 rebounds and Rachel Clark 9 points and 8 rebounds.
Next up, the Bruins will wrap up the first semester of play on Thursday as they face USC Upstate (NCAA DI) on the road in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Tip-off for the game is set for 6 p.m.
