Freshmen led the way for the Bruins on Saturday night as Devin Dean and Hayes Brush combined for 26 points while Kendall Norrington snagged 10 rebounds to help the team defeat region-rival Trinity Baptist College 78-55 in Jacksonville, Florida. The Bruins went on a run at the midway point of the first half and never looked back as they won their first region matchup of the season to improve to 4-5 overall.
"We really came out and showed where we belong in the region," Brush said after finishing with 10 points and 6 rebounds in the game. "We wanted to try our best and work hard. It was good for us to come out and play the way we did."
The Bruins played the Eagles four times last season with the teams splitting their season series 2-2. The Bruins fell to Trinity Baptist in the region championship before finishing the season by defeating the Eagles in the consolation round at the NCCAA DII National Tournament.
Coming into this road game, the Bruins were riding momentum after defeating Brevard College 73-66 earlier in the week at home. The Eagles came into the game winless on the year at 0-4.
From the opening tip, the two teams traded baskets with each trying to dictate the pace of play. After Chapman Harwood made a layup, the score was tied 13-13 in the early goings of the game.
With just over five minutes remaining in the first half, a layup by Devin Dean sparked a run for the Bruins as Daniel Fuller hit three-straight threes to help the team outscore the Eagles 18-4 in the closing moments of the half as the Bruins led 40-24 at the break.
In the second half, the Bruins picked up where they left off as they attacked the rim for high percentage shots and trips to the free throw line. As a result, the Bruins pushed their lead to over twenty.
The Eagles didn't want to let the game slip away as they began to chip away at the lead. The Bruins wouldn't be denied as a late run in the second-half ended any chances of a comeback as the Bruins surged to a 78-55 win on the road.
"We had two of our freshmen score in double figures and got good contributions from several of our guys tonight," Bruins Head Coach Burton Uwarow said. "We try to keep fresh legs in the game and played all twelve of our guys and each made a difference for us tonight."
Devin Dean led the Bruins with 16 points on the night while Hayes Brush finished with 10 points and 6 rebounds. The Bruins also got a big game from Nate Ellenwood who finished with a double-double 15 points and 10 rebounds. The Bruins benched was key in the game providing 30 points of the scoring while the team shot 51% from the floor and 57% from three-point range in the win.
Next up, the Bruins will be back home on Tuesday night as they welcome Warren Wilson College to the Davis Field House. Tip-off for the game is set for 7 p.m.
