The Lady Bruins had their hands full on Saturday as the team battled Wofford College (NCAA DI) in an exhibition game in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Gracen Ledford led the Bruins with 11 points and 5 rebounds but the team fell behind early and never recovered in a 89-38 loss to the Bulldogs.
"I told our team after the game that we did a lot of good things in this game," Bruins Head Coach Mike LeViere said. "Turnovers hurt us again as we had seventeen in the first half alone, including seven in the last three minutes of the half. Those are going to turn into immediate points against a team like this."
This was the first contest following the Thanksgiving break for the Bruins as the team was once again on the road to compete. From the opening tip, the Terriers came out strong as they hit a pair of threes to take a 6-2 lead. Still, the Bruins kept pace in the early goings as Gracen Ledford made back to back shots to keep the score close.
Near the midway point of the first quarter, the Terriers began to pull away as a 15-0 run gave Wofford a double-digit lead. The Terriers shot 52% from the floor including 50% from three as they led the Bruins 30-12 at the end of the first quarter.
The Bruins looked to cut into the lead in the second quarter as Rachel Clark and Madison Shupe knocked down back to back threes. The Terriers matched the Bruins point for point as they continued to work the ball to open shooters for points. The Bruins struggled to maintain possession as turnovers proved costly in giving points back to the Terriers. As the halftime buzzer sounded, the Bruins trailed 51-21 going into the locker room.
As the second half began, the Terriers picked up where they left off as they came out with a 10-0 run to extend their lead. Gracen Ledford hit a three to stop the bleeding, but the Terriers continued to pressure the Bruins and convert on the offensive end. The Bruins were held to just nine points in the third quarter as the team went into the final frame trailing 76-30.
With the game out of reach, the Bruins came out in the final quarter looking to execute their game plan and take away positives from the game. Turnovers continued to hurt the Bruins and the team also missed open layups and shots that allowed the Terriers to extend their lead. As the final buzzer sounded, the Terriers had run away with a an 89-38 win.
"I was glad we came out ready to play," Coach LeViere said. "We had a time to adjust to their speed and attach in transition but we did a good job of attacking ourselves. We expected a tough day against a high caliber team like this, but this makes us better and we will continue to work hard as we look ahead to our next game."
Ledford was the only player to score in double figures for the Bruins on the day while Rachel Clark finished with 6 points and 5 rebounds in the loss. The Bruins shot just 29% from the field while committing 28 turnovers in the game. Next up, the Bruins will be on the road again on Tuesday night as the team will face Covenant College in Lookout Mountain, Georgia.
