Jayson Barnhart powered the Bruins with 31 points as the team overcame a tough environment and an even tougher opponent to defeat #3 seeded Johnson University - Florida 77-71. With the win, the Bruins advance to their third consecutive NCCAA DII South Region Championship. The Bruins enter the region title game having won the previous two region championships.
"Our player of the year played like the player of the year tonight," Bruins Head Coach Burton Uwarow said. "We've been working since October for games like these and we had guys who were able to step up late for us in this game for us to get the win."
The Bruins came into the tournament having won two of their last three. In their final game of the regular season, the Bruins defeated the Suns before learning the two teams would again be matched in the semifinals of regionals. For the third time this season, the Bruins and Suns were set to battle it out with a trip to the region championship on the line.
The Suns rode the energy of their hometown crowd as they knocked down back to back shots to take a 5-0 lead. The Bruins came right back with three straight baskets as Jayson Barnhart maneuvered in the paint for points. The Suns rode the shooting touch of Philip Legrier as he scored 12 points in the first half. As a result, the Bruins found themselves often playing from behind as each shot from the Bruins was matched by the Suns.
As the half was drawing to a close, Barnhart scored again for the Bruins to cut into the lead. The Bruins also got solid contribution from Zac Orr in the post and a spark from Cam McKennedy off the bench. As the buzzer sounded, the Suns remained on top as they took a slim 36-33 lead into halftime.
In the second half, the Bruins knew they were going to have to be better on both sides of the ball to gain the upper hand. It showed as the team shored up their defensive efforts, forcing the Suns into tougher looks on offense. The Bruins were able to gain the lead, but the Suns took it right back thanks to Adam Starks' three three-point field goals off the bench in the second half.
With just under two minutes to play, the Bruins trailed 69-68 and were in need of a big shot. That shot came off the stroke of Daniel Fuller as the freshman buried a clutch three to give the Bruins the lead. The Suns were able to come right back and tie the game before Jayson Barnhart was able to score again to give the Bruins the lead. On the next possession, Cam McKennedy came up with a steal as he intercepted the pass to give the Bruins the ball back. Thanks to more defensive stops down the stretch and clutch free throw shooting, the Bruins were able to hang on to defeat the Suns 77-71 to advance to the region championship.
"We talked about in our pre-game devotional the concept of reaping and sowing," Coach Uwarow said. "These guys have been working so hard all season long and we had three guys in double figures with one of those guys being Cam off the bench. His spark for us defensively helped lead him to great offensive production. I'm very proud of our guys and now we'll get ready to play for the region championship tomorrow."
Jayson Barnhart led the Bruins with 31 points while shooting 10-19 from the field and 10-12 from the free throw line. Quiyante Burroughs scored 12 for the Bruins while Cam McKennedy had 10 to go along with 5 rebounds and two key steals late in the game.
With the win, the Bruins will advance to their third straight region championship in the past three seasons. They will face #1 seeded Trinity Baptist College on Saturday with the tip-off scheduled for 2 p.m. (EST) in Kissimmee, Florida.
