The Lady Bruins picked up a tough region win on Saturday afternoon as they upset #1 ranked Pensacola Christian College 55-54 in Pensacola, Florida. Not one Bruins player scored in double figures, but a collective team effort allowed BJU to come away with a victory in a hostile environment. With the win, the Lady Bruins improve to 10-13 on the season and 5-2 in region play.
"We approached the game as another opportunity to get better and be focused on controlling the things we can control," Bruins Head Coach Mike LeViere said. "We wanted to focus on our execution and being balanced. We didn't want to let the atmosphere affect how we played. Overall, we did a great job of that."
The Bruins and Eagles met earlier in the season in Greenville with PCC claiming a last-second victory 59-57. The Eagles had been recently ranked as the #1 team in the country for NCCAA DII. PCC has been on fire as of late winning their last eight in a row and 15 of their last 16 games. The Bruins and Eagles took the court in the Arling R. Horton Sports Center as the next chapter of this rivalry was set to be written.
Sydney Bedsaul helped the Bruins take an early lead with a three-point shot as the game was underway. The Eagles and Bruins remained close in the early stages as each team stayed one possession away from the other. After Delaney Edwards banked home a layup for the Bruins, Eva Hardy responded with a three for the Eagles as the two teams were tied 11-11 at the end of the first quarter.
The Bruins gained the upper hand in the second quarter thanks to three-pointers by Kylee Leffew and Sarah Thomsen. Still, the Eagles kept pace as they stayed within striking distance.
Thomsen had one of her best defensive efforts of the season as she took Eagles' standout Joy Smith almost completely out of the game. Smith finished the night with just four points on 1-7 shooting from the field. Thomsen's efforts helped spark the Bruins defensively as the team forced the Eagles into tough looks while limiting second-chance opportunities. Despite being under-sized, the Bruins controlled the rebounding margin and used a late-half run to take a 26-23 lead into halftime.
As the second half began, the Eagle fans were in full voice hoping their team could claw their way back into the game. Instead, the Bruins came out strong with a basket from Edwards and a three-pointer from Gracen Ledford to lead 32-25. The Eagles responded with back to back threes to cut into the lead and then went on to tie the game at 36-36 thanks to another three Haley Sailors. Madison Shupe was able to give the Bruins the lead with a late basket as BJU led PCC 38-36 heading into the fourth and final quarter.
Another strong start to the quarter helped the Bruins keep momentum as Shupe and Jessiann Wiedmann each hit a three to push the Bruins lead 44-36. But like they had done all game, the Eagles refused to back down as they came clawing back to tie the game at 50-50 with just under three minutes to go.
Both teams were familiar with this scenario with each possession that much more important with the final buzzer looming. Kylee Leffew came up big for the Bruins with a bucket to give the team a slim 53-52 lead.
After a missed opportunity for the Eagles, the Bruins inbounded the ball where Gracen Ledford was fouled earning her a trip to the line. Instead, a miscommunication by the officials put Sydney Bedsaul on the line. As a result, the Bruins were awarded a technical foul for the wrong player shooting free throws. Jessica Boyd hit one of two free throws to tie the game at 53-53. Gracen Ledford then calmly hit both of her free throws to give the Bruins a 55-53 lead.
With one more possession, the Eagles came down looking for the tie as Boyd was fouled earning her a chance to tie the game with just seconds to go. Instead, Boyd missed one of two free throws as the Bruins were able to hang on for a 55-54 win.
"Even though we didn't shoot the ball well, we played great defense and rebounded all game," Coach LeViere said. "That is a recipe for success especially when we had less turnovers than they did."
Madison Shupe had a great game on both sides of the ball as she led the Bruins with 9 points and 6 rebounds. Kylee Leffew also had a great game with 7 points to go along with 16 rebounds. The Bruins defensive effort forced the Eagles to shot just 25% from the field and 19% from three-point range.
Next up, the Bruins will be back home on Monday night as they welcome another NCCAA DII South Region opponent in Trinity College. The tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. in the Davis Field House in Greenville, South Carolina.
