The Bruins basketball team had a 40-39 lead with just over 10 minutes to go in the game as the team looked to upset #2 seeded Grace Christian University. Instead, the Tigers went on a run and the Bruins simply ran out of gas as the team fell 74-52 in the NCCAA DII national quarterfinals.
Despite several key injuries, it has been a successful season for Bob Jones as the Bruins earned an at-large bid in the NCCAA national tournament after going 7-1 in conference play. As the seventh overall seed, the Bruins were set to square off against the second seeded Grace University Tigers, who they defeated in the national semifinals last year.
It was a back and forth first half of play as the underdog Bruins held their own with the Tigers. Bruins captain Jayson Barnhart and freshman Daniel Fuller helped carry the Bruins offensively combining to score 21 of the team's 28 first half points. Every single bucket scored by BJU was well-earned as Grace's defense made them work for each shot opportunity. Going into halftime, the Tigers held a 33-28 advantage.
"Grace's defense was outstanding tonight," said Coach Uwarow. "Their size advantage and zone defense gave us a lot of problems."
Early in the second half, the Bruins were able to take the lead 40-39 courtesy of a Zachary Orr layup. A few possessions later Jayson Barnhart was called for a charge, giving him his third foul of the game with 13 minutes left, sending him to the bench. It ended up being a critical moment as it turned momentum back over to Grace.
After Barnhart was called for his third foul, the Tigers went on a 21-3 scoring run to build their lead up to 60-43 with four minutes remaining. BJU was unable to get anything going offensively in the second half as the team shot 29% on field goal attempts, including 0-13 on three-pointers.
As they have all season long, the Bruins did not give up and continued to fight until the final whistle. It was not enough as the Grace Christian University Tigers held on to win by the score of 74-52, putting an end to the Bruins' championship hopes.
"We should have our heads held high," said Coach Uwarow. "We accomplished a lot as a team this season despite a lot of people counting us out."
The BJU Bruins finish the season with a 9-18 record, with a 7-1 record in the conference. It was a season filled with injuries, as juniors Nate Ellenwood and Chapman Harwood both suffered season-ending injuries. Despite the injuries and losing several players from last year's team, Coach Uwarow had the Bruins in a position to contend. Senior Jayson Barnhart had an historic season for the Bruins averaging 21 points per game earning him NCCAA national player of the year honors. Barnhart was one of the three healthy players returning from last season, along with sophomore Quiyante Burroughs and senior Matt DeHart.
Coach Uwarow also depended on a lot of newcomers such as freshmen Daniel Fuller and Jon Allen, and transfer students Zachary Orr and Cam McKennedy. Each of them played critical roles on the team and are all eligible to return next season.
Despite the loss, the Bruins still have another game to play as the team will head to the consolation bracket. The Bruins will meet a familiar foe on Friday as they face off against region-rival #6 Trinity Baptist College. Tip-off is set for 12:30 p.m. in the Davis Field House.
