The Bruins bounced back into the win column on Friday afternoon as the team stormed ahead in the second half and never looked back as they defeated Welch College 83-66 in Kissimmee, Florida. With the win, the Bruins improve to 6-8 on the season.
"We played well today," Bruins Head Coach Mike LeViere said. "I felt like we had a true team effort and the entire team contributed to get this win. We are a hard team to guard when the production comes from a lot of people."
The Bruins came into the game on the heels of a tough loss on Thursday afternoon to Grace Christian University. Less than 24 hours later, the Bruins were back in action as they took the court against the Suns.
From the opening tip, the Bruins came out strong as they worked the ball around for open shots. The team got a boost from Gracen Ledford as the junior guard created looks for her teammates to help the Bruins take a 13-9 lead. The Flames came back near the end of the quarter as the Bruins led 20-18 after the first.
The Bruins came out strong in the second quarter as they pushed the tempo and created turnovers on defense to spark a 10-0 run and lead 30-18. The Flames went on a run of their own as shots from beyond the arc began to fall. As the halftime buzzer sounded, the Bruins took a 38-32 lead into the break.
As the second half began, the Bruins went on another big run to start the third quarter as the team outscored the Flames 11-2 thanks to the post play of Delaney Edwards and Jody Bates and the shooting touch of Kylee Leffew. As a result, the Bruins stretched their lead to 56-39 as the third quarter came to a close.
With just one quarter to play, the Bruins came out looking to put the game out of reach. Defensively, the team was able to contest shots and eliminate second-chance opportunities thanks to good rebounding in and around the rim. Still, the Flames refused to quit as they kept chipping away at the Bruins lead.
The Bruins put the game out of reach with under four minutes to play as a basket by Edwards put the Bruins up 77-56. The team never looked back as they finished off the Flames 83-66.
"We were able to shoot the ball well because we were unselfish and took advantage of what the defense was giving us," Coach LeViere said. "Although we struggled some with rebounding in the first half, we buckled down in the 3rd quarter and really put the game away thanks to good defense and being efficient offensively."
Delaney Edwards proved to be a major factor for the team as the junior finished with 14 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists while also have a difficult defensive assignment throughout the game.
Next up, the Bruins will finish their three-game Florida road trip on Saturday night as they play a region matchup against Johnson University (FL). Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. in Kissimmee, Florida.
