Freshman Elijah Cupples had a dominant performance as he finished with 34 points while shooting 7-8 from three-point range as the Bruins mauled rival Pensacola Christian College 111-79 on Friday night in Greenville, South Carolina. With the win, the Bruins move above .500 for the first time this season at 9-8 and move to 3-0 in region play.
"Really after the first one or two shots went down, I just felt something in me that said it was go time," Cupples said after shooting 83% from the field in the win. "We had been struggling with getting going early and we have focusing on that specifically. The mental toughness and hard work we've put in the gym showed tonight."
The Bruins came into the game on the heels of back to back wins last weekend over Welch College and Johnson University (FL). The team played three games in three days and returned home this week to face rival PCC.
Coming into the game, the Eagles were riding a three-game losing streak. As the two teams took the court in front of nearly 3,000 fans, the next chapter in this rivalry was set to be written.
From the opening tip, the Bruins and Eagles exchanged baskets with the score remaining close. Elijah Cupples hit two three pointers to help spark a 21-1 run for the Bruins as the team raced out to a 25-7 lead.
After a timeout by the Eagles, the Bruins came right back as they forced PCC into tough looks on offense and used turnovers and great ball movement to find open shooters to score. Cupples was a perfect 5-5 from three point range in the first half and his efforts fueled an onslaught of runs for the Bruins. Freshman Dustin Bunton added an emphatic dunk as the team took a 60-32 lead into halftime.
As the second half began, the hometown crowd was out in full voice and the Bruins responded as they continued to stretch their lead. The Bruins had an incredible performance from the free throw line as the team was 29-31 for the game (94%). The Eagles tried to claw their way back into the game, but each shot was answered back by the Bruins.
With just over six minutes minutes remaining, Chapman Harwood scored on a layup to push the lead to 101-66. From there, the Bruins continued to keep up the pressure as they went on to win in convincing fashion 111-79.
"Our guys are putting in the work and it is showing on the court," Bruins Head Coach Burton Uwarow said. "We did well from the free throw line tonight and kept our turnovers down. Eli has been sidelined by some injuries the first part of the season so it was great to see him perform the way he did tonight."
Five players scored in double figures for the Bruins on the night as Nate Ellenwood and Jayson Barnhart each finished with 15 points while Devin Dean and Hayes Brush each finished with 12. On the night, the Bruins shot 58% from the field and 44% from beyond the arc.
Next up, the Bruins will be back home again on Tuesday night as they welcome Toccoa Falls College for another DII South Region matchup. Tip-off for the game is set for 7 p.m.
