The Lady Bruins fell behind early and couldn't come back as the team fell to Pensacola Christian College 69-60 in Greenville, South Carolina. The Bruins came into the game on the heels of back to back wins, but the loss moves the team to 7-9 on the season and 2-1 in region play.
"They shot the ball really well and we didn't do a good job of contesting shots and answering offensively," Bruins Head Coach Mike LeViere said. "We knew if we ran our stuff the way we were capable and played good defense, the result may have been different."
In the first quarter, the Eagles hit back to back threes as the team raced out to a 6-0 lead. The Bruins came back thanks to the shooting effort of Delaney Edwards as the junior forward scored seven-straight points to help even the score 11-11. The Lady Eagles countered a wave of jump-shots and layups, spurring a 9-1 run to finish the quarter as PCC led 20-12.
With the momentum on their side, the Lady Eagles continued to build their lead behind the three-point shooting of Caitlyn Benedick. Unfortunately, the Bruins offense couldn't find its rhythm while the defense struggled to slow down the high-flying PCC offense. A 24-6 run by the Lady Eagles increased their lead to 35-17.
The Bruins refused to back down and with six quick points by Delaney Edwards, Madison Shupe, and Gracen Ledford, the Bruins narrowed the margin to 35-24. To close the first half, the Lady Eagles utilized excellent ball distribution as PCC led 42-27 at halftime.
Following the halftime break, the Bruins began a surge. Rachel Clark and Kylee Leffew combined for 10 points and cut the deficit to 46-39. However, the Eagles contiuned to keep the lead thanks to consistent trips to the free throw line. Once again turnovers and fouls by the Lady Bruins were harming their chances of a comeback as the third ended with the Eagles leading 55-43.
The Bruins narrowed the gap to 62-53 with Rachel Clark and Kylee Leffew leading the charge. Yet, once again the Lady Eagles responded with 5 straight points by Lauran Alvarez.
Down 67-55 late in the fourth quarter, the Lady Bruins showed heart with one last attempt at a comeback with a 5-0 run of their own. However, the effort was too late as the Eagles used extended possessions to drain the clock as they held on for a 69-60 victory over the Bruins.
"We were able to go on runs and cut into the lead, but those runs kept getting stopped with some unfortunate calls by the officials and key shots by Pensacola," Coach LeViere said. "That said, we know we can work on the things that we can control and we're looking forward to getting back to work and seeing them again at their place later on this season. "
Kylee Leffew led the way with 14 points and 3 rebounds for the Bruins while Delaney Edwards finished with 13 points and 7 rebounds. The Bruins edged the Eagles in rebounds (35-34) and steals (16-6), but they also committed more turnovers (19-16) and personal fouls (19-15) than PCC.
Next up, Bruins welcome the Toccoa Falls College Screaming Eagles on Tuesday for another DII South Region matchup. Tip-off is set for 5 PM.
