The BJU Bruins saw their four-game winning streak come to an end as the team fell to the Johnson University Royals 89-67. The defeat marks the first home loss of the season for the Bruins and drops their record to 10-9.
"Johnson University doesn't really have any weaknesses," Bruins Head Coach Burton Uwarow said following the loss. "It was apparent tonight that I have not spent enough time on half-court defense, and that falls on me. I look forward to getting some rest this weekend and getting back to the gym to get better."
The first half of action began with a back-and-forth affair; both offenses were clicking early in the game, resulting in a 12-12 tie. Of the Bruins' 12 points, Nate Ellenwood accounted for 7 of them. Then, Hayes Brush knocked down two shots from behind the arc to give the Bruins a slim 18-17 lead. However, the Royals responded quickly with a 7-0 run to storm back and lead 24-18.
Following Brush's two 3's, the Bruins struggled to sink their shots while the Royals could not miss. However, the Bruins continued to fight. Jayson Barnhart and Cam McKennedy, with two drives to the basket, brought the Bruins to within four 32-28. But just when the Bruins had seized the momentum, the Royals snatched it right back and scorched the Bruins' interior defense. Outscoring the Bruins 10-2, the Royals closed the half strong to lead 44-34 at the break.
In the second half, Jayson Barnhart electrified the Davis Field House with 5 straight points, narrowing the margin to 44-39. Unfortunately, the Royals immediately silenced the crowd with an impressive shooting display and a 14-5 run.
Trailing 58-44, the Bruins needed a spark, and that spark was found in a four-point play by Nate Ellenwood. With their lead cut to 10, the Royals once again attacked the perimeter and interior of the Bruins defense and met little resistance. In a flash the Royals began to pull away late with a 69-53 lead. Devin Dean tried to keep a comeback hope alive with six straight points, but the deficit was far too large to overcome. When the buzzer sounded, the Bruins had lost to the Royals by a score of 89-67.
"We didn't own our yard tonight," Bruins guard Cam McKennedy said. "We know we could have played better but we see this as a gift for us to learn from."
Jayson Barnhart led the team in scoring and rebounding with 14 points and 5 boards. Nate Ellenwood finished with 11 points and 5 assists in the game. As a team, the Bruins shot 46% from the floor and 45% from deep. However, the team left several points at the charity stripe, managing to make only 6 out of 14 free throws (46%).
For their next matchup, the Bruins will travel to Erskine College to take on the Fleet next Thursday night. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m.
