The Bruins battled back from a double-digit deficit in the second half, but a 25-5 run by Piedmont College to close out the game was too much to overcome as the Bruins fell to the Lions 93-76. Five players scored in double-figures for the Bruins in the loss as the team wraps up first semester of play at 1-3 on the season.
"We started off just as bad as when we played them the first time," Bruins Head Coach Burton Uwarow said. "Piedmont is a good team and I was proud of how our guys responded to close out the first half and then came out strong the second half. We battled back and took the lead. We are improving and I that is what we needed to see heading into break."
The Bruins came into the game on the heels of a loss to Campbellsville-Harrodsburg last week. The Lions entered the game at 1-1 on the year after a loss to East Texas Baptist University on Saturday.
Earlier this season, the Bruins and Lions had squared off in the Davis Field House with Piedmont running away with the game in and 88-64 win. Both teams were looking to get back in the winning column as they took the court.
The Lions came out strong from the opening tip, while the Bruins struggled as the team committed several turnovers in the early minutes. As a result, the Lions jumped out to a 9-2 lead. The Bruins tried to battle back, but the Lions continued to extend their lead behind the shooting of Ryan Jolly and the post play of Jordan Foote as Piedmont eventually built a double-digit lead.
Near the midway point of the half, the Bruins began to find their groove as Daniel Fuller hit back to back threes to spark a run and help the Bruins cut the lead to single digits. After a layup by Chapman Harwood, the Bruins trailed 34-26. While the Lions were able to push the tempo and continue to convert offensively, the Bruins were able to stay within striking distance as they trailed 47-36 at halftime.
In the second half, the Bruins came out strong as Kendall Norrington battled for points in the paint. The Bruins sophomore forward scored eight points as the Bruins went on a 16-2 run to roar back and tie the game at 56-56. The Bruins then took their first lead of the game as Eli Cupples hit a three to put the Bruins on top 59-56.
From there, the Lions and Bruins went back and forth with the score remaining close as the second half reached its halfway point. With just over eight minutes remaining, Devin Dean hit a three for the Bruins to give the team a 71-68 advantage.
The Bruins looked to close the game strong, but the Lions began to pour it on in the late stages as they forced turnovers and turned those chances into good looks offensively. As a result, the Lions closed the game on a 25-5 run and the Bruins couldn't recover as the team fell 93-76.
"The last minutes they went on a big run," Coach Uwarow said. "Our guys have to be able to respond to that. They need to play tired and be able to respond. That's what we are going to have to face late in the season. Our guys will need to take advantage of this break and hold each other accountable as we come back second semester. We have almost two months to get in really good shape or get in really bad shape so we'll see how our guys respond."
Kendall Norrington led the Bruins with 20 points and 9 rebounds while Eli Cupples, Daniel Fuller and Chapman Harwood each finished with 11 points and Hayes Brush 10. While the Bruins had 19 turnovers in the game, the Bruins had just 5 in the second half which was a difference in the team being able to battle back to take the lead.
With the loss, the Bruins wrap up their first semester of play. The team will now have an extended break with their next game scheduled for January 9.
