The Bruins dropped their season opener on Saturday night as the team fell to Piedmont College 88-64 at the Davis Field House. Freshmen Dominic Owens led the Bruins with 12 points while freshmen Kenney Garrick finished with 10 points and 4 rebounds.
"I told our guys before the game that this team we have has never played together before," Bruins Head Coach Burton Uwarow said. "We had some key guys on our team last year and there is never an easy way to have underclassmen take over those roles. The way we all learn as humans is to learn through painful things. The quicker that they can go through those painful things the more it will help them as we move forward this season."
From the opening tip, the Bruins were able to gain open shots but the team struggled to convert as they trailed 10-4 in the early minutes of the half. The Lions were able to run an effective pick and roll offense which opened up high-percentage shots.
Mark Dickerson hit a three for the Bruins just over halfway through the opening half as the team trailed the Lions 23-14. The Lions answered right back with a three of their own as went on a 16-4 run to take a 38-20 lead. The Bruins tried to battle back but went into halftime trailing 40-24.
In the second half, the Bruins came out looking to get back in the game. The Lions stormed out with a 10-0 run thanks to baskets by Orry Clements-Owens as they stretched their lead.
As the half wore on, the Bruins got solid contributions from several players off the bench. Freshman Kenney Garrick provided the highlight of the night as he made a crossover move in the lane before throwing down an emphatic dunk. Despite their efforts, the Bruins couldn't seem to close the gap as the Lions poured it on in the second half to win the game 88-64.
"We need to get a game under our belts and work through some different lineups and combinations," Coach Uwarow said. "We've always had a tough schedule to begin our season and I wanted to do that again this year. Some of our freshmen came in and didn't play like freshmen which is great to see."
The Bruins had 17 turnovers in the game and struggled shooting from beyond the arc finishing just 13.6% for the game. Next up, the Bruins will be on the road Thursday as they play this same Piemont College Lions in Demorest, Georgia.
