The Lady Bruins dropped their third straight as the team fell to the North Greenville University Crusaders by the score of 80-67 on Tuesday night in the Davis Field House. The loss drops the team to 10-12 on the season.
Despite the loss, Coach Mike LeViere praised the Bruins' defensive effort. "I thought we played defensively really well, and they still finished the game with great numbers," LeViere said. "The team showed a lot of heart and spirit to come back in and play a really tough opponent; to get down and come back is really encouraging."
The Lady Bruins started the first quarter on fire, taking a quick 7-2 lead over NGU following a three by Madison Shupe. The Crusaders countered by attacking the basket and creating turnovers on the defensive end. The result was a 16-2 run by NGU. However, another three-point shot by Madison Shupe and a buzzer-beating layup by Rachel Clark narrowed the deficit to 19-14 heading into the second quarter.
During the early minutes of the second quarter, the Bruins struggled to maintain possession of the ball. However, down 23-15, Kylee Leffew entered the game and scored 4 quick points to pull the Bruins to within four. After a short 6-0 run by the Crusaders, Gracen Ledford and Rachel Clark combined for 13 points including three 3-pointers. Another last-second shot by Delaney Edwards put the Bruins down 35-32 as both teams went into the halftime break.
Both team offenses found their rhythm early in the third quarter. The Bruins sustained their high shooting percentage from deep, sinking three consecutive three-pointers to make it a 47-45 ballgame. But the Crusaders' offense was prepared for the challenge. With an efficient inside-outside attack and precision passing, NGU took a commanding 61-50 lead over the Bruins at the conclusion of the third quarter.
The Bruins, though trailing by 11, refused to quit. Delaney Edwards provided 5 points in the paint, and after Gracen Ledford's three, the Bruins found themselves in a one-possession game. Unfortunately, the defense simply could not keep the Crusaders off the free-throw line. They capitalized on their opportunities, making 10 free throws in the final minutes and dashing any hopes of a late comeback by the Bruins. The final buzzer handed the Bruins a hard-fought loss 80-67.
Madison Shupe led the team with 15 points and 8 rebounds while Kylee Leffew also left her mark on the game, notching 12 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block, and 1 steal. Gracen Ledford also had 14 points in the game on 4-7 shooting as the team shot a superb 47% from the three-point range. Sadly, the team's 24 turnovers serves as the most telling stat of the evening.
Next up, the Bruins will be on the road for the first of two region games next week. The team will travel to Toccoa, Georgia, as they face Toccoa Falls College on Monday. Tip-off for the game is set for 5 p.m.
