The Bruins roared back in the second half and cut the deficit to one point, but the comeback came up short as the team fell to Carolina University 57-51 on Tuesday night in Greenville, South Carolina. Delaney Edwards led the Bruins with 12 points and 5 rebounds in the loss as the team falls to 0-4 on the season.
"For as much hard work as we put in tonight, it's tough to not get a win," Bruins Head Coach Mike LeViere said. "We fell behind early, but I was proud of our team to battle back the way that we did."
The Bruins came into the game on the heels of a loss to Pensacola Christian College on Friday. The team welcomed Carolina University who entered the game at 4-3 on the season. In their previous five matchups, the Bruins had defeated Carolina University and the team was hoping to continue their winning ways against CU as the two teams took the court.
From the opening tip, Carolina came out strong as they attacked the glass for second-chance points to build an early lead. The Bruins struggled to maintain possession as turnovers led to points on the other end for Carolina. The Bruins began to battle back as Delaney Edwards hit a jumper, but Carolina closed out the opening quarter strong as they took a 21-9 lead at the end of the first.
In the second quarter, Carolina continued to work the ball inside for points in the paint. The Bruins tried to battle back and inched closer, but turnovers continued to hurt the team as they continued to trail. Near the midway point of the second quarter, the team got a spark thanks to back to back threes from Tamrah Konieczka and Gracen Ledford. The Bruins were able to cut into the lead as the halftime buzzer sounded with Carolina leading 29-22.
As the second half began, the Bruins looked to climb their way back into the game. The team was able to put together strong defensive play, forcing Carolina into tough looks and turnovers. This allowed the Bruins to pull closer as the quarter went on. With just under five minutes remaining in the third, Konieczka hit another three to pull the Bruins within five at 35-30. The two teams then traded baskets as the third quarter came to a close with Carolina leading 40-37.
With one quarter to play, it was still anybody's ball game. Carolina continued to maintain the upper hand as they forced several consecutive turnovers. The Bruins were able to keep pace as they looked to mount one last charge to try to complete the comeback. Bethany Daulton banked home a layup with just over four minutes to go to cut into the lead and then hit a three to pull the Bruins within one at 47-46.
Momentum had swung to the Bruins in the closing moments and the team looked poised to pull out the win. Instead, Carolina dashed the Bruins' hopes as an 8-0 run, including a key three pointer from Jad Sleet, ended any hopes of a comeback as the Bruins fell to Carolina 57-51.
"I probably sound like a broken record but we know when we do the little things right good things will happen," Coach LeViere said. "There were key times when we turned the ball over and made mistakes and we need to improve in some of our shot selection. We need to continue to work hard and improve as we keep moving forward."
Delaney Edwards and Gracen Ledford combined for 23 points for the Bruins in the game while freshman Brittany Williams finished with 7 points and 6 rebounds. The Bruins struggled with 25 turnovers in the game while shooting 31% from the floor and 24% from three point range.
Next up, the Bruins will be on the road on Saturday for a South Region matchup as they face Toccoa Falls College in Toccoa Falls, Georgia.
