The Bruins battled back to take the lead in the late stages of the game, but a last-second shot as time expired fell short as the team lost to Great Lakes Christian College 80-77 on Saturday afternoon at the Davis Field House. Devin Dean had a dominant performance with 27 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists as the Bruins fall to 1-5 on the season.
"We had an opportunity to win the game at the end and I can't tell you how proud I am of our guys especially what they have had to deal with even this week," Bruins Head Coach Burton Uwarow said. "This was the seventeeth game for Great Lakes and just the sixth for us. They have a lot of veteran players on their team and we were able to hang with them. I am proud of the way we played tonight."
The Bruins came into the game less than 24-hours after battling to a tough loss to Campbellsville University-Harrodsburg on Friday night. The team looked to get back into the winning column as they welcomed Great Lakes Christian College, who entered the game having won three straight games. This would be the first-ever meeting between the two programs as the two teams took the court.
Senior captain Chapman Harwood knocked down a three-pointer for the Bruins to open the scoring as the two teams traded baskets and the lead in the early minutes of the game. The Bruins maintained a slim lead thanks to Devin Dean as the sophomore drove through the lane for points, scoring 14 for BJU in the opening half.
Near the midway point of the half, the Crusaders battled back to take a 22-17 lead thanks to a jumper by Jahmal Eggleston. Chapman Harwood came back with his second three of the half and the Bruins went on a short run to take a 27-24 lead. The teams again went back and forth before the Crusaders closed the half strong to lead 35-31 at the break.
In the second half, the Bruins struck first out of the gate as Eli Cupples hit a three to bring the Bruins within one 35-34. Still, the Crusaders kept the lead thanks to key baskets throughout the opening minutes of the second half.
With just over seven minutes remaining, the Crusaders went on a run to stretch their lead to 68-56. It looked as though the Crusaders would run away with the game, but the Bruins came roaring back as Daniel Fuller and Eli Cupples hit threes to cut into the lead.
Fuller tied the game with a three with just under a minute and a half to play as the score was notted up at 75-75. The Bruins then took the lead on the next possession as Devin Dean scored on a layup with 50 seconds left.
On the next possession for the Crusaders, TQ Belcher hit a clutch three from the corner to give GLCC a 78-77 lead. After failing to score on their next possession, the Bruins had to foul and gave the Crusaders an 80-77 lead after the made free throws. The Bruins had one last chance to tie the game and got a clean look from Devin Dean beyond the arc. Unfortunately, the last-second shot missed as the Crusaders held on for the win.
"We always talk about our internal scoreboard during the game," Coach Uwarow said. "There were things we weren't doing well and our guys responded and battled back. We had a chance to win the game at the end after falling behind in the second half and to just to have that chance is all you can ask for. We'll continue to work hard in practice and improve as we prepare for the next one."
Devin Dean's performance carried the Bruins offensively while Eli Cupples finished the game with 15 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists. The Bruins shot 47% from the field in the game but 20 turnovers proved costly for the team in the loss.
Next up, the Bruins will be home again on Friday as the team welcomes Carolina Christian College. Tip-off for the game is set for 7 p.m. in Greenville, South Carolina.
