The Lady Bruins relied on the one-two punch of Delaney Edwards and Tamrah Konieczka as the pair scored 23 points each to lead the team to a 77-69 win over Carolina Christian College on Friday night in the Davis Field House. The win marks the first for the Bruins and improves the team to 1-6 on the season.
"We finally did what we knew we could do and shot the ball well," Bruins Head Coach Mike LeViere said. "We worked really hard and I was really pleased with our defense. We were able to get to the free throw line and did a much better job with our shot selection. When we controlled the ball and got our shots off we did really well."
The Bruins came into the game on the heels of back to back tough losses to Toccoa Falls College and Carolina University. The Bruins looked to get back on track as they welcomed the Centurions. The two teams last played on January 11 with Carolina Christian pulling away late in a 57-42 win.
From the opening tip, the Bruins came out strong as Tamrah Konieczka recorded back to back baskets to help the Bruins jump out to a 10-4 lead. The Bruins were able to use great defense to force the Centurions into turnovers which led to high percentage shots on the offensive end. Still, Carolina Christian kept the score close and used a late run in the quarter to lead 15-14 after one.
In the second quarter, the Bruins again charged out of the gate with a 7-0 run thanks to two layups from Delaney Edwards and a three by Tamrah Konieczka. The Centurions came back with a run of their own as they were able to knock down shots from beyond the arc to battle back and take a 29-23 lead.
With time winding down in the half, it looked like Carolina Christian would pull away but Jessiann Wiedmann sparked the Bruins with a three as the team came back to trail 34-33. On the last possession of the half, Delaney Edwards scored as time expired to give the Bruins a 35-34 lead at halftime.
As the second half began, the Bruins came out looking to extend their lead. Again, the team was able to generate steals defensively and used great ball movement to find open shooters for points. The team also did a great job of driving into the paint, earning them trips to the free throw line where they 83% as a team in the game. Gracen Ledford knocked down a three with just seconds remaining as the Bruins led 55-47 at the end of the third.
Delaney Edwards started off the scoring for the Bruins to begin the fourth quarter before Jessiann Wiedmann hit another three to push the lead to 60-49. The Centurions tried to claw their way back into the game and with just under three minutes to go, Imari Hightower scored to cut the Bruins' lead to 68-67.
On the next possession, Tamrah Konieczka hit her fourth three of the game to put the Bruins up 71-67. The Bruins then were able to make key free throws down the stretch as the team held on for a 77-69 win.
"It was great to see confidence in our team tonight," Coach LeViere said. "Defensively, we saw what we can do which will help us as we move forward. This is a good stepping stone for us today."
Four players scored in double-figures for the Bruins with Edwards and Konieczka combining for 46 points and 17 rebounds in the game. Gracen Ledford and Jessiann Wiedmann each had 12 points in the game as the Bruins shot 40% from three point range and 46% from the field in the game.
Next up, the Bruins will be back in action on Saturday for a South Region matchup as the team battled Trinity Baptist College.
