The Bruins women's basketball team opened the regular season with a loss on Saturday afternoon as the team fell to Covenant College 70-51 in Lookout Mountain, Georgia. Delaney Edwards led the Bruins with 11 points and 7 rebounds while freshman Brittany Williams scored 10 points and snagged 5 boards.
"We were a little rusty coming out of the gate and had some silly mistakes," Bruins Head Coach Mike LeViere said. "Add to that we didn't shoot well in the game, but the biggest thing is the rebounding margin. We got it handed to us on the glass. When you give a team almost 20 more shots, you aren't going to win many games."
The Bruins came into the game after COVID shortened their first semester of play with several cancelations. The team had played a lone preseason exhibition in a loss to Montreat College. Covenant College entered Saturday's game in search of their first win of the season at 0-7 overall including three-straight losses to open the second semester of play.
From the opening tip, the Scots came out strong as Ruthie Moore hit a three to spark an 8-2 start for Covenant College. The Bruins chipped away at the lead thanks to back to back buckets from Delaney Edwards. Still, the Scots maintained the upper hand as they led 18-14 at the end of the first quarter.
The Scots came charging out again in the second quarter as a quick 6-0 run increased the lead to 24-14. The Bruins came right back as a basket from Shea Dickinson and a layup from Brittany Williams cut the lead to 24-18. The Bruins were able to inch closer as they eventually trailed 26-23 with just over five minutes to play in the half but a 12-0 run by the Scots helped Covenant close the half strong as they led 41-27 at the break.
As the second half began, the Bruins came out looking to get back into the game. The team was able to create opportunities driving to the basket which led to chances at the free throw line. Unfortunately, the Scots continued to match the pace of the Bruins as they answered point for point to keep a double-digit lead.
With just over two minutes to play in the quarter, Brittany Williams and Charsie Johnson recorded back to back layups but the Bruins couldn't seem to close the gap as they trailed 56-39 at the end of the third.
The Bruins came out for the final frame knowing they had a big hole to dig out of. The team again found ways to create opportunities in the paint, but struggled to score and them make stops defensively. The Bruins also struggled from three-point range as the team shot just 7% from three in the contest. The Scots continued to extend their lead as the final buzzer ended with the score 70-51 handing the Bruins their first loss of the season.
"We're very thankful to be playing and the team has worked so hard to get to this point," Coach LeViere said. "We have some things to work on that are very obvious that we can fix and we'll get back to work on those things as we get ready for our next game."
The Bruins shot just 30% from the field in the game while committing 18 turnovers in their season opener. The team was able to score 28 points in the paint, but in the end it wasn't enough to overcome the Scots as Covenant outrebounded the Bruins 54-33.
Next up, the Bruins will return home for their home opener on Monday night as they welcome Carolina Christian College to the Davis Field House. Tip-off for the game is set for 5 p.m.
