Five players scored in double figures as the Bruins basketball team turned in a dominant performance on Saturday afternoon to defeat Calvary University 93-67 in the Davis Field House. With the win, the Bruins improve to 4-6 and head into Christmas break on the heels of back to back wins.
"Calvary is a good team and won their region championship for a reason last year," Bruins Head Men's Basketball Coach Burton Uwarow said. "They made it really tough on us but I am proud of our guys and the way they stepped up on both ends. We had several guys who had to step up for us and they did that to help us get the win and finish out our semester."
The Bruins came into the game on the heels of a strong win on Friday night in which the team defeated Oglethorpe University. The Bruins played a great game defensively which fed into their offense. Unfortunately, the victory would come with sacrifice as the team's leading scorer Devin Dean was injured, causing him to miss Saturday's game.
Calvary University came into Saturday's game on the heels of a tough loss to Montreat College on Friday night. This would be the first-ever meeting between the Warriors and Bruins as both teams took the court looking to finish the semester with a win.
The Bruins came out strong from the opening tip as Eli Cupples knocked down a three to spark a 12-3 run. The Bruins were able to move the ball efficiently on offense as good passing led to high percentage layups.
Later on in the half, the Warriors began to battle their way back into the game as Jonah Murr was able to score points in the paint while Jamal Smith finished the first half with 13 points. Still, the Bruins were able to hold off the Warrior rally as they led 38-33 at halftime.
In the second half, the Bruins came out strong as Stephan Hugley scored before Eli Cupples and Henry Blair each hit a three pointer to push the lead to 46-33. The Bruins had grabbed momentum and it showed as the team stood strong defensively and forced the Warriors into tough shots and turnovers.
Near the midway point of the half, Joe Powell hit a three to give the Bruins a 60-37 advantage. From there, the Warriors tried to claw their way back into the game but the Bruins were able to answer each basket with one of their own. As a result, the Bruins cruised to a 93-67 victory in front of their hometown fans.
"We again did really well defensively in this game," Coach Uwarow said. "When you put that defensive effort in, you tend to see that rewarded on the offensive end. We tend to get easier baskets and better shot selection when you work hard on defense. We come back in second semester with some tough games so our hope is that the guys enjoy this break and rest and be ready to come back for second semester."
Henry Blair led the Bruins with 26 points on the night to go along with 5 steals and 6 rebounds in the game. Stephan Hugley had a strong game for the team as well as the junior forward went a perfect 7-7 from the field to finish with 17 points and 5 assists. Eli Cupples, Hayes Brush and Mark Dickerson rounded out the double-digit scorers for the Bruins as the team finished shooting nearly 50% from the field and 90% from the free throw line.
With the win, the Bruins wrap up the first semester of play as players and staff will be off for Christmas break. The Bruins will begin the second semester with four games on the road beginning on January 4 with a matchup against Webber International University in Babson Park, Florida.
