Devin Dean scored a career high 32 points as the Bruins bounced back with an 81-72 win over Warren Wilson College on Saturday night in the Davis Field House. The team was able to hold off a late rally by the Owls as they improve to 2-4 on the season.
"We played well as a team tonight," Dean said. "We kept finding the open man and making the shots and having fun together. It was a good win for us."
The Bruins came into the game on the heels of a loss on Friday night to Presbyterian College (NCAA DI). The Bruins struggled offensively with just two players reaching double-figures in scoring in the loss. The team was hoping to bounce back as they welcomed Warren Wilson College who came into the game at 0-4 on the season.
From the opening tip, the Bruins jumped out to an early lead as Devin Dean and Henry Blair knocked down threes to help the team lead 11-4 early on. The Bruins were able to get into their rhythm offensively as they worked the ball around to an open shooter for high-percentage shots.
Near the midway point of the half, the Bruins extended their lead 25-14 after a layup from Hayes Brush. The Owls responded with a run as they battled back to trail BJU 29-28 with just minutes to go in the half. Devin Dean again provided the big shots for the Bruins as he hit back to back shots to spark an 11-0 run as the Bruins closed the half strong to lead 46-32.
In the second half, the Bruins again had a strong start as Devin Dean scored seven-straight points for the Bruins to help the team maintain their double-digit lead. The Bruins led by as many as 18 points as they looked to put the game away.
Instead, the Owls began to slowly chip away at the lead as they used second-chance opportunities to inch closer and closer. With just over six minutes remaining, a layup by Kris Carroll brought the deficit back to single digits with the Bruins leading 66-57. From there, the Owls continued to ride momentum as they narrowed the deficit to 75-70 with just under a minute to go.
The Bruins were able to remain poised as Daniel Fuller, Eli Cupples and Henry Blair made key free throws down the stretch to help the Bruins win 81-72.
"We did some things well tonight, but we didn't do a good job in rebounding the second half which allowed them to come back," Bruins Head Basketball Coach Burton Uwarow said. "In our next game against Piedmont, we have a chance to show some pride and improve in some of these areas we've been working on."
Three Bruins scored in double-figures on the night with Devin Dean recording a near double-double with 32 points and 8 rebounds to go along with 3 blocks and 3 assists in the game. Dean also shot 75% from three point range and finished the night 14-16 from the field (88%). Eli Cupples finished the night with 19 points and 7 assists while Henry Blair scored 13 points to go along with 6 rebounds.
Next up, the Bruins will be back home again on Tuesday night as they welcome Piedmont University to Greenville with the tip-off scheduled for 7 p.m.
