The Bruins suffered a tough loss at home on Tuesday night as the team fell to Piedmont University 71-50 in the Davis Field House. Offensive struggles plagued the Bruins as the team shot just 32% from the floor and 15% from three point range, moving their record to 2-5 on the season.
"There are things we should have been better at tonight," Bruins Head Men's Basketball Coach Burton Uwarow said. "Often times one game of the year you have a 'stinker' but the quicker we look in the mirror and fix it the better we will be. Piedmont is a veteran team and a good team and they played well tonight."
The Bruins came into the game having won two of their last three games including an 81-72 win over Warren Wilson College on Saturday. The team knew they would be in for a tough test on Tuesday as they welcomed the 3-1 Piedmont Lions.
Earlier this season, the Bruins and Lions met in Demorest, Georgia, with the Lions pulling away late to win 83-70 in the season opener. The Bruins were hoping to avenge the earlier season loss as both teams took the court.
From the opening tip, the Lions came out strong as Orry Clements-Owens knocked down a three to help the team jump out to an 11-4 lead. The Bruins battled back as Eli Cupples and Henry Blair each hit a three to cut the lead to 16-12.
With just over seven minutes left in the first half, Eli Cupples hit another three as the Bruins tied the score at 20-20. Unfortunately, the Lions bit back as they went on a 7-0 run and regained momentum. Still, the Bruins were able to stay within striking distance as the first half came to a close with Piedmont leading 37-27.
In the second half, Orry Clements-Owens again hit a three to help the Lions storm out of the gate and extend their lead. The Bruins tried to answer back, but the offense went cold as shots continued to miss. Piedmont took advantage as they pushed the tempo in transition to extend their lead.
Justin Quick led the Lions with 20 points while Jordan Foote had a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds. The Bruins couldn't seem to find any sort of rhythm offensively as the Lions cruised to a 71-50 victory.
"One thing we say in our program is 'next play,'" Coach Uwarow said. "We need to learn from this and move on. We were exposed in some areas tonight that we know we need to work on. Now we have the opportunity to get back to work in practice to look to improve before we hit the road Friday."
Devin Dean had 12 points for the Bruins while Eli Cupples had 11 points and 6 rebounds. The Bruins had a season-low seven turnovers, but the shooting struggles didn't allow the team to keep pace in the loss.
Next up, the Bruins will be on the road on Friday night as the team faces Campbellsville-Harrodsburg in Harrodsburg, Kentucky.
