Five players scored in double figures for the Bruins on Saturday night, but it wasn't enough as the team fell to Johnson University (TN) 92-82 in Greenville, South Carolina. With the loss, the Bruins wrap up the regular season at 4-8 overall as the team prepares for the NCCAA DII South Regional tournament next week.
"We played our best game of the year tonight," Bruins Head Coach Burton Uwarow said. "We seem to be peaking at the right time and I was really happy with how several guys contributed tonight."
The Bruins came into the game having won three of their last five games. The Bruins and Royals met on February 6 in Knoxville, Tennessee, with Johnson (TN) running away in the second half in a 100-77 win. The Bruins knew they would be in for a tough test as they welcomed the Royals who are ranked #2 in the nation in the latest NCCAA rankings.
From the opening tip, the Bruins came out strong as Quincey Sibley had back to back baskets and Chapman Harwood hit a three to help the team jump out to a 7-2 lead. The Bruins were able to maintain the upper hand in the early stages thanks to crisp passing and great ball movement which opened up lanes to score.
Near the midway point of the half, the Royals battled back behind 16 first-half points from Coby Jones as they regained the lead. Jones knocked down back to back threes which sparked a 16-3 run for the Royals as the team closed out the first half leading BJU 54-41.
Hayes Brush gave the Bruins a spark to begin the second half as the sophomore threw down a dunk but the Royals answered back with a three to keep the lead. As the game wore on, the Bruins continued to chip away at the leads thanks to the outside shooting of Eli Cupples and points in the paint from Devin Dean. The team was also sparked by Stephan Hugley off the bench as he finished with 10 points and 9 rebounds in the game.
With just under seven minutes to play, Cupples hit another three for the Bruins to cut the lead to 78-73. The Bruins looks to complete the comeback but the Royals came right back with back to back baskets in the paint to extend their lead. The Royals then went on to make key free throws down the stretch as they held off the Bruins 92-82.
Devin Dean led the Bruins with 19 points and 11 rebounds in the game while Hayes Brush finished with 12 pointws and 10 rebounds. Eli Cupples had 15 points and Quincey Sibley had 14 as the Bruins wrap up the regular season of play.
Next up, the team will await final seeding for the South Region tournament which will be announced near the beginning of next week.
