The Bruins picked up another region win on Saturday night as the team rolled past Southeastern Baptist College 89-69 in the Davis Field House. With the win, the Bruins improve to 7-9 on the season and 3-1 in region play.
"I'm proud of our guys for putting together two good wins in two days," Bruins Head Coach Burton Uwarow said. "We started off the game by playing strong defensively which really set the tone for us tonight."
The Bruins came into the matchup on Saturday on the heels of a 81-77 victory over Johnson University (FL) on Friday night. The Bruins were able to make key shots down the stretch in that game to come away with the win.
Southeastern entered Saturday's game on the heels of a region victory as the team upset nationally ranked Toccoa Falls College 83-75. Last season, the Bruins and Chargers met in the NCCAA DII South Regional Tournament where the Chargers upset the Bruins to end their season. The Bruins hoped to avenge that loss as the two teams took the court.
From the opening tip, the Bruins came out strong as Henry Blair hit a three to help the team jump out to a 10-2 lead. The Bruins played well defensively which forced the Chargers into turnovers and led to points in transition.
The Bruins continued to extend their lead behind the shooting of Henry Blair and Eli Cupples as Blair hit four threes in the first half alone. With under three minutes to play in the half, Mark Dickerson scored in the paint to give the team a 40-23 lead. From there, the Bruins closed out the half strong as the team led 46-26 at the break.
As the second half began, the Bruins picked up where they left off as Hayes Brush hit a three to help the Bruins extend their lead. The Chargers tried to answer back, but each basket was answered back by the Bruins as they continued to maintain a large lead.
After back to back threes by Eli Cupples, the Bruins went on to lead 76-46 with just over eight minutes to play in the game. The Chargers tried to battle their way back into the game and when on a late run to cut the lead back to fifteen points. The Bruins wouldn't be denied as they closed the game strong to win 89-69.
"Our defense and communication were strong tonight which fed into our offense," Bruins forward Henry Blair said after finishing with a game-high 29 points in the win. Blair finished with six three pointers while shooting 60% from three-point range.
Eli Cupples was the second leading scorer for the Bruins as he finished with 26 points and 3 assists in the win. Stephan Hugley and Hayes Brush had a strong game on the boards as each posted double-digit rebounds for the second straight game.
Next up, the Bruins will continue their home stand as they welcome rival Pensacola Christian College on Friday night.
