The Bruins are headed back to the region championship game as a late three from freshman Trevor Brunson helped the team defeat #2 seeded Trinity Baptist College 55-53 on Friday night in the semifinal. It was an absolute battle as the Bruins came away with the victory defeating the Eagles on their home floor in Jacksonville, Florida.
"We knew this was going to be a tough and physical game but we had great chemistry tonight," Bruins Head Coach Burton Uwarow said. "Now we have the opportunity to compete for a region championship."
The Bruins came into the game on the heels of defeating #6 Southeastern Baptist University in the quarterfinals. Trinity Baptist had earned the #2 seed for the tournament and awaited the Bruins in the semifinal. The two teams met twice this season with each team winning on their home floor to split the season series.
In their history, the Bruins were just 2-2 in Jacksonville and knew they would be in for a tough test in front of the hometown crowd. A trip to the region championship was on the line as the two teams took the court.
From the opening tip, both teams exchanged baskets before a three by Sam Battle sparked a run as the Eagles jumped out to a 12-4 lead. Daniel Fuller knocked down a three for the Bruins to stop the bleeding, but the Eagles continued to find open shots and extend their lead.
After a timeout, the Bruins began to find their rhythm offensively as threes from Joe Powell and Mark Dickerson helped the Bruins trail 22-17. With six minutes to play, Hayes Brush scored on a basket in the paint to tie the game at 26-26.
The Eagles were able to build a slim lead and had momentum after Michael West hit a three with 26 seconds left in the first half. Eli Cupples would answer right back as he tipped in a missed shot as time expired as the Bruins trailed 34-32 at halftime.
In the second half, the Bruins scored back to back baskets out of the gate but again the Eagles came back with big shots of their own as a three gave the team a 41-38 lead.
Over the next few minutes, the Bruins and Eagles exchanged baskets and the lead as the score continued to remain close. Eli Cupples hit another three and Hayes Brush followed with a three-point play to make it 49-45. Again the Eagles fought back as a layup from Zachary Kiadii helped Trinity lead 50-49 with just over three minutes to go.
The fans were on their feet as they knew each possession became that much more important as the seconds ticked away. Kiadii scored again in the paint for the Eagles to make it 53-52 with just over a minute to go. The Bruins missed on their next possession but a defensive stand gave the team one more chance with just seconds to play.
On the inbounds, the Bruins worked the ball around before freshman Trevor Brunson hit a contested three with six seconds to go. The Eagles tried to answer back but their last-second shot fell short as the Bruins stormed the court in celebration winning the game 55-53.
"Trevor played big for us tonight," Coach Uwarow said. "We have guys who are hurt and battling through it. I am proud of this team and how they played tonight."
Despite a tough night shooting just 36% from the floor and 29% from three, the Bruins battled it out to advance to the region championship. Hayes Brush had a dominant performance on the night as he led the team with 12 points and 14 rebounds in the win.
Next up, the Bruins will compete against #4 Johnson University (FL) who upset #1 seeded Toccoa Falls College in the semifinal. Tip-off for the region championship is set for 4 p.m. in Jacksonville, Florida.
