The Bruins basketball team finished the 2021-22 season on a high note as the team battled to a 119-118 double overtime victory over #8 Emmaus Bible College in the 5th place game of the NCCAA DII National Tournament in Joplin, Missouri. The win gives the Bruins their 4th winning season in program history as the team finishes at 16-12 on the season.
"It's the last game of the year for us so we wanted to finish strong," Bruins Head Men's Basketball Coach Burton Uwarow said. "This is our second best finish in program history and to finish in the top five in the country is something special. I am really proud of this team and we want to grow from this as we look to next season and come back even better."
The Bruins came into the game on the heels of a 99-71 win over #7 Ozark Christian in their first consolation game of the tournament after falling short to #3 Manhattan Christian in the quarterfinals. The Emmaus Eagles came into the game following a win over #5 Arlington Baptist on Friday. It was the final game for both teams as each looked to finish their season with a win.
From the opening tip, the Bruins came out strong as Hayes Brush and Henry Blair scored to spark the team to a 10-5 lead. The Eagles battled back but the Bruins were able to maintain the upper hand thanks to threes from Eli Cupples and Mark Dickerson.
Near the midway point of the first half, the Bruins had built a double-digit lead as they looked to close out the first half strong. In the late stages of the half, the Eagles came back as Nashon Harper hit a three and Tyrus Buckner scored back to back points in the paint to trim the deficit to just 40-36. The two teams traded baskets down the stretch as the Bruins went into the break holding a slim 52-45 lead.
The Eagles came out strong in the beginning of the second half as a quick 6-0 run closed the gap to 52-51. The Bruins came back with back to back buckets as Eli Cupples and Stephan Hugley helped extend the lead. Still, the Eagles refused to back down as the score continued to remain close throughout the second half.
With just over 11 minutes to play, Nashon Harper tipped in a basket which sparked an 11-0 run as Emmaus stormed ahead to lead 76-66. The Bruins were back on their heels but slowly chipped away at the lead.
In the waning moments of the half, Henry Blair scored on the fast break to cut the lead to 84-83 with just minutes to play. The two teams traded key baskets down the stretch before free throws gave the Eagles a 93-91 lead. Henry Blair would be the answer for the Bruins as he scored a tough shot in the paint with just seconds to go to send the game into overtime tied 93-93.
As overtime began, the Bruins hit back to back shots to take a 97-93 lead. The Eagles again came right back as they tied the game at 97-97 off a basket from Nashon Harper. Again, the two teams made key shots down the stretch but again the two teams found themselves tied at the end of overtime 109-109.
In the second overtime, the Eagles came out strong as they went on a 7-0 run to take a 116-109 lead. It looked as though the Bruins weren't going to be able to battle back but Eli Cupples hit a three with just over two minutes to play as the Bruins trailed 116-115. The Eagles answered back with a basket before Daniel Fuller scored in the paint to make it 118-117.
After a strong defensive stop, the Bruins had one more opportunity to take the lead. Eli Cupples drove through the paint and was fouled on the play. He calmly sunk both free throws to give the team a 119-118 lead. From there, the Bruins relied on their defense to finish the game as the team made a stop to hold off the Eagles and win in double overtime 119-118.
"We thank God for what He brought us through this season and the goals we were able to accomplish," Coach Uwarow said. "This is a special group of guys and we're thankful for our seniors Daniel and Caleb who have led us so well. We're excited about the recruiting class coming in next year and the guys we have coming back."
Henry Blair turned in a dominant performance for the Bruins as the junior finished with 36 points in the game. Eli Cupples also had a strong game with 28 points, 8 assists and 4 rebounds in the win.
The Bruins wrap up the 2021-22 season with their second-best finish in program history. The team battled through the ups and downs of the season to capture their third NCCAA DII South Region Championship before competing well on the national stage.
With a core group of returners coming back next season, the Bruins will look to once again contend for their first national championship in program history.
