The Bruins rallied from a double-digit second half deficit as the team defeated Mississippi University - The W on Saturday 93-88 in overtime. With the win, the Bruins snapped a two-game losing skid and improve to 6-7 on the season.
"I am really proud of these guys and the way they played tonight," Bruins interim head coach Tony Miller said. "We said at halftime that they were going to need something pretty big to comeback in the second half but we told them it would need to be a team effort and that's what it proved to be tonight."
The Bruins came into the game on the heels of a tough loss earlier in the week to Warren Wilson College. The team was looking to bounce back as they returned to the Davis Field House on Saturday and welcomed Mississippi University - The W who came into the game having lost three straight.
From the opening tip, the Bruins came out strong as Henry Blair recorded back to back baskets to give the team an early lead. The Owls came right back thanks to the post play of Brye Hopkins as the junior scored 22 points in the first half for the team.
Near the midway point of th first half, Tostadas Pouncey hit a three to spark a 7-0 run and give the Bruins a 22-17 advantage. The Bruins looked to extend their lead before the half but the Owls continued to remain within striking distance as they worked the ball inside for high-percentage shots.
William Snipes hit back to back threes for the Bruins with just over three minutes to play as the team led 30-26. Unfortunately, those would be the last points of the half for the Bruins as the Owls went on a 14-0 run to close out the first half and take a 40-30 lead into the locker room.
In the second half, the Bruins came out looking to battle back in the game. Stephan Hugley gave the team a spark on the first possession with an and-one opportunity as the team was off and running. The Bruins began to chip away at the lead, but the Owls continued to maintain the upper hand thanks to good ball movement and layups in and around the basket.
The Bruins continued to battle and eventually came all the way back with Henry Blair hitting a three to give the team their first lead since the first half at 58-57. From there, both teams went back and forth trading points and the lead as the score continued to remain close.
With just over four minutes to play, Tostadas Pouncey scored on a layup to tie the game at 70-70. Kenney Garrick then hit two free throws before Pouncey again scored in the paint to increase the lead for the Bruins 74-70.
The Bruins hoped to close the game out but the Owls came back to tie the game thanks to a jumper in the paint from Thomas Wright as the score was tied 74-74. The Bruins got a great look in the final possession but Tostadas Pouncey's three point attempt just missed as the two teams headed to overtime.
Both teams came out in the overtime period with each looking to end their team's losing streak. The Bruins built an 80-75 lead thanks to points from the free throw line, but again the Owls came back with a jump shot to cut the lead to 80-77.
With just over a minute to play in overtime, Andrew Shepherd hit a three for the Owls to cut the lead to 84-83. From there, Kenney Garrick knocked down a clutch three for the Bruins and Henry Blair followed it up with a stead and a three point play as the Bruins pushed their lead to 90-83.
Although the Owls would attempt one last rally, the Bruins were able to make key free throws down the stretch as the team completed the comeback with a 93-88 overtime win.
"These guys bought in to what we worked on in practice this week and they responded well tonight," Coach Miller said. "We did a good job of eliminating mistakes and playing better on the defensive side of the ball. A lot of things went well tonight but we worked on a lot of things in practice this week and that helped us get the win."
Henry Blair turned in a dominant performance scoring 35 points while shooting 5-7 from three point range. Hayes Brush also had a strong game with a near triple-double 14 points, 9 assists and 9 rebounds in the win.
The Bruins shot an impressive 55% from three point range while forcing the Owls into 19 turnovers in the game. Next up, the Bruins continue their home stand on Tuesday as the team welcomes Johnson & Wales University to the Davis Field House. Tip-off for the game is set for 7:30 p.m.
