The Bob Jones University Bruins fell in a tough 63-60 game to Pensacola Christian College Saturday night from the Davis Field House in Greenville, South Carolina. The Bruins now sit at 9-9 on the season and 2-1 in conference play.
"If you take away the score and compare today's effort and execution to several other games we've played this year, it was a better game," said Head Coach Mike LeViere. "Overall I am proud of our effort and the execution of several things we were working on like rebounding, but there were times on the court that we looked stagnant on offense or made not the greatest decisions with the ball."
"It's disappointing to lose tonight, but it's exciting to see how well this team can play when they put things together," continued LeViere.
Bob Jones came into today's contest on the heels of a 73-66 win over Trinity Baptist College Friday night where Bethany Daulton contributed with 18 points in the win. Pensacola made the trip to Greenville, South Carolina 11-6 overall this season and undefeated in conference play.  Today's game marked the 25th meeting between the two schools as the Bruins sit at 10-14 against the Eagles.
As tonight's rivalry game got underway, the PCC Eagles got off to an early 6-0 lead until a three pointer from Anna Layne Wylder got the Bruins on the board. The Bruins then went on a seven point run to tie and then lead the Eagles 12-9 with just under three minutes remaining in the first quarter. Tamrah Konieczka closed out the quarter with a five point series to put the Bruins up 19-13.
After a slow start of the second quarter, the Bruins started to gain momentum after a three point shot from Ashley Phelan. The team and fans came alive as Bruins extended their lead. As the two teams went back to the locker room at halftime, the Bruins were ahead with a score of 35-23.
PCC opened the third quarter with five points as they looked to close the gap, but the Bruins responded with back to back three point shots from Tamrah Konieczka and Anna Layne Wylder. Both teams continued looking for scoring opportunities as the time on the scoreboard ticked down, and at the end of 30 minutes of play the Bruins still maintained their 49-41 advantage.Â
Early scoring chances for the Eagles in the final frame cut the Bruins lead down to just three points. With just 2:36 left on the clock, the Eagles evened the score. A pair of free throws saw the Bruins back with a slight one point lead with just over a minute remaining in the game. As PCC went on to make several more baskets, time ran out and the Eagles took the 63-60 win.
Tamrah Konieckza finished with a double double as she scored 15 points and led the team with 18 rebounds.Â
"We have a great opportunity the next few games against top teams in the NCCAA," said LeViere. "It is really going to stretch us as far as making us play better, and that is what we want. We want to play better."
The Bruins are back home on Tuesday as they welcome Toccoa Falls College to the Davis Field House for another South Region matchup. Tip-off for Tuesday's game is scheduled for 7 p.m.
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