The Bob Jones University women's basketball team finished the regular season with a 76-59 victory over Johnson University (FL) from the Davis Field House for Senior Day. With today's win, the Bruins look to the post season with an 11-13 overall record and even at 4-4 in conference play.
"We definitely saw improvement today from the previous couple of games," said Head Coach Mike LeViere. "We had more patience with the ball and took good shots which shows in our percentages. After the first four or five minutes of the game, we settled down and found teammates who were open, moved the ball, and let our action create advantages which was much improved. Probably the biggest area of improvement today was our rebounding."
Before the start of today's game, the Bruins took the time to honor the seniors on the women's basketball team. Shea Dickinson-Sherf and team manager Sarah McLanahan were recognized for their hard work on and off the court while fifth year seniors Tamrah Konieczka, Bethany Daulton, and Bailey Green were also recognized as they played their final home game as a Bruin.
"It's hard not to get emotional when you think about our seniors," said LeViere. "It's always bittersweet. We're preparing them for the next step God has for them, but at the same time we get really close and we're a family so it's hard to see them go."
At tip-off, Shea Dickinson-Sherf got the scoring started, before JUFL went on a 10-0 run to take the lead halfway through the first quarter. The Bruins regrouped and then went on a scoring spree of their own to come back and take the 14-10 lead after the first 10 minutes of action.
The Suns cut the Bruins lead down to two points at the start of the second quarter before the Bruins came back to extend their lead once again. With four minutes left, Catherine Skebo hit the fourth three-pointer for the Bruins in the second quarter to see the home team up by 18 points. At the break, the Bruins were ahead 38-23.
Through the third quarter, the Bruins stayed hot as they outscored the Suns 16-8 to hold a 23 point lead after 30 minutes of play.
JUFL opened the final frame with five straight points before Julia Weigle knocked down a three-pointer for the Bruins. BJU powered through the final minutes of the game to come out on top 76-59.
Three players scored in double figures today with Tamrah Konieczka and Katrina Tabora leading the way at 16 points each followed closely by Bethany Daulton with 13 on the night. The Bruins shot 85.7% from the free throw line and were 41.8% from the field and 34.8% from beyond the arc.
Up next, the Bruins prepare for the NCCAA DII South Region tournament next week in Kissimmee, Florida with seeding and tournament information coming out soon.
As the team gets ready for regionals, Coach Leviere said he is looking to improve from today's game. "This was a good game, but we can play better. As long as we are playing better every single day, that's a really good thing, and we'll be looking for that next week."
