The quest for a region championship comes to an end as the Bob Jones University women's basketball team falls in a hard fought 69-64 loss to Toccoa Falls College in Friday's semifinal match of the NCCAA DII South Region Tournament.
"The game tonight was a good, fun, competitive game between two teams that played well," said Head Coach Mike LeViere. "I told the team that someone once said, 'most games are lost, not won.' And I believe that is accurate, but this game was won by Toccoa. The encouraging thing for our team is that we didn't beat ourselves, which we have had happen before and had to overcome. We played well, just not quite well enough to win. But we didn't lose the game, they won it and that is a big difference that allows us to walk away with head held high."
The Bruins entered this weekend's tournament hosted at the Davis Field House as the #3 seed. On the opposite side of the court, the Screaming Eagles earned the #2 spot.
After Toccoa Falls opened the contest with a layup, Anna Layne Wylder and Jenna Brooks responded with back-to-back three-pointers to put Bob Jones ahead 6-2. As both teams worked quickly in the first quarter, the Screaming Eagles slowly began taking back the lead. At the end of the opening 10 minutes, the Screaming Eagles held the five point advantage over the Bruins 23-18.
Faith Hayward got the scoring started in the second quarter with an early layup. The Bruins and Screaming Eagles continued to keep it close throughout the frame and with 3:23 remaining, it was Hayward again with another layup to pull the Bruins to just a one point deficit. Toccoa Falls scored 13 straight to close out the first half and extend their lead once again.
Keely Price broke down Toccoa Falls' double digit lead with her opening bucket in the third quarter. The Screaming Eagles then built a 15 point lead over the Bruins until Bob Jones worked to chip away at the lead. The Bruins outscored Toccoa Falls 17-13 in the third frame but still trailed 55-48 after 30 minutes on the court.
Bob Jones got off to a good start in the fourth quarter with made free throws by Hayward and a jumper by Wylder to make it a three point contest. The Bruins continued to hustle throughout the final quarter and narrowly outscored their region opponent 16-14 but in the end it wasn't enough as Toccoa Falls College took the 69-65 win at the final buzzer.
Wylder led the Bruins with 23 points on the night. Price concluded her freshman campaign with another double double of 14 points and 12 rebounds.
"At this time of year there are a lot of coaches and teams who are relieved when the season is over. It is a long season and the team has spent a lot of time together and they are just ready for it to be done. That isn't us," said Head Coach Mike LeViere. "This team has been a great team in every sense of the word. They have overcome so many injuries, some season ending, some weeks long in rehab, and still found a way to compete in every game they played."
He continued saying, "I have had years of better wins/losses that were not nearly as enjoyable and productive as this year has been. This group of young ladies has shown immense improvement from beginning to end and they have worked hard to do what the coaches asked of them. When I look back at the tentative young group that showed up on the first day of practice and compare them to the hardworking team that we have ended the year with, I have nothing but pride for their hard work and accomplishments."
"The entire team can be encapsulated in any one of several individual journeys that have taken place throughout the season. The entire team keeps coming together to encourage each other and fill the role that is asked of them. I'm proud of each of them and it is super hard to see our season come to an end. They have set a culture that is going to pay dividends for us in the future. We also know that with our youth, this season has only made us better for the future. And we are so looking forward to the future!"
The Bruins wrap up their 2024-25 season with a 9-17 season record.
