The Bob Jones University Bruins suffered a tough defeat to the Johnson and Wales Wildcats 95-68 Tuesday night to begin their series of three games this week.
The Wildcats quickly jumped out to a 7-2 lead, but the Bruins came roaring back to take the lead 15-14 with back-to-back 3-point shots from freshman guard Dustin Killough. A few minutes later, Wildcats senior guard DeQuincey Bennett made a basket from behind the arc to give the Wildcats a 21-20 lead. The Wildcats did not give up the lead again for the rest of the game. Bennett was one of three Johnson and Wales players who scored 20 or more points by the end of the game. The Bruins tried to battle back, but found themselves trailing at halftime, 42-33.
In the second half, the Bruins came out hoping to mount a comeback similar to the one the women’s team had accomplished earlier in the evening. The Bruins kept within striking distance for the first few minutes of the second half, but the Wildcats’ hot shooting could not be stopped. BJU brought the deficit within eight points at 59-51 on three 3-point plays by freshman guard Chae Dexter, who scored 15 points in the second half, but the Wildcats scored 13 straight points, expanding their lead 72-51.
The Wildcats went on to win the game 95-68 after a 28-4 run on the Bruins, dropping the Bruins’ record for this season to 4-15. Dexter led the Bruins’ scoring with 19 points and four assists. Junior forward Kyle Turner added 13 points and six rebounds to the books, and Killough contributed 10 points.
The Bruins’ weakness in this contest was their turnovers. The Wildcats took advantage of the Bruins and scored 35 points off 18 Bruins turnovers. Discussing the start of the game, Coach Neal Ring said, “We started throwing the ball away, just unforced turnovers. That just really threw us out of a rhythm, and next thing you know we’re chasing the clock.”
The Bruins have also struggled defensively much of the season, and this game was no exception. Dexter said after the game, “We have to play defense; it starts there.”
Coach Ring and the Bruins are optimistic about their home games Friday and Saturday. They will play Warren Wilson College at 8 p.m. Friday and Clearwater Christian College Saturday night at
7 p.m.
