The BJU Bruins men’s and women’s basketball teams are a third of the way through their regular seasons.
The Bruins men’s basketball team is currently 2-7 overall this season and 1-1 in NCCAA play.
“Our record is indicative of our tough schedule,” Bruins men’s basketball head coach Neal Ring said.
“We’ve played some quality teams and have not been able to put together 40 minutes of consistent basketball.”
The Bruins have played three NCAA teams this season including a game against North Georgia and a game against Furman which was played at Bon Secours Wellness Arena with an attendance of over 1,100 people.
The Furman game was played at The Well as a trial for when the arena hosts the NCAA March Madness Tournament this March.
“The men are staying positive and embracing the adversity of injuries and tough opponents,” Ring said.
“They are buying into our message that nothing great ever happens without the presence of adversity.”
Ring also said their practices are becoming more focused on the areas they need to improve on.
“Our two Achilles heals are second chance points and points off turnovers,” Ring said. “We have to become a better defensive rebounding team and take better care of the basketball on offense.”
The Bruins’ next NCCAA game will be an away game against Trinity College in Tampa, Florida.
The Lady Bruins basketball team cuurently stands at 4-5 this season and has yet to play a game against an
NCCAA opponent.
The Lady Bruins started their season with a loss to Point University and then followed that loss by winning two back-to-back games against Johnson University (Tennessee) and Washington Adventist University.
Lady Bruins head coach Mike LeViere said he is pleased with the competitive level at which the women’s team is playing.
“We play a very tough schedule this first semester as we face off against NCAA Division I and II teams as well as multiple NAIA teams,” LeViere said.
Coach LeViere said some of the positives that he has seen early on in the season is their hard work and how competitive they continue to be.
“Our rebounding has picked up and that has been a significant concern coming into the season,” LeViere said.
Coach LeViere also said the team’s defense is another positive so far this season.
“We have played some great defensive basketball that has kept us in games,” LeViere said.
The Lady Bruins will face their next NCCAA test on Dec. 9 when they take on Trinity Baptist College in Jacksonville, Florida.
The Lady Bruins stand at fourth overall in the country in the first NCCAA national rankings of the season.
“That shows we have accomplished something, but there is definitely room to improve. And ultimately, those rankings don’t mean a ton; we have to play the games and perform on the court,” LeViere said.