After suffering a tough loss Friday night, the Bruins men’s basketball team regrouped Saturday to beat the Hiwassee College Tigers team 81-67.

The Tigers held an early 9-5 lead, but pressure by junior guard Jason McVey limited the Tigers’ ability to take shots, leading to a run by the Bruins. Freshman guard Ray Holden Jr. pulled down a rebound, which resulted in a layup by sophomore Darnel Antoine. Holden added another point from a free-throw shot, and the Bruins pulled ahead 10-9.  A perfect 3-pointer by junior guard Zach Mercado and a layup on a steal by McVey kept up the Bruins shooting streak.

Interestingly, five different BJU players contributed to this run. Instead of relying on one or two players, the team pulled together in contributing points.

The first half wound down with junior guard Evan Brondyke coming off the bench to score eight points, giving the Bruins a 39-31 lead at halftime.

Hiwassee continued to struggle in the second half, with BJU shutting down offensive threats and messing up their passing game.  The Bruins led the entire half, as senior forward Josh Clater and Antoine scored key layups and free-throw shots to hold a firm lead, usually by eight or 12 points.

The final 81-67 score included double-digit figures for five Bruins players, showing tenacity even after a loss. A three-game road trip for the Bruins begins tonight against Warren Wilson College.