Written by: Nathan Kernell, staff writer
Bryan Men’s and Women’s basketball both won their conference openers Thursday night, November 7th, as they hosted the Point University Skyhawks.
The women started things off first at 5:30 with both squads looking to improve their 1-1 records. Bryan was able to outlast Point thanks to a total team effort that involved five different Lions reaching double digits. Amber Levi (SR, Dayton, TN) led Lion scoring with 15, followed closely behind by Karli Combs (SO, Rutledge, TN) who dropped 12 on the night. Tristan McClellan (JR, Byrdstown, TN) and Sarah Cain (SO, Jacksboro, TN) both had impressive performances off the bench for the Lions. Each dropped 11 points, with Cain also tallying 7 rebounds. Deandra Luna (SO, Sparta, TN) led the team in assists with 7, while also recording 7 rebounds, 2 steals and 10 points of her own.
From the Skyhawks side, Destinee Webster (SO, Powder Springs, GA) had a career night, showing production in every statistical category. Webster led the team with 27 points and 3 steals, and also recorded 5 rebounds and 3 assists. Taylor Tucker (JR, Covington, GA) followed with 13 points on the night, as well as a team-high 11 rebounds.
As a team, Bryan shot 39.7% from inside the three-point arc, compared to Point’s effort of 35.2%. The Lions’ bench proved to be the difference maker in Thursday night’s matchup as 30 points were registered by non-starters, compared to just 13 points off the bench for the Skyhawks. With a final score of 75-63, the Lions improved to 2-1 (1-0) and the Skyhawks dropped below .500 to 1-2 (0-1).
Beginning at 7:30, the men looked to follow suit and get a conference win of their own. Both men’s squads were looking to start conference play off on a high note, but for the Skyhawks, fatigue may have played a role in Thursday’s contest. Point played the entire game with just one reserve off the bench. No Skyhawk player saw fewer than 26 minutes of play, and two players, Taboris Griggs (SR, Decatur, GA) and Jamon Moore (JR, Albany, GA), did not leave the court for the entire game. For comparison, of all players that saw time on the court for the Lions, just two players, EJ Bush (SO, Oak Ridge, TN) and Austin Douglas (JR, Ashland City, TN), saw more than 25 minutes of play.
Lion scoring was led by sophomore EJ Bush who totaled 21 points, along with 7 rebounds, 5 assists, a block and a steal. Keaton Dodson (JR, Gallatin, TN) had a productive night as well by going 6-11 from inside the three point arc and 2-6 from 3-point range, totaling 14 points for the game. Brandon Thomas (FR, Murfreesboro, TN) led Lions’ bench players with 13 points and 6 rebounds of his own.
Skyhawk scoring was led by guard Sae’Quahn Rogers (JR, Burlington, NC) who tallied 23 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 blocks. Taboris Griggs led the team in rebounds with 11, while also putting up 17 points and 5 assists.
Again what hurt the Skyhawks was points off the bench. With only one reserve player, points from non-starters were limited, and Bryan’s bench was able to outscore Point’s by 30. Bryan also had a stronger offensive presence, totaling 14 offensive rebounds, compared to Point having only 7. The Skyhawks did not shoot extremely poorly for the game; they outshot Bryan from 3-point range (Point: 29.2%/ Bryan: 21.7%) and from the the free-throw line (Point: 85.7%/ Bryan: 40%), but were not taking nearly as many shots. The Lions got off 20 more shots from inside the three point arc and were able to come away with a 91-79 victory.
The Bryan men’s team improved to 3-2 (1-0) overall, while Point dropped to 0-5 (0-1). The women were able to improve to 2-1 (1-0) while their counterparts dropped to 1-2 (0-1) on the year.
The next game for Bryan basketball is a Saturday conference matchup at St. Andrews University in Laurinburg, N.C. Tip off is at 12:00 pm for the women, followed by the men’s tip off at 2 pm.
Nathan Kernell is a sophomore majoring in Communications with a focus in Digital Media. He enjoys playing on the baseball team and also playing guitar. Nathan has always enjoyed writing so it only seemed fitting to pursue that path in college. You can contact Nathan at nkernell6869@bryan.edu.
