Box Score

      The Bears took to the court on Wednesday night with their eyes set on climbing the standings in the NAIA Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) as they took on conference foe St. Andrews. The Bears were able to pull away early and build on their lead throughout the game in dominating fashion, primarily due to their smothering defense. While those in attendance were certainly impressed at the intensity of the Bears' defense, the magnitude of the performance was not realized until after the game and a quick check of the record book indicated that they had actually just put on their best defensive performance to date since becoming a member of the NAIA. The previous low that an opponent was held to was 41 points, set earlier this year on November 18^th when the Bears defeated Hiwassee by a score of 66-41.   

      The Bears defense held the Knights to just 19 points per half, while outscoring them with strong performances by juniors Andretti Lloyd and JR Hurst. Lloyd led all scorers in the game with 16 points and 4 rebounds in his 29 minutes of play. Hurst was the second leading scorer in the game with 11 points and 3 rebounds in his 25 minutes of playing time. 

      For the game, the Bears held the Knights to a meager 29.4% shooting average on just 15 for 51 shots from inside the perimeter. Equally impressive was their defensive prowess from beyond the three point arch, as they limited the Knights to just 6.7% on 1 for 15 in three point attempts. Coach Jon Yeh was impressed with his team's performance.  "We knew we had to box out all night long and control the boards, and we did just that.  On a night where we didn't shoot the ball particularly well, the +15 rebound advantage we earned was the difference," he stated. "We had a great team effort once again, with 10 players playing 10 minutes or more and no one playing more than 30 minutes. The depth of our squad is really becoming an advantage."  As a result of the Bears' staggering defense, they cruised to an impressive 57-38 victory, and with the win, climbed into a tie for second place in the overall standings in the AAC. 

      The Bears will look to build upon their 5-3 home record as they take on Reinhardt University in a pivotal conference matchup this Saturday, January 10^th in front of the home crowd. The game is scheduled to tip at 4:00 PM.