DAYTON, Tenn. – The Bryan College Lions used a balanced offensive attack and sharp shooting to cruise past visiting Bluefield 87-76 on Saturday evening at Summers Gymnasium.
Bryan established control early, building a commanding 45-30 halftime advantage before holding off a second-half rally from the Rams to secure the 11-point victory.
The Lions were clinical from the floor all night, shooting 52.7% overall and an impressive 45.0% from three-point range. Bryan's accuracy at the free-throw line proved equally crucial, as they converted 20-of-22 attempts (90.9%).
Freshman guard
Ty Gibbs paced Bryan with a game-high 19 points on efficient 6-of-9 shooting, including 3-of-5 from beyond the arc. He also contributed eight rebounds and three assists in 28 minutes of action.
Kole Torres added 18 points while dishing out a team-high five assists. The floor general went 4-for-10 from the field and a perfect 7-for-7 at the charity stripe, showcasing his ability to get to the rim and draw fouls.
Jerry Taylor Jr. recorded a solid all-around performance with 17 points, six rebounds, and two assists.
Izaiha Bredwood chipped in 12 points on 4-of-5 shooting in the first half before being held scoreless after the break, though he finished with four assists.
Haydn Moten rounded out Bryan's double-figure scorers with 14 points.
Bryan's starting five accounted for 80 of the team's 87 points, demonstrating the depth and reliability of their core unit. The Lions' 20 assists on 29 field goals illustrated their unselfish play and ball movement.
The visiting Rams fought back valiantly in the second half, outscoring Bryan 46-42 after intermission. Bluefield improved their shooting dramatically after halftime, hitting 51.4% from the floor compared to just 39.4% in the opening period. Despite the improved second-half offense, Bluefield's 21.1% three-point shooting (4-of-19) and 57.1% free-throw percentage proved too difficult to overcome.
Bryan dominated inside despite being outscored 48-36 in points in the paint, making up the difference with superior perimeter shooting and free-throw accuracy. The Lions also limited their turnovers to 15 compared to Bluefield's 13, while converting those mistakes into 17 points.
Bluefield did manage to outscore Bryan 18-8 in fast-break points and held a 18-7 advantage in bench scoring, but it wasn't enough to overcome the Lions' first-half surge. The victory continues Bryan's strong play at home this season, with the Lions feeding off the energy at Summers Gymnasium to build and protect their double-digit lead.
They will host Tennessee Wesleyan on Wednesday in a mid week conference showdown.
