On Friday a men’s competitive basketball game took place at the BYU-Idaho Center between the Bruins and the Vikings. The Bruins won, 87-83.
The game tipped off and the Vikings scored the first points of the game, due to a layup from center, Xander Hutchins. Both teams played aggressive defense from the start. The first quarter ended with a 3-pointer from Bruin Guard Jayden Reinhart putting his team up 16-14.
In the second quarter, the two teams started to trade baskets, with neither team finding much success on the defensive end of the court. The Vikings powered forward.
Michael Jolley scored six points in the quarter, including a layup through contact which resulted in a free throw that he converted. The Bruins made three consecutive threes including one to end the half. The second quarter ended with the Bruins up 34-33 going into halftime.
At the start of the third quarter, the Vikings began to build a lead. Viking Kobe Garrick had the first eight points of the quarter for his team, 41-36.
With three minutes left in the quarter, the Bruins managed to bring it back to a one-point game. Following a timeout, the Bruins scored seven straight points, taking the lead for the first time in the third, ending it 59-52.
“Man, we just were on our game for those last few minutes, we got a bunch of tough shots, and we played great defense,” said Samuel Christensen, a Bruins player. “Coach told us to keep this pace up and to not give away any silly fouls and we would be fine.”
In the fourth quarter, the Bruins took control and lead for the rest of the game. Even with Garrick getting 10 points in the fourth quarter, the Vikings weren’t able to take back the lead. The Bruins’ sharp shooting kept the lead, including Alexander Hill hitting his fourth and fifth 3-point shot that evening. The game ended with a three from Garrick, but the Bruins won, 87-83.
“Really proud of the guys, we stayed focused and did what we needed to do to get the win, they put up a good fight, but we knew we could do it if we stayed together as a team,” said Bruins player Landon Taylor
For more information on upcoming games and rankings check out the BYU-I Campus Rec website