Box Score
GRAYSON, KY - An old coaches' adage claims that defense wins championships.
Although Thursday's slug-fest against Manhattan Christian College wasn't exactly the title bout, PBU's assertiveness on the defensive side of things put the group one step closer to confirming the often-cited proverb.
The Crimson Eagles pulled out a 56-49 victory Thursday afternoon in the opening round of the NCCAA National Tournament, meaning the group is back-to-back wins away from collecting their first ever NCCAA II National Championship trophy.
But to think the Crimson Eagles cruised in their first-round chase for the hardware is far from the truth.
Instead, PBU came up with a gritty, gut-check type defensive performance when it counted, hampering the normally efficient offensive firepower of the Crusaders for nearly the entirety of the second half. In fact, after surrendering 34 points in the final 11 minutes of the opening period, the Crimson Eagles locked down All-American Brianna Helfrich and her counterparts during the back end of play, limiting Manhattan to just 15 points in the second period.
During a game sprinkled with runs, PBU opened up play with an 11-0 spurt to begin the first eleven minutes of action, allowing no points (yes, you read that correctly) throughout the beginning nine minutes of competition. But almost as soon as the Crimson Eagles built up the early edge, the tide shifted.
Manhattan pumped in 34 points over the second part of the opening half, outscoring the Crimson Eagles by 18 points during the span which included 15 from Helfrich.
But after implementing several key halftime adjustments, PBU was back to form. An inspired, swarming defensive scheme ultimately shut down Helfrich (who was limited to two second-half points) as the Crimson Eagles stifled Manhattan's offense, allowing just 15 points over the final 20 minutes.
It was an effort that saw PBU force 20 Crusader turnovers while limiting Manattan to a paltry 24.1 percent shooting clip in the second stanza.
Junior Dani Norton led all scorers on the day, finishing with 23 points and eight boards. Senior Summer Mullen chipped in with 13 and eight, and sophomore point guard Dani Hooper filled the statsheet with eight points, six rebounds, five steals, and four assists.
The Crimson Eagles will return to action tomorrow night in the semi-final match, taking on defending Champion Kentucky Christian University at 8:00 pm.
