WINSTON-SALEM, NC -- Carolina University Men's Basketball hosted Erskine College for the NCCAA DI South Region Tournament on March 10th. The Bruins entered the tournament as the #2 seed and the Flying Fleet were the #3 seed. This semi-final round matchup would determine a birth in the Regional Championship game on March 11th. The Bruins entered the game short-handed due to health and safety protocols, but were determined to fight. Erskine opened up the game with a lead, but couldn't pull away. The Flying Fleet entered halftime with a 36 to 28 lead. Erskine then went on a run to begin the second half and grew the lead to as many as 23 points with about 14 minutes to go. Coach Williams was able to rally CU and slowly chip away at the lead. With 4 minutes to go, the Bruins were down just 11 with the ball. However, CU could not convert enough shots down the stretch and the comeback effort came up just short. Erskine College won the game 68-57.

After the game, Coach Williams was extremely proud of his team. "I couldn't be more proud of these guys for giving their best effort. Many of our guys stepped into different roles tonight and competed at a high level." The Bruins' defense was exceptional and held Erskine below their season average despite missing several key players. Micah Cooper led the way offensively and scored a game-high 24 points and grabbed 7 rebounds. Jacob Cook was one of those players that stepped up and scored a season-high 18 points.

Unfortunately for the Bruins, this marks the final game of their season. Carolina University finished with an 8-9 record in the unpredictable 2020-2021 season. Keep an eye on Cu Men's Basketball Twitter (@carolinaumbb) for updates on season awards and the signings of future Bruins!