BRIDGEWATER, Va. – On Wednesday, Jan. 21, Bridgewater men’s basketball came up short by 10 points in their Bleed Crimson game against Washington and Lee but persevered using momentum from the roaring crowds.
“The crowd was great, the band, yeah I mean the student athletes, it was an awesome environment,” Head Coach Mike Maczko said.
Fan Dustyn Miller, an alum who graduated Bridgewater College in 1977, said the Bleed Crimson environment was “great” with the number of attendees and encouraged students to come back with the same energy for games in the future.
According to InnerDrive, athletes supporting one another provides motivation for those who may go through periods of self-doubt. Events like Bleed Crimson may encourage athletes by increasing their determination and effort.
According to Washington and Lee Athletics, the Generals are sitting at an impressive record of 14-2, only losing to Trine University and Virginia Wesleyan University.
Maczko said the Eagles struggled to defend the Generals in the first half, allowing 10 three-pointers over the course of 20 minutes.
“Give Washington and Lee a lot of credit,” Maczko said. “Those guys played higher. They shot the ball well, and yeah, they were better than us today.”
Maczko said that the Eagles remained “efficient on offense” and maintained defensive coverage in the second half despite adversity.
“I see a lot of hustle and I can tell that they’re really getting after it,” Miller said. “Like when they’re playing defense, they’re trying really hard.”
According to Bridgewater College Athletics, the game leaders were Jamhir Brown and Kyren Smith with 15 points on the board, and Carter Palmer close behind, scoring 10 points.
The loss against the Generals puts the Eagles’ overall record at 6-10.
“The last couple games they got blown out and I can see it could start, you know, be negative for them in their mindset,” Miller said. “But tonight, they seem like they’re coming and really playing hard.”
Maczko said it’s encouraging to see the way the team battled despite the loss, and emphasized the need to keep pushing for a positive result.
“We just have to be super locked in and physical,” Maczko said. “We still have a lot of room to grow. We just got to keep stacking days. A lot of season left.”
