Kissimmee, FL – The NCCAA DII #3 Grace Christian University Tigers kicked off the competition portion of their Florida trip on Thursday with a showdown with the #5 team in the nation, the Bob Jones University Bruins.  This would be the first match-up between the two teams outside of the NCCAA National Tournament, where the Bruins knocked out the Tigers in 2018 in the Final Four and the Tigers returned the favor last March in the Elite Eight. 

After a very efficient day on the offensive end, the Tigers would finish the game shooting a 59.4% clip, contributing greatly to a 91-78 victory when the final buzzer sounded.

Junior Kierson Watts had himself a day, leading the way for the Tigers with a career-high 24 points, shooting a perfect 10-10 from the field, including 2-2 from beyond the arc and 2-2 from the free-throw line.  Senior Austin Jackson poured in 20 points on 9-13 shooting, and Brandon Winchester-Jones added 14.  Adam Kregel scored 11 points and pulled down a team high 11 rebounds.

The win moves the Tigers to 8-10 on the season and 2-1 in the NCCAA thus far.

The Tigers follow up with a night-capper against Johnson University Florida, the host school, tonight at 8:00 pm (Watch Live).