The Bruins’ 2005 season kicked off with a dramatic come from behind win in the first round of the Hoopster preseason tournament.

The second and third grade Bruins beat the Gators, 28-25, Wednesday night at the East Lawrence Rec Center.

After the game, Bruins head coach Greg Capps said he was happy with the win, but he was realistic about the work ahead of him.

“The game showed we have a lot of work to do and we have a lot of room for improvement. It was fun, it was competitive and everybody had a great time and we won a close game so that even added to it,” Capps said.

The game didn’t start off in favor of the Bruins. The Gators jumped out to an early lead behind Trevor Munsch, Gators point guard.

The left-handed Munsch used his speedy dribbling to penetrate the Bruins defense and give his team a 16-12 lead at halftime.

The combination of Alan Clothier, Bruins point guard, and Scotty Frantz, Bruins center, helped their team battle back during the third quarter.

Gator Trevor Munsch jumps up as he shoots the ball. Munsch and the Gators fell three point short of the Bruins on Wednesday at the East Lawrence Center.

Clothier knocked down outside shots and used his court awareness to find Frantz beneath the basket. Frantz used his height to his advantage and continually knocked down his turnaround jump shot five feet from the rim.

The teamwork of Clothier and Frantz brought the Bruins within one point at the start of the fourth quarter.

The Gators used swarming defense in the fourth quarter, which was led by Andrew Ornburn, Gators forward. Their defense led to fast break opportunities, but they weren’t initially converted. Collin McKee, Gators forward, rebounded many of his team’s offensive shots and scored on the put back with his leaping ability.

Clothier’s defense proved to be the key to success during the fourth quarter for the Bruins. He led his team to a 10-point quarter and the 28-25 victory at the end of the game.

Capps said the Bruins would work on the basics this week in practice.

“We need to identify who we’re guarding, be able to dribble the ball without double dribbling the ball and establish a pivot foot; all the fundamentals,” Capps said.

The Bruins will try to sharpen their skills for their second match-up of the season tonight at 6:30 p.m. against the Terrapins at the East Lawrence Center.