Final score: Bradley 79 Illinois State 75

[KillerB]

Braves video..

https://video.twimg.com/ext_tw_video/1618738883616968704/pu/vid/1280x720/IxDj3c7T0zgTzxBA.mp4?tag=12

[Da Coach]

This team lacks a pure 3 point shooter and a guy who will say give me ball. I'm going to get us a bucket.
Can you just imagine if Roberts would have stayed. just my opinion..

Welcome to Bradleyfans, Harley. Nice 1st post.

I totally agree. That role has been filled in the recent past by gritty and clutch players like Darrell Brown, Jr., Elijah Childs, Walt Lemon, Andrew Warren, Theron Wilson, Chris Roberts, Jeremy Crouch, Daniel Ruffin, Marcellus Sommerville, Tony Bennett, Will Franklin, and others. Those guys seemed to have a higher than average shooting percentage when the game was on the line. No coincidence that many of those guys went on to have successful pro careers.
Right now, I don't think this team has anyone quite yet in that category. Maybe someone will emerge. Last night, Connor Hickman came up huge with a couple late three pointers, and Rienk, Duke, Malevy, Ja'Shon, and Zek all had their clutch moments to help BU overcome the double-digit deficit and get Bradley to overtime.
Who would you want taking a last second shot to win a game?

[ManMythLegend]

This team lacks a pure 3 point shooter and a guy who will say give me ball. I'm going to get us a bucket.
Can you just imagine if Roberts would have stayed. just my opinion..

This team would be very dangerous with Roberts on the roster. I really think they could have been a historical team with him. Sure do miss his skill set and mindset.

[Dub]

Funny how the Braves official website calls last night's game an "Instant Classic"
Not sure any of us wants to watch that dreadful performance again!

I did go back and rewatch the game. It actually was less ugly on the replay than in person…..did Bradley get beat to the ball on a few rebounds? Yes. But it was UNCANNY how many times the Braves went HARD for a loose ball and it just happened to be bouncing right into the waiting arms of the Redbirds. Typically those things balance out in the course of a game. This time it didn’t.
And we still won.

[bradleyfan124]

I did go back and rewatch the game. It actually was less ugly on the replay than in person…..did Bradley get beat to the ball on a few rebounds? Yes. But it was UNCANNY how many times the Braves went HARD for a loose ball and it just happened to be bouncing right into the waiting arms of the Redbirds. Typically those things balance out in the course of a game. This time it didn’t.
And we still won.

I totally agree with this. We played extremely ugly and still won

[basketball nut]

Here are video highlights from the PJ Star- https://www.pjstar.com/videos/sports...t/11125530002/

Note especially the last shot of the 1st half just after 2:08 of the video, when ISU guard Malachi Poindexter launches a last second three that misses and then flops to the floor. The official calls a foul and gives him 3 free throws (plus 2 technical foul free throws) to make the halftime score 40-36. It appears the Bradley defender, Ja'Shon Henry, never touched him. Chad Kleine goes wild and says "Oh my God, he wasn't even touched!". It was representative of some of the awful calls throughout the game.

As for Jashon touching the player, it wasn't even close. From where we sit we had a great angle and it was a good foot between them. Definitely an offensive flop that the refs missed..
I'm really beginning to think the college game has got way to fast for 3 refs. Need to consider 4 refs.
The other thing I saw was refs making calls when they were completely out of position. Called a foul on Henry when there were players between the ref and the play. The ref in front of the play didn't call it, it was the ref in the opposite corner where he couldn't see it.
Also lots of complaining about the rebounding but there were lots of long rebounds also.
They did just enough at the end of the game to pull it out.

[bradleyfan124]

I did go back and rewatch the game. It actually was less ugly on the replay than in person…..did Bradley get beat to the ball on a few rebounds? Yes. But it was UNCANNY how many times the Braves went HARD for a loose ball and it just happened to be bouncing right into the waiting arms of the Redbirds. Typically those things balance out in the course of a game. This time it didn’t.
And we still won.

I also want to say i heard a Coach say one time, I dont remember who, that if you can play your worse game of the season and still win that is a plus. Now this was the worse game for Bradley in 2 or 3 seasons so I think that qualifies

[basketball nut]

Welcome to Bradleyfans, Harley. Nice 1st post.

Who would you want taking a last second shot to win a game?

I'm beginning to think that Zek might have "ICE" in his veins. I also don't mind CH taking shots but would at the end I think I would want Zek.

[egib52]

Braves video..

https://video.twimg.com/ext_tw_video/1618738883616968704/pu/vid/1280x720/IxDj3c7T0zgTzxBA.mp4?tag=12

As has been said before, I wish they would stop glorifying this win.

[Bradley3342]

I'm beginning to think that Zek might have "ICE" in his veins. I also don't mind CH taking shots but would at the end I think I would want Zek.

I agree basketball nut and he is only a sophomore

[epistibrain]

I agree basketball nut and he is only a sophomore

Zek sure looked like that guy at Indiana State. To the point where I didn’t mind seeing him with the ball in Bradley’s last possession of the Belmont game. But then he appeared to force it and turned it over with 28 second to go, so that Bradley didn’t even take a shot.

[Da Coach]

After the loss to Belmont, Coach Wardle talked about mistakes that were made in his postgame interview with Dave Snell. He wasn't specific, but said the players made mistakes, and so did the coaching staff. I believe what he was referring to was that last full possession by Bradley when Zek was the point guard and lost control of the ball when driving into the lane. Zek did play some point guard in the previous game at Indiana State, and he was the hero of that game making a number of critically important plays and baskets down the stretch. But he is not really a point guard, and I think Coach Wardle realized it was a mistake to put Zek and the point on that late possession against Belmont.
Zek is developing into a terrific player, and judging from the Indiana State game, he might become a reliable "closer". I also think Hickman or Deen can become that guy, too, but it might take more time.

[bradleyfan124]

After the loss to Belmont, Coach Wardle talked about mistakes that were made in his postgame interview with Dave Snell. He wasn't specific, but said the players made mistakes, and so did the coaching staff. I believe what he was referring to was that last full possession by Bradley when Zek was the point guard and lost control of the ball when driving into the lane. Zek did play some point guard in the previous game at Indiana State, and he was the hero of that game making a number of critically important plays and baskets down the stretch. But he is not really a point guard, and I think Coach Wardle realized it was a mistake to put Zek and the point on that late possession against Belmont.
Zek is developing into a terrific player, and judging from the Indiana State game, he might become a reliable "closer". I also think Hickman or Deen can become that guy, too, but it might take more time.

Yes Hickman is still only a Sophomore

[Tommy]

Yes Hickman is still only a Sophomore

Sophomore slump. Hickman is going to be a heck of a player for us in the long run and hopefully can find his shooters touch by post season play.

[Da Coach]

Sophomore slump. Hickman is going to be a heck of a player for us in the long run and hopefully can find his shooters touch by post season play.

I agree. Hickman, Zek, and Davis are all sophomores, and Duke and Pop, thanks to the extra Covid year, are effectively sophomores, too, with 2 more seasons of eligibility. So with Demarion Burch coming next year, the future looks good at the guard position.
Bradley has, IMO, the best frontcourt this season, and hopefully Rienk and Malevy will be back next year, along with Hannah. If the coaches can somehow add another pure shooter, and another big wing, I can see Bradley remaining a contender in the MVC for the next couple years.