Game Eleven Recap: SIU Edwardsville @ Bradley

61	67

Clank.

Fans heard a lot of that sort of sound Tuesday night, when the Braves (6-5) only knocked off an inferior SIU Edwardsville (2-10) team by six points at home.

The inexperienced Braves showed many of the same flaws as in previous games: poor team defense, too many unforced turnovers and bad free throw shooting. Sure, "a win is a win," but going into conference play, these sorts of games don't really build confidence.

Bradley led by 12 points early in the second half, but couldn't put away the Cougars, who went on an 18-7 run to cut the Braves lead to 52-51 with 10:18 left.

SIU Edwardsville proceeded to not score for the next five minutes of the game, but Bradley only managed eight points in that span. A few good defensive stops in the last few possessions of the game helped offset an embarrassing display from the free throw line.

The Braves only hit 5-of-12 free throw attempts in the last five minutes of the game, a good way to lose a game against even an average opponent.

Center David Collins stood out this game for generally good reasons. He scored nine points, grabbed nine rebounds and also had four blocks. Collins still had his usual problems of getting stripped on rebounds by bringing the ball down to smaller defenders. But overall, he had a solid game.

Fans were treated to the full spectrum of forward Theron Wilson's skills - both good and bad. His athleticism helps him make some plays that others simply can't. He all three 3-pointers he attempted, scored 17 points and pulled down eight rebounds.

On the other side, Wilson had a series of foolish plays on offense. At one point in the first half, he had committed three of Bradley's six turnovers. He had a total of six on the game and was one of many Braves who couldn't hit free throws (2-of-6).

Both guards Eddren McCain and Chris Roberts had quiet offensive performances, but still made contributions. McCain had five assists to go along with only one turnover, while Roberts made two spectacular blocks and overall had a much bigger commitment to the defensive side of the ball.

Head coach Jim Les shortened the rotation yesterday, only playing six guys regularly. Guard Darian Norris, forward Taylor Brown and center Anthony Thompson all played under 12 minutes. Will this be a sign for the future?

For the development of the team for future season, let's hope not. Bradley will need all three of these men going forward in order to be as successful as it hopes to be in the future.