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49 | 56 |
Individual games can be a microcosm of a season.
Wednesday night felt like just that as the up-and-down Braves fell on the road to Evansville (17-11, 8-9) by a score of 56-49. Bradley (16-13, 9-8) didn't play well and again showed its vulnerability when the team shoots poorly overall and takes too many 3-point shots.
The Braves made 6-of-24 from behind the arc, only 25 percent. Bradley hasn't shot that many threes in any conference game this season, and it was the most since the dismal performance at Milwaukee on Dec. 20 (6-of-27, 22 percent).
Compare the results in wins versus losses and the discrepancy is even more evident. In nine conference wins, Bradley has made 51-of-130 attempts from the 3-point line, good for 39 percent. In the eight losses, the Braves have not only shot a much lower percentage (30 percent) but they've also taken 15 more shots (145) in one less game. This team simply can't keep trying long range shots at the rate of previous teams.
As for this particular game, Evansville showed the emotion expected on senior night. After a dunk by Bradley center David Collins, the Purple Aces went on 8-2 run to pull ahead 17-7. Most of the half was pretty sloppy overall and Evansville maintained its 10-point lead going into halftime at 30-20.
The Braves never could put together enough scores in a row to close the lead within four points until late in the second half. Often this was attributable to lax defensive possessions. Though the overall defensive effort looked good on paper (Evansville shot only 40 percent from the floor), too many times the Braves were beaten off the dribble or were too slow to rotate. This led to numerous layups and free throw opportunities by the Purple Aces.
The game may have been more one-sided if Evansville had hit more than 15-of-24 free throws (62.5 percent). And at this point, it almost goes without saying that a Jim Les-coached team would give 100 percent effort. That certainly wasn't in question tonight, but without a go-to scorer, Bradley couldn't make enough shots to win.
Collins needs to be singled out for Bradley. He led the Braves in scoring for the first time this season with 10 points. Anyone who knows this team should understand though, that if Collins is the high-point man, Bradley is probably going to lose the game.
That shouldn't take away from Collins' game. He showed a tenacity that fans have rarely seen from him in road games this season. Collins grabbed 10 rebounds and was credited with five blocks (though it surely looked like 6 or 7 when watching).
Another thing to like about Collins tonight is that he generally made good decisions with the ball. When he had man-to-man coverage, he took the ball to the basket aggressively. But when Evansville doubled down on him, Collins found the open man — helping contribute to his four assists.
Nobody else really stepped up for Bradley. Guard Sam Maniscalco and forward Theron Wilson have generally been the guys to do it, but they finished with just nine and six points respectively.
The Braves were also at a disadvantage as guard Dodie Dunson played the whole game with a heavily wrapped right hand. The injury greatly affected his ability to make any offensive contribution, therefore putting more pressure on Maniscalco and Wilson.
Jason Holsinger had a great game for Evansville on his senior night. The sharpshooting guard led all scorers with 19 points.
Next game:
As noted in my post about the MVC standings, Bradley needs to forget about this loss quickly. The Braves will likely finish 4th in conference, but they need some momentum going into the conference tournament in St. Louis.
Drake comes to Peoria for the final game of the regular season after a heartbreaking home loss to Southern Illinois tonight. Bradley definitely appears to be the better team, but that doesn't mean much in the Valley this year. The Braves put up a terrible performance Feb. 7 in Des Moines, falling to the Bulldogs 68-54.
A win secures the 4th seed in the conference tournament. But it's hard to guess who Bradley will play until all games are complete.
Next game: Drake @ Bradley, Sat. 2/28, 7:05 p.m.
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