Warren's 3-pointer helps Bradley stun Illini

68	72

One win certainly doesn't make a season. But when that win is over a team like Illinois, it will certainly be remembered for a long time.

Bradley (4-2) stunned the No. 20/21 team in the country 72-68 in the consolation game of the 2009 HoopTV Las Vegas Invitational. Junior guard Andrew Warren connected on a 3-pointer with just over 30 seconds to play giving the Braves a 68-66 lead that would never be relinquished.

All five Bradley starters scored in double figures as Warren led the team with 16 points and hit 4-of-8 from behind the 3-point line. For as much as he's struggled early in the season, Warren is the type of player that Bradley expected to round back into past form. For at least one game, Warren was back to his old self.

Equally as impressive was the play of sophomore center Will Egolf, who scored 12 points, grabbed nine rebounds and blocked three shots. This game suited Egolf's skills well, as he could play more on the perimeter like the Illinois big men prefer. Even though he was at a size disadvantage against Mike Tisdale and Mike Davis, Egolf consistently showed that he could play with them on both ends of the floor.

Even though Illinois (4-2) did outrebound Bradley 45-32, the defensive effort was truly inspired by the Braves. The Illini only made 4-of-18 (22.2 percent) from behind the arc and the majority of these were contested opportunities.

At times, Illinois was its own worst enemy. Sloppy passing, unforced turnovers and rushed shots killed many offensive possessions. Demetri McCamey hit 4-0f-13 from the field (10 points) and committed 5 turnovers.

But even as Bradley had been playing so well and the Illini were struggling, the orange and blue still had opportunities to put the game away in the last few minutes. Illinois was scoring at will and finally took the lead.

Instead of trying to deliver the knockout blow, the Illini reverted into playing "not to lose". Multiple possessions were wasted as they just tried to run down the shot clock and eventually forced up a poor opportunity.

As much as the Illini gave it away, credit Bradley for taking the victory. The Braves hadn't been able to put anyone away this season, even while playing weaker opponents like Presbyterian and Idaho State.

Scoring easy buckets

Some aspects of Jim Les' coaching style have been criticized at times (lineups, substitution patterns, etc.). But one thing that cannot be disputed is his remarkable ability to diagram successful in-bounds plays.

On opportunities where Bradley has the ball in the offensive side of the court, the Braves seem to score an easy basket almost every time. Certainly, the percentage isn't that high, but it is amazing how often someone will be sprung for a layup under the basket or spotted up for a wide open three-pointer.

This game in particular had two set plays out of Bradley timeouts that resulted in baskets in the final three minutes of the game.

Raising expectations

Sophomore forward Taylor Brown has the potential to be an All-Conference player - not when's an upper classman, but now. Brown's stat line (12 points and seven rebounds) might make fans think that he had one of his "weaker" games of the season. But that's just an indication of how far he has come in one season.

Last year, Brown averaged only three points and three rebounds per game. But now he's bulked up more and has shown the athleticism that might make you believe he would be an high-major, Illini-type player if the jersey names weren't visible.

These chances don't come often

Bradley's win tonight was its first since January 24, 1974 over the Illini. The Braves also won that on a neutral court (Chicago) by a score of 105-88.

The big boys from Champaign still hold a 13-3 series advantage. The numbers are a little better for Bradley in the modern era of basketball with Illinois winning four out of six since that 1974 game.

If Illinois had been ducking Bradley and other in-state universities in the past, imagine how difficult it will be for any of these schools to get a chance at the Illini now.

The road ahead

Bradley was able to get one game from its challenging non-conference opponents (BYU, Oklahoma State, Illinois). Now the team needs to build off of this momentum and carry it over to DeKalb against Northern Illinois on Wednesday.

No matter who the Braves were playing next would be the potential for a letdown. But in a somewhat similar concept to this game, Northern Illinois will surely be looking forward to getting a shot against one of the superior in-state teams.