For the final 7:56 of the first half in Bradley’s game versus Princeton on Monday, Braves’ starting point guard, Jaquan Johnson, found himself sitting on the bench.
Johnson tallied one point in the first 12 minutes of play and picked up two fouls.
Entering halftime with a six-point advantage, the Braves needed their top scorer to take control and put the game away.
Johnson delivered.
In his first six minutes back on the floor, Johnson scored the first 12 of Bradley’s second-half points and recorded five steals.
“I had to come out stronger for my team,” Johnson said. “I wasn’t playing my best in the first half, I picked up two fouls early. We ended the first half with a lot of energy and I knew I had to pick it up in the second half and do better for my team.”
The run from Johnson was just the start of a second half in which the Braves outscored the Tigers by 18 to take home an 88-64 victory and advance to the semifinals of the Terry’s Chocolate ESPN Events Invitational.
“He’s a dynamic player, he can change a game on both sides of the floor with his quick hands,” head coach Brian Wardle said. “He responded, we needed him because he didn’t have a great first half. I challenged him at halftime and he definitely responded like he always does.”
Johnson ended his night with 13 points, three rebounds, three assists and six steals. Entering the game, he tied for ninth place nationally in steals per game, a rank that is sure to rise after Monday’s performance.
“Coach gives me a lot of freedom,” Johnson said. “We play a lot of team defense, so I know where we’re forcing the ball to and I know when I anticipate to get the steal.”
Braves stay composed
Bradley found trouble early in their quarterfinal game against Princeton. A quick five-point lead evaporated as the Tigers caught fire midway through the first half.
Led by sophomore guard Jack Stanton, Princeton went on a 15-3 run to take a 26-20 lead with 7:56 to play in the first half. Stanton scored 16 points in the first half, and it appeared he was on his way to a big game.
Then, the Braves adjusted. Stanton was left off the score sheet entirely in the second half as Bradley continued to build their lead.
“We started to deny him one pass away a little bit more,” Wardle said. “They do a lot of dribble handoffs that are hard to get through. I thought we did a better job getting over those and denying him and pressuring him more as the game went on.”
With Johnson out of the game for the remainder of the first half, the Braves turned to freshman guard Montana Wheeler to lead the point. Though his first half numbers weren’t the flashiest, Wheeler showcased his creativity with the ball and helped Bradley regain momentum after the Tigers run.
It all culminated late in the second half, as Wheeler scored 13 points on five-for-six shooting, including three-for-four from beyond the arc, to finish as the Braves’ leading scorer.
“It was a great performance,” Wardle said. “He was in attack mode. He passed it, he scored it, he played like a veteran point guard. Those two [Wheeler and Johnson] are problems and if we can get them clicking together on the floor I think it’s going to get better and better as the season goes on.”
Bradley also got a strong performance out of sophomore forward Timoty van der Knapp, who, in his second start of the season, set a new career-high with 15 points and eight rebounds.
“Those guys stepped up, Timo [van der Knapp] and Montana [Wheeler],” Johnson said. “Guys have got to step up and that’s what we’re doing.”
With the victory, the Braves advance to the winner’s bracket of the ESPN Events Invitational. They will take on the University of California, San Diego at 4 p.m. on Tuesday.
