Bradley men’s basketball (12-2, 3-0 MVC) began 2025 in the same fashion that they ended 2024: with an overtime win.
As regulation ended, head coach Brian Wardle looked to senior guard Duke Deen to score the game-winning bucket. However, an Indiana State defender collided with Deen, and he fell. No foul was called.
In overtime, the Braves were down by one, and Deen had the ball in his hands once more with a chance to win the game, but this time he delivered.
The Missouri Valley Conference preseason player of the year snaked around the basket as the clock winded down and converted on a layup to beat the Sycamores (8-6, 2-1 MVC) 90-89.
The backcourt is balling
The bucket capped Deen’s season-high 24 points, and he was happy to make up for the debacle that ended regulation.
“It felt good, man,” Deen said. “I had a chance to make up for it and just wanted to. We buckled down down the stretch. They hit some timely free throws and some clutch threes, but we just got to be better. At the end of regulation, we were up five with one minute to go and let them come back. We did the same thing against Valpo. I just feel like we gotta be better in that area closing out games.”
Senior Zek Montgomery, Deen’s partner in the backcourt, led the team in scoring. He finished the game with a Bradley career-high 26 points on 58 percent shooting. Down the stretch of the game, Montgomery was the primary source of offense for the Braves.
“I was just trying to keep us in the game as much as possible,” Montgomery said. “Shots were going in. The team kept finding me in my spots, and I just kept making plays over and over.”
Young guns step up
Bradley also received significant production from its bench. Sophomore Demarion Burch scored a hyperefficient 13 points, and senior Connor Dillon and freshman Jaquan Johnson made significant plays throughout the game.
“Burch was huge for us,” Warde said. “[He] scored 13 points, had four rebounds and got to the line for us. The bench was huge. I like our depth a lot. I think some guys aren’t going to play minutes right now that can help us.”
“I thought Dill was big for us, giving us those minutes when Davis was in foul trouble,” Wardle added. “All those young guys had to play in overtime. It was fun to see them in the moment and handle themselves to get a win.”
The Braves won, but the team must improve as the season continues. Indiana State was much more physical than Bradley. The Sycamores went to the free-throw line 36 times and made 30, compared to 15 attempts for the Braves. This is the second game in a row that Bradley has allowed over 30 free-throw attempts.
When asked about their basketball-related New Year’s resolution, Montgomery and Deen’s answer was “Stop fouling.”
The Braves will be back in action Saturday at Carver Arena as they continue conference play against Missouri State.
Be First to Comment