EAST LANSING, Mich. ? Chris Allen drained five 3-pointers en route to a game-high 19 points and Kalin Lucas added 12 points and nine assists, leading #12/13 Michigan State (5-2) to a 75-59 men's basketball victory against Bradley (4-3) Sunday evening at the Breslin Center.
Senior forward Theron Wilson led the Braves with a season-high 16 points and seven rebounds, while junior guard Dodie Dunson chipped in with 13 points for Bradley.
Both teams got off to a quick start as the lead changed hands four times in the first 10 minutes of the game and freshman forward Taylor Brown gave the Braves an 18-17 lead by making 1-of-2 free throws with 11:02 left in the first half. Travis Walton countered with two free throws with 9:56 left in the half, however, to give the Spartans the lead for good, 19-18.
Michigan State committed six more fouls than Bradley in the first half, 12-6, but the Braves missed 5-of-8 free throw attempts in the final 4:47 of the period and went into the break trailing 32-27. Both teams cooled from the floor in the final 10 minutes of the half and Bradley ended the period making just 10-of-29 (.345) field goal attempts, while Michigan State was only slightly better at 11-for-30 (.367).
The Spartans scored the first two baskets of the second half and the Braves got no closer than six points the rest of the way, closing to 41-35 on a pair of David Collins free throws with 14:35 remaining. Michigan State delivered a big blow with a 20-7 run over the next 5-minutes, 55-seconds, stretching the lead to 61-42 on a Lucas 3-pointer with 8:40 left.
Bradley's deficit eventually grew to a game-high 21 points, 69-48, before the Braves launched one final flurry. Four different players scored during a 9-0 run, culminating with a Wilson 3-pointer with 3:25 left that closed the gap to 69-57, but after the teams exchanged turnovers, Durrell Summers sealed the outcome with a 3-pointer for a 72-57 advantage with 2:08 left.
Bradley battled the rugged Spartans to a nearly even draw on the glass in the first half, trailing just 21-20 on the boards in the first 20 minutes while allowing only two offensive rebounds. Michigan State dominated the rebound department in the decisive second half, however, finishing with 10 offensive boards and a final 45-32 rebound advantage. And while the hosts warmed from the floor in the second half by making 14-of-30 (.467) field goal attempts, the Braves stayed cold by hitting just 10-of-30 (.333) from the floor and only 1-of-8 3-point tries.
With its three-game winning streak snapped, Bradley will face another stiff challenge in its next game when the Braves host Butler (7-0) Wednesday night at Carver Arena. The Bulldogs went 30-4 in 2007-08 and reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament. A limited number of tickets remain for the 7:05 p.m. game and range from $9-20, based on location. Tickets are available for purchase online at www.BradleyBraves.com or in person at the Shea Stadium and Carver Arena box offices.
Wednesday's game will be preceded by a pair of gameday activities. Head coaches Jim Les and Brad Stevens will be the featured speakers at the first Braves Club Gameday Luncheon of the year and Bradley will host a Pre-Game Tailgate Party in the Peoria Civic Center Exhibit Hall D prior to tipoff. Luncheon tickets are $20 and may be purchased in advance by contacting the Braves Club Office (309-677-2667). Admission to the tailgate party, which includes the Methodist Medical Center Family Fun Zone, is free. The luncheon doors will open at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday and the tailgate party will begin at 5 o'clock.
