TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – A cold-shooting night got
worse when Bradley managed only one field goal in the final 8:25, allowing
Indiana State (10-5, 3-1 MVC) to pull away for a 68-53 Missouri Valley
Conference win Wednesday night at the Hulman Center.
The Braves (10-6, 2-2 MVC)
dropped their second straight game by shooting just 31.8 percent from the
field. At 4-for-8, junior center Jordan
Prosser was the only Bradley player to shoot at least 50 percent from the
field. Junior guard Walt Lemon, Jr.
scored 10 of his game-high 15 points in
the first half, but was the only Brave to reach double-figures.
Manny Arop and Justin Gant
both scored 13 points to pace Indiana State, while Jake Odum added 11 for the
Sycamores, who shot an even 50 percent from the field.
Despite the cold shooting,
Bradley managed to keep things close for the first 32 minutes and pulled to
within 48-45 when Jalen Crawford converted a 3-point play with 8:25 left. The Braves did not get another basket,
however, until Crawford drained a 3-pointer with 2:01 remaining. By that time, Indiana State had stretched its
lead to 61-50.
Notes: Bradley had not trailed by
double-digits since the second half of its 74-66 loss to #2 Michigan Dec. 1 at
Carver Arena … Simms-Edwards finished with nine points, pushing his career
total to exactly 1,000 and making him the 45th member of Bradley's 1,000-Point
Club … Simms-Edwards entered the day third nationally by averaging 3.27 steals
per game and finished with five steals … Bradley (21-66) attempted 22 more
field goals than Indiana State (22-44) … Indiana State came in averaging 2.6
blocked shots per game and finished with a season-high nine rejections.
Bradley will return to The
Valley road for a 1 p.m. game Saturday at UNI.