South Dakota State SDSU 3-2

Bradley BRAD 3-2

South Dakota State SDSU

3-2

Final

Dec. 04, 2020

Bradley BRAD

3-2

Score By Periods
Team	1	2	F
South Dakota State SDSU	35	53	88
Bradley BRAD	41	43	84

Box Score

Hot-Shooting South Dakota State Downs Bradley

Box Score (PDF)

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | 12/4/2020 10:35:00 PM

Peoria, Ill. – South Dakota State made 17-of-27 from 3-point range – including 10-of-12 in the second half – to earn an 88-84 victory over the Bradley men's basketball team on Friday night. Both teams are now 3-2 through five games of the 2020-21 season.

Four Braves scored in double figures on the night with senior Elijah Childs leading the way with 18 points and eight boards. Junior Terry Nolan Jr. tallied 17 points, while classmate Ja'Shon Henry added 16 points in just 17 minutes of play. Sophomore Sean East II also chipped in 15 points.

East and Nolan also paced the Bradley attack with six assists apiece, while East added a game-high four steals.

Bradley started the game strong and led for nearly the entire first half. With the Jackrabbits ahead by a point, 14-13, BU rattled off eight-straight points for a seven-point advantage, igniting 17-5 run that put Bradley in front by 11, 30-19. However, in a sign of things to come, South Dakota State made its next three triples to pull within two, 30-28. The Braves answered with nine-straight points of their own to move back in front by double digits, 39-28, before South Dakota State pulled to within six at the break, 41-35.

An early second-half run by South Dakota State set up a tight game for the remainder of the game. With Bradley in front by eight, 43-35, the Jackrabbits scored 11-straight points for a 46-43 lead just less than three minutes into the period. The Braves answered with a 7-0 run and led by as many as five points, 56-51, as Henry returned from a first-half injury to spark the Braves and score 14 second-half points.

The teams then traded the lead nine times over the next six minutes before South Dakota State used a late run to create some separation. With Bradley in front by a point, 67-66, the Jackrabbits scored eight-unanswered points for a 74-67 edge with six minutes remaining. Bradley pulled as close as three in the next three minutes, 79-76, but South Dakota State hit its final 3-pointer of the night (making its final five of the game) to move back in front by six, 82-76. The Jackrabbits then sunk six free throws in the final 90 seconds, including all four attempts in the final 15 seconds, to hold on for the 88-84 victory.

Bradley shot 43.5 percent on the night, while holding a 40-22 advantage in the paint. However, South Dakota State's outside shot led to a 49.2 percent clip from the field, making 61.5 percent of its shots in the second half. Overall, the Jackrabbits shot 65.4 percent from 3-point range and 83.3 percent in the final 20 minutes of action.

The Braves return to action on Monday night, hosting Lewis. Game time at Carver Arena is set for 7 p.m.

Game Notes: Bradley entered the game with the nation's seventh-ranked scoring defense at 50.5 points, holding teams to just 29.0 percent shooting … The Braves had not allowed a team to score more than 60 points or shoot better than 40 percent in a game this season … Childs has led Bradley in scoring in all five games this season … The schools were meeting for the first time in 65 years with Bradley now holding a 3-1 edge in the all-time series.

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