Bradley BRAD 7-6

UTEP UTEP 7-5

Bradley BRAD

7-6

Final

Dec. 22, 2021

UTEP UTEP

7-5

Score By Periods
Team	1	2	F
Bradley BRAD	30	43	73
UTEP UTEP	33	33	66

Box Score

Bradley Wins Sun Bowl Invitational

Box Score (PDF)

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | 12/22/2021 11:32:00 PM

El Paso, Texas – The Bradley men's basketball team won its sixth regular-season tournament title in school history, claiming the Weststar Don Haskins Sun Bowl Invitational with a 73-66 victory over UTEP. The Braves improve to 7-6 on the season, while the host Miners drop to 7-5.

Junior Terry Roberts (North Amityville, N.Y.) earned MVP honors after collecting his first collegiate double-double – posting personal-best totals with 26 points and 11 rebounds.

Junior Malevy Leons (IJmuiden, Netherlands) also was named to the All-Tournament Team after scoring 11 points to go with seven rebounds. Sophomore Jayson Kent (Oak Forest, Ill.) also scored in double figures with 10 points.

The teams played a tight first half before a UTEP run gave the hosts a little cushion at the break. Trailing, 24-20, the Miners scored 10-straight points to grab a 30-24 advantage en route to a three-point lead at the intermission, 33-30.

The Miners carried their momentum into the second half and a strong start put UTEP ahead by 14 points, 50-36, less than six minutes into the period. However, the Braves would not go away. Back-to-back triples from Roberts and Leons pulled Bradley within seven points, 52-45. Another 3-pointer from Leons just minutes later would then cut the deficit down to three, 54-51, with 11:27 left in regulation.

UTEP would hold its lead until under five minutes remaining when Rienk Mast (Groningen, Netherlands) nailed a 3-pointer to put Bradley in front, 62-61. Then minutes later with the score deadlocked at 64, Mast hit another triple to put the Braves in front for good, 64-61. UTEP pulled within one only for a Roberts' layup to Bradley back in front by three. The Braves then forced a stop and hit its free throws to secure the 73-66 victory.

Bradley connected on 41.8 percent of its field goals in the winning effort, including a season-best 12 triples on 29 attempts. UTEP was held to just 36.8 percent shooting with a 6-of-19 mark from beyond the arc.

The Braves return to action on Dec. 29, hosting Bellarmine at Carver Arena at 7 p.m.

Game Notes: Bradley also won regular-season tournament titles at the 1937 Rock Island Tournament, 1950 Sugar Bowl, 1966 Sugar Bowl, 1983 River City Shootout and 2018 Cancun Challenge … The win also marked the 100th victory for Brian Wardle in his Bradley career – becoming the eighth coach in school history to reach the mark … Roberts has scored at least 20 points in four of six December games … Bradley won for the first time this season when trailing at the half.

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