Missouri State MSU 11-5, 2-1 MVC

Bradley BRAD 7-8, 1-2 MVC

Missouri State MSU

11-5, 2-1 MVC

Final

Jan. 05, 2022

Bradley BRAD

7-8, 1-2 MVC

Score By Periods
Team	1	2	F
Missouri State MSU	41	30	71
Bradley BRAD	33	36	69

Box Score

Braves’ Comeback Bid Falls Short to Buzzer Shot

Box Score (PDF)

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | 1/5/2022 11:13:00 PM

Peoria, Ill. – The Bradley men's basketball team rallied from an 18-point second-half deficit only for a 3-pointer at the buzzer to lift Missouri State to a 71-69 victory on Wednesday night at Carver Arena. The Braves are now 7-8 on the season and 1-2 in Missouri Valley action, while the Bears improve to 11-5 and 2-1 versus league foes.

Four Braves scored in double figures, led by a career-best 18 points from sophomore Jayson Kent. The sophomore scored 13 of his 18 points in the second stanza – making 6-of-12 field goals, while also tying his career high with seven rebounds. Junior Malevy Leons also added 16 points and eight boards with junior Ville Tahvanainen and sophomore Rienk Mast each chipping in 13 points apiece.

The Bears got off to a fast start in the contest and led by as many as 16 points in the first half, 41-25, with just 1:59 left in the period. However, an 8-0 run to finish the period behind two triples from Tahvanainen and a fastbreak dunk by Kent sent the teams into the locker room with the Bears ahead by just eight, 41-33.

The teams then traded runs to start the second half – with Missouri State opening with a 12-2 spurt to move in front by 18, 53-35, before Bradley immediately responded with an 18-3 stretch to pull within five, 56-51 – setting up a tight final 13 minutes.

With Missouri State leading by five, 63-58, Bradley scored seven-straight points to take its first lead since the game was 8-7. Mast started the run with a layup with just over five minutes left before a Leons triple and driving layup put Bradley in front by two, 65-63. The teams traded two-point shots before a Missouri State 3-pointer with 48.1 seconds remaining put the visitors in front by a point, 68-67.

The Braves answered when Kent sunk a pair of free throws with 24.1 seconds remaining to give the ball back to the Bears with the shot clock off. Missouri State missed its first chance at the lead only for a second-chance 3-pointer at the buzzer by Isiaih Mosley to find its mark for the 71-69 victory.

Both teams shot the ball well in the contest with Missouri State making 48.3 percent of its field goals and 9-of-25 from 3-point range, while the Braves converted 47.1 percent of their chances with an 11-of-25 mark from beyond the arc.

The Braves return to action on Saturday afternoon, playing at Loyola in a 3 p.m. tipoff.

Game Notes: The largest comeback in school history is 18 points, last accomplished in the 2019 Missouri Valley Conference Championship game against Northern Iowa … Kent's previous career high was 15 points against Drake on Feb. 27, 2021 … The Braves entered the game with a 6-0 record when making at least 44 percent of their field goals … Bradley was without senior Ja'Shon Henry for the fourth-straight game.

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