Final Score : Bradley Braves 82  | Texas State Bobcats 68

The Bradley Braves (4-1) used a strong first-half performance to overpower Texas State (2-3), 82-68, in a non-conference matchup at the 2024 Myrtle Beach Invitational on Thursday evening at The HTC Center in Conway, SC. With the win, Bradley will now await the winner of Wright State/Princeton in the semifinals.

The Braves jumped out to a commanding 44-24 lead at halftime, thanks to a stellar performance from senior Christian Davis, who finished with 21 points, including a red-hot 4-of-5 shooting from beyond the arc. Fifth-year senior Darius Hannah also contributed heavily, adding 16 points and seven rebounds, while Zek Montgomery chipped in 13 points in 33 minutes of play.

Bradley shot 51.9% from the field for the game and hit 12 of 27 three-pointers (44.4%). The Braves also capitalized at the free-throw line, earning an additional 16 points, which helped them seal the game late.

Texas State's defense struggled in the first half, allowing the Braves to build a 20-point lead. The Bobcats managed just 28.1% shooting (9-of-32) in the opening period and were limited to one three-pointer on seven attempts. However, Texas State showed life in the second half, improving to 56% shooting (14-of-25) and making 15 of 19 free throws (78.9%). Despite the offensive surge, the Bobcats could not recover from their early deficit. Senior Kaden Gumbs led Texas State with 19 points, but the Bobcats' lack of perimeter shooting — just 2-of-9 from three-point range — hindered their ability to mount a full comeback.

Bradley will look to build on their strong performance in Game 1 as they play again tomorrow on ESPNU with a 4:00 PM CST tipoff.