Peoria, IL -- The Bradley Braves 22-7 (13-5 MVC) earned overtime win number three on the season with a 85-83 OT win over Murray State 14-15 (8-10 MVC)
Looking Back
In an exciting MVC showdown, the Bradley Braves came out on top of the Murray State Racers with an 85-83 overtime victory. The contest was held at Carver Arena in Peoria, IL, with an attendance of 7,560 fans.
Murray State had a strong start, leading Bradley 14-0 at the 15:52 mark of the first half, largely fueled by AJ Ferguson, who collected seven points in their initial burst. Bradley responded by mounting their own 20-4 scoring run over the next six minutes. Both teams exchanged counter-punches for the remainder of the half, with the Racers leading by three at halftime, 39-36.
Murray State would mount another quick jump out of the break, leading by as many as 16 points in the second half, 56-40, with 13:30 remaining. That's when Duke Deen caught fire. Bradley battled back with the energy of their guards with Deen scoring 17 points in less than seven minutes of game action, bringing the Braves within two points. Down the final stretch of regulation, Bradley's free-throw shooting was key as they hit 9 of their 10 attempts in the second half and finished 13-for-18 overall.
Bradley's bench also provided a boost, contributing 25 points compared to Murray State's 19. Both teams entered the final minute tied at 75 after an AJ Ferguson jumper tied the game and a sequence where Bradley's defense forced Murray State's JaCobi Wood into a tough step-back heave from beyond the three-point line, sending the game into overtime.
In the extra session, the Racers had the first word with a brief 5-2 scoring run before the Braves responded with consecutive scores from Ahmet Jonovic and Jaquan Johnson to level the game at 81-81 with 2:42 left in overtime. The defenses ramped up, and neither side scored again until less than 30 seconds remained. Christian Davis snagged an offensive rebound off a Jaquan Johnson miss and hit a baseline jumper just before the shot clock expired.
Murray State held the ball for the majority of the shot clock on the following possession, with Kyeron Lindsey delivering a floater that fell in with just seven seconds remaining. Duke Deen took the ensuing inbound and raced up the floor to deliver what appeared to be a game-winning triple with just seconds left, but a timeout was granted to Bradley. However, the Braves didn't have to wait long to see a game winner. For the second time in seven days, Darius Hannah was able to slip away from the opposing defense late, faking a handoff to Duke Deen and landing a layup on the rim that took two small bounces and fell as time expired, giving the Braves a hard-fought win in a game that featured nine ties, 11 lead changes, and two double-digit comebacks by the Braves.
Murray State received a 22-point performance from Terence Harcum, who played 40 minutes. AJ Ferguson added 15 points, including a key 7-for-8 effort from the free-throw line, while Kylen Milton contributed 12 points and 6 rebounds. Duke Deen led the Braves with 24 points (21 in the second half), including 6 three-pointers, and added 3 assists. Jaquan Johnson was also pivotal, contributing 18 points and 5 rebounds. Christian Davis finished with 17 points and 8 rebounds. Darius Hannah was BU's other double-figure scorer, with 12 points, five rebounds, and two blocks.
What's Next?
The Braves will be back in action on Wednesday when they travel to Valparaiso, IN, to face the Beacons for the second time this season. The first meeting was won by the Braves, 81-75, in 2OT back in December. The game will be available for streaming on ESPN+ with tipoff scheduled for 8:00 PM CST.