Peoria, IL -- The Bradley Braves Men's basketball season has come to a close following a 67-65 loss to the Chattanooga Mocs.
Game Recap
Chattanooga defeated Bradley 67-65 in a thrilling NIT Quarterfinal at Carver Arena in Peoria, IL, on March 25, 2025. The win brings Chattanooga's record to 27-9, while Bradley drops to 28-9 to conclude the 2024-25 season.
Bradley came out strong, taking a 38-25 lead into halftime. The Braves shot an impressive 60% from the field in the first half, including 50% from three-point range, and a perfect 4-4 from the free-throw line. Demarion Burch was the standout for Bradley in the first half, leading the team with 14 points on 7-9 shooting, while Duke Deen and Christian Davis combined for 23 points, 10 rebounds, and six assists.
Chattanooga mounted a strong comeback, outscoring Bradley 42-27 in the second half. A key factor in the second-half surge was the shooting improvement, as the Mocs converted 46.8% of their field goals, including 44.4% from three-point range. Honor Huff played a pivotal role, finishing with 21 points, including five three-pointers, while Trey Bonham added 17 points and Bash Wieland contributed eight points and three assists.
The Mocs were able to take advantage of second-chance opportunities, scoring 13 points off offensive rebounds, and held Bradley to just 2 second-chance points. Despite a late push by Bradley, Chattanooga's defense tightened, and the game came down to the final moments.
With the game tied 64-64 following a Duke Deen three pointer, Chattanooga would create an open outside look for Trey Bonham which which he would convert, Chattanooga would take a foul on the following defensive possession forcing Bradley to shoot two free throws, Duke Deen would make the first and intentionally miss the second hoping for an offensive rebound. The Mocs would control the rebound and send Latif Diouf to the other end of the floor for a 1 and 1 situation. Diouf would miss the front end of his two tries leading to a 3/4 court heave from Duke Deen that fell wide as time expired sealing the two point win for the Mocs.
Sending off a special Senior Class
Bradley will be saying goodbye to a nine-member senior class which helped pave the way to one of the best seasons the Bradley Braves have had in the last four decades. This senior class has effectively rewritten the Bradley record book both in individual accomplishments and team marks over their run in a Bradley uniform as Duke Deen, Connor Dillon, Christian Davis, Cade Hardtke, Sam Hennessy, Connor Linke, Goanar Biliew, Zek Montgomery, and Darius Hannah will as of now be moving on into their post Bradley basketball careers
| "I was just telling them thank you for everything and always supporting us and having our backs. I love the Bradley fans with all my heart and its been a great three years, so i just wanted to show my appreciation" - Duke when asked about saying goodbye to the fans |
What's Next??
Bradley will soon turn its attention to the offseason as the program looks to continue building on its ascending success and constructing a roster for the 2025-26 season. Over the last three seasons, the Braves have earned a combined 75 wins, 44 wins in the MVC, and have claimed three straight at-large postseason berths, with the 2024-25 season ending with the most wins since the 1984-85 season, all while having to replace their leading scorer in each of the last three years.