St. Petersburg, FL -- Bradley opened the Showdown in St. Pete with a hard fought 56-54 win over Coppin State!
In a old school, knock down, physical game, that featured six lead changes and three ties Bradley came out on top of Coppin State 56-54. The Braves improved to 2-2 overall, while the Eagles dropped to 1-3.
Bradley relied on a strong defensive presence and timely free-throw shooting down the stretch to secure the two-point victory. The Braves trailed 34-32 at halftime but outscored Coppin State 24-20 in the second half to earn the win.
Trevon Payton led Bradley with 16 points, shooting 6-of-13 from the field and connected on two three-pointers.
Ben Thornbrue and
Xander Alarie each added nine points, with Thornbrue knocked down seven free throws. Alarie also contributed seven rebounds and four steals, providing a spark on the defensive end.
Timoty van der Knaap chipped in seven points and six rebounds, while Max Gaspà added six points, including two three-pointers.
Despite a slow start offensively after halftime, Bradley found a way to make the necessary plays. The Braves converted 14-of-16 free throws in the final 20 minutes and held the Eagles in check offensively, forcing nine second half turnovers.
Coppin State was led by Brendan Johnson, who finished with 14 points on 6-of-12 shooting, including two three-pointers. Camaren Sparrow, Tafara Gapare and Hussain Williams each contributed eight points. Williams also grabbed eight rebounds to lead the Eagles.
The Eagles held advantages in points in the paint (28-20), points off turnovers (12-6) and assists (11-8), but their second-half shooting struggles proved costly. Coppin State connected on just 7-of-26 attempts after the break, including 1-of-10 from beyond the arc.
It'll be a quick turnaround for the Braves as Bradley will be back in action on Saturday, November 14th when they take on the George Mason Patriots in their second game of the "Showdown in St. Pete". George Mason was also a winner in their first game, defeating Kansas City 76-68.