Peoria, IL -- Bradley MBB falls to Pacific 63-52 in Saturday Showdown.
After a quick start by the Bradley Braves, Pacific took control, building a 29-19 halftime lead behind the offensive production of Jaion Pitt and a scoring drought of more than five minutes by the Bradley offense. The Braves shot 21.4 percent from the field (6-of-28) and 23.1 percent from three-point range in the first half but weathered the storm, trailing by only eight in the final minutes of the first half before a transition basket by Jaden Winston pushed the Tigers' lead to 10 heading into the locker room.
Bradley showed signs of settling in after the break, fueled by a nine-point burst from
Noah Williams and
Trevon Payton. However, Pacific answered with six points of its own to maintain control and keep the Braves at a distance.
Defensively, both teams created problems for the opposing offense. The Tigers held the Braves to 17-of-59 shooting (28.8 percent) overall and 7-of-30 (23.3 percent) from three-point range. Pacific also forced 15 turnovers and converted those miscues into 19 points. Bradley, meanwhile, held Pacific to 22-of-52 shooting (42.3 percent) from the field and 6-of-18 (33.3 percent) from beyond the arc while also forcing 15 turnovers.
Jaden Winston led all scorers with 20 points for Pacific, shooting 7-of-13 from the field and 2-of-4 from beyond the arc. Adriel Nyorha added 17 points, while Jaion Pitt chipped in 14 points on 6-of-10 shooting performance. Gavin Ripp provided a presence inside, finishing with six points and a game-high 12 rebounds.
Trevon Payton paced Bradley with 16 points, including three three-pointers, while
Noah Williams contributed 12 points on 4-of-7 shooting.
Josh Ibukunoluwa added nine points and eight rebounds, while
Xander Alarie also pulled down eight boards.
Pacific won the rebounding battle, 41-37, led by Ripp's 12 boards. Bradley battled on the offensive glass, collecting 17 offensive rebounds and turning them into 16 second-chance points compared to Pacific's 12. However, the Tigers held the advantage in points in the paint, 28-18.
Bradley will look to bounce back with another marquee matchup, this time on the road against Atlantic 10 foe Davidson on Tuesday, November 10, at 6 p.m. CST. The game will be available to stream on ESPN+. Fans can also follow the Bradley Basketball social media accounts for live in-game coverage!