Highlights:
Postgame:
SPRINGFIELD – Visiting Bradley knocked down 16 3-pointers, including a dozen in the second half, to run away from Missouri State, 86-62, here Wednesday in Missouri Valley Conference play.
The Braves (19-9, 11-6 MVC) closed out the game on a 41-22 surge over the final 14 minutes with Duke Deen racking up a career-high 35 points and making 9-of-12 shots from 3-point range.
Deen’s performance from beyond the arc broke the Great Southern Bank Arena record for treys in a game and matched Wichita State’s Jason Perez (2000) for the all-time MSU opponent three-point shooting record.
Missouri State had four players in double figures, led by Alston Mason with 19 points, while Matthew Lee tallied 14 points and 5 assists. Cesare Edwards racked up 13 points off the bench, while N.J. Benson registered 11 points and 11 rebounds for his seventh double-double of the season and third in four games.
Just over three minutes into the second half, the Bears (15-13, 7-10) cut into a double-figure deficit with 9-3 run to make it a 45-40 game with 14:34 to play. A dunk by Benson and hook shot from Benson preceded a bucket and three-pointer from Mason to close out the two-minute stretch.
Bradley, however, responded with a 15-2 push over a critical five-minute segment from the 14-minute mark until Lee’s free throw broke the stretch with just under 9 minutes remaining.
Benson’s traditional three-point play with 8:19 to go made it a 62-46 contest, and that would be as close as the home club would get the rest of the way. Deen reeled off five triples and a layup in the span of five minutes before he was whistled for a technical foul with five minutes left in the game.
Not content to ride it out, the Braves kept their foot on the gas for the remainder of the night, dumping in three more triples with the game in hand, including Deen’s ninth of the game with 2:53 to go.
Bradley finished the game 33-of-62 (.532) from the field overall, 16-of-33 (.485) from long range and 4-of-7 (.571) at the line with a 33-31 rebounding edge, 19 assists and 9 steals.
The Bears were 20-of-51 (.392) overall from the field, 4-of-13 (.308) from 3-point range and 18-for-26 (.692) at the line with 11 turnovers.
In the first half, Malevy Leons scored 8 of his 10 points in the final six minutes of the period to help push the visiting Braves up, 33-27, at the game’s midway point.
The Bears missed their first eight field goal attempts of the night but steadied the ship enough to shoot 45 percent for the stanza. Edwards scored MSU’s last 7 points of the opening period and had nine overall at the break.
The Bears now begin a two-game Valley road swing through Belmont and Illinois State. Saturday’s game at Belmont (5 p.m.) will be a national telecast on ESPNU.
MSU returns to Great Southern Bank Arena for its regular-season finale on Sunday, March 3 to take on UIC at 1 p.m. on senior night.
