Feb. 22, 2014
Box Score
Peoria, Ill. - Host Bradley used a 14-3 run to open the second half and never looked back, topping Loyola, 55-38, tonight at Carver Arena in Peoria, Ill. The Ramblers slip to 9-19 (4-12 Missouri Valley) while the Braves improve to 12-17 (7-9) with the victory.
"I thought we did a good job, defensively, on them in the first half and put ourselves in position to win," said head coach Porter Moser. "We just did not make shots tonight and turned the ball over too much. You are not going to win when you are minus 17 in the assist-to-turnover stat like we were tonight."
Neither team could get anything going, offensively, in the first half but Loyola managed to hang around on the strength of its defense. After a Christian Thomas basket gave the Ramblers an early 6-4 lead, Loyola went ice cold, missing seven shots and turning it over six times in a scoreless streak that spanned 8:25 on the clock. However, Bradley could not gain any separation and when Nick Osborne ended the drought with a tip-in Loyola was only down four, 12-8, with 8:11 left. Bradley led 19-12 after two Tyshon Pickett free throws at the 1:51 mark but the Ramblers closed strong, using a Jeff White three-pointer and a Thomas bucket to get within a pair (19-17) at halftime. Loyola shot just 29% in the period but held Bradley to 26% accuracy and the visitors also enjoyed a 22-15 edge on the boards.
Bradley's Austen Barnes opened the second half with a three-ball from the wing as part of a half-opening, personal 7-0 run that quickly made it a nine-point game. A White free throw and a driving basket from Doyle stemmed the tide but the respite was only momentary as Walt Lemon, Jr. hit a pair of jumpers, including a three-pointer, before feeding Pickett for a transition dunk to make it a 33-20 lead at the 13:49 mark. The lead ballooned to 20 points later on a Lemon, Jr. steal and jam and the Ramblers could not muster enough consistent offense to mount a serious charge.
Loyola finished the game shooting a season-low 26.5%, including 1-of-18 (6%) from downtown, while the Braves finished the night at 38% from the floor.
Thomas paced the Ramblers with nine points while Doyle added seven and White six in his return to his hometown. Lemon, Jr. was the only player in double figures for the game, finishing with 16 points on 5-of-18 shooting.
The Ramblers have a quick turnaround, traveling to Springfield, Mo. for a Tuesday night game with Missouri State. Tip time is scheduled for 7 p.m.
