Bradley defeats Evansville 90-94

Bradley Bounces Back from 7-Point Halftime Deficit to Edge Evansville 94-90

In a thrilling conference matchup, the visiting Bradley Braves (50-14) overcame a 7-point halftime deficit to defeat the home-standing Evansville Purple Aces (22-12) 94-90 at Ford Center on Thursday night. The win marks Bradley's third straight victory and keeps their playoff hopes alive.

The game was tied at 29-29 at halftime, but Evansville's Leif Moeller took over in the second half, scoring 13 points to push the Purple Aces' lead to as many as 13. However, Bradley's Jaquan Johnson had other plans. The senior guard scored 15 points in the final period, including five straight to tie the game with just over a minute remaining.

Moeller, who finished with 26 points and six assists, tied the game at 89-89 with just seconds left before Johnson hit a jump shot to put Bradley up by two. Moeller responded with a three-pointer of his own, but Bradley's Ahmet Jonovic rebounded the miss and scored an easy layup to seal the win.

Johnson finished with 35 points, including five three-pointers, on 12-of-19 shooting from the field. He also added seven assists and six steals. Jonovic added 15 points and 12 rebounds for the Braves.

The game was a back-and-forth affair, with both teams trading baskets and neither able to gain a significant advantage until the final minutes. The largest lead Evansville held in the first half was 13 points, but Bradley's strong second-half performance ultimately proved too much for the Purple Aces.

In the advanced statistics department, Bradley shot 54.5% from the field and 77.0% from the free throw line, while Evansville shot 51.0% from the field but struggled with three-pointers at just 46.0%. The Braves also outrebounded the Purple Aces by five, including a significant advantage on the offensive glass.

The win marks Bradley's third straight victory over Evansville and keeps their playoff hopes alive in the Missouri Valley Conference.