ST. LOUIS, Mo. – The Bradley Braves men’s basketball team likely still has a dance to go to, but may not be the big dance the team wanted.
The Braves, seeded number one in the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament, lost to Drake Sunday afternoon in the championship game, 77-51. Drake was seeded number two in the tournament.
The Braves had a 5-4 lead early, before the game ended up out of reach.
In a post-game interview, coach Brian Wardle says the team is now focused on the NIT Tournament title.
“We’ve been hunting people for a while, not today though, they came after us pretty hard, and obviously had a little chip on their shoulder from last weekend, and really played great. We never really got in rhythm,” Wardle said.
Bradley Senior Forward Ja’Shon Henry spoke with 25 News after the game.
“We didn’t do the things that we wanted to on the offensive/defensive side, came out a little flat and let our offense dictate our defense. And, they came out and hit big time shots and played hard,” Henry said.
Drake gets an automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament, while Bradley could still get an invitation. But, Bradley will likely receive an automatic invitation to play in the NIT.
The Braves defeated Drake last Sunday to take the MVC regular season title for the first time since 1996.
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The NCAA announces its “March Madness” tournament pairings next Sunday, March 12.
This story may be updated.
