Nov. 17, 2010

Box Score

PEORIA, Ill. - LMU found out why Bradley hasn't lost at home in November in 21 games, as the Braves overcame their second late game deficit in as many nights to earn a 59-57 win over the Lions on Wednesday night in Peoria, Ill.

Turnovers crushed the Lions as they had 24 that turned into 18 points for the Braves, who improve to 3-0. The Lions, who fall to 1-2, outrebounded Bradley 50-33, but the Braves stayed in the game with an 20 to 12 edge in free throws made (Bradley was 20-for-28, LMU 12-for-18).

"Its hard to score when you give them the ball 24 times," said Head Coach Max Good. "Our guard play has to get better, or this is going to be a long year. You aren't going to win much of anything when you can't take care of the ball."

Vernon Teel led all scorers with 15 points and added 10 rebounds for his seventh double-double . Drew Viney added 12 points and 10 rebounds, his fifth career double-double. Bradley was led by Sam Maniscalco with 14 points, and Dodie Dunson added 10.

It was a cold shooting night for both teams, and shooting droughts changed the game. Bradley finished hitting just 30 percent (17-for-56) from the floor while the Lions hit 38 percent (21-for-55).

"When you outrebound them by 17 and hold a team to 30 percent shooting, you have to win that game," said Good. "But when you don't take care of the ball, you aren't going to do anything."

The first drought came courtesy of LMU's defense.

With the score tied at the break, the Lions' defense held Bradley to just 1-for-14 shooting, kept them without a field goal for more than eight minutes and took a 46-39 lead on a three-pointer by Anthony Ireland with 9:58 to play.

The Braves finally got their second field goal of the half to end the drought when Dunson scored with 9:32 to play to cut it to 46-41. Teel would stretch the lead to eight, 54-46, on a three-point play with 7:19 to play.

LMU would then go on their drought.

Bradley would hold the Lions without a point for the next seven minutes and 14 seconds, and go on a 13-0 run in the process, taking a 55-54 lead on a Maniscalco jumper with 2:52 to play and then stretching it to 57-54 on a putback by Anthony Thompson with 108 to play. Will Egolf would make it 58-54 on a free throw with eight seconds to play.

The drought would end the way it started, on a Teel three-point play, this one with five seconds left to cut it to 58-57. The Lions would then foul on the inbound with 3.4 seconds to play. Maniscalco would hit one of two free throws, and Viney's three-pointer from half court was wide left.

The Lions took an early five-point lead with 10:38 to play in the first half thanks in large part to a 14-3 edge on the boards early. Three-point shooting would then work Bradley back into the game, as they would take a five-point lead of their own with 6:45 to play.

However, that would be the extent of the leads for both teams as it was back-and-forth throughout the first half, featuring 10 ties and six lead changes and went into the locker room knotted at 32. All told there were 11 ties and eight lead changes for the game.

The Lions continue their season opening road swing for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Tipoff in Springfield, Ill. The Lions will open with Dowling College on Saturday at 9 a.m. (PT). The game can be heard on KXLU 88.9 FM and through LMULions.com.