KISSIMMEE, Fla. — The Bradley Braves basketball team faced off against the UC San Diego Tritons in the semifinals of the Terry’s Chocolate ESPN Events Invitational, but went into halftime trailing 44-33. The Tritons closed the half with a surge, scoring eight straight points while the Braves were unable to score in the final 2:30.
Bradley built an early advantage, leading by as much as nine points in the first five minutes of play. Fifth-year guard Alex Huibregtse knocked down two 3-pointers, and rookie guard Montana Wheeler contributed another, helping the Braves to a quick 13-4 lead. However, the tide turned when UC San Diego began to rally, with Aidan Burke hitting a three-pointer that contributed to an 11-5 run, narrowing Bradley’s lead to just one point before taking their first lead at 25-23.
As the half progressed, the Tritons continued to gain momentum, fueled by consecutive layups from Hudson Mayes and Tom Beattie. They entered the break with a solid lead after an impressive finish.
Bradley, now sitting at 3-3, had previously secured a victory against Princeton in the quarterfinals, while UC San Diego maintained an impressive 5-0 record after defeating Temple. The winner of this game advances to the title match on Wednesday, where they’ll face the victor of the Towson-Liberty semifinal.
Expert predictions before the game pointed to a competitive matchup. Various analytics tools gave Bradley a slight edge, with projections hinting at a close contest. The KenPom rankings had UC San Diego ranked 115th and Bradley slightly lower at 123rd, indicating how closely matched these teams are.
As the Braves transition into the second half, they will look to regroup and utilize their strong defensive skills witnessed earlier in the season to claw back into the game. This tournament represents a crucial opportunity for both teams to showcase their talents on a national stage and make significant strides early in the season.