Bradley University (Ill.) 83, UW-La Crosse 66
Peoria, Ill. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse men's basketball team fell 83-66 at National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Bradley University (Ill.) in an exhibition game Sunday afternoon in Carver Arena in front of a crowd of 4,682.
UWL, coming off a 16-10 overall and 10-4 mark in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) last season, took a 2-0 lead on a
Ben Meinholz layup and tied the game at 4-4 on a Zach Schradle tip-in, but Bradley (Ill.) used a 10-0 run to lead 14-4 with 14:35 remaining in the first half. A
Sam Skoyen jumper cut the deficit to 14-8, but UWL could get no closer the rest of the game.
Bradley (Ill.), coming off a 5-27 overall and 3-15 season in the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC), led 26-17 when back-to-back three-pointers from Ronnie Suggs and JoJo McGlaston gave the Braves a 32-17 lead with 8:47 left.
The Eagles cut the lead to 38-30 with 2:07 remaining on a pair of Schradle free throws before Darrell Brown's three-point field goal gave the Braves a 41-30 halftime lead.
Tanner Bruchs hit a three-pointer for UWL to start the second half to make it 41-33 before Bradley (Ill.) went on a 11-0 run to lead 52-33. The Braves led 62-38 with 12:57 remaining and by as many as 25 points at 79-54 with 4:40 left. UWL scored 12 of the final 16 points in the game.
UWL shot 39.1% from the field, including 18.8% (three-of-16) from the three-point range, and 61.9% (13-of-21) at the line. The Eagles had nine assists and nine turnovers in the game while also recording eight steals.
Schradle led UWL with 16 points and 12 rebounds, finishing five-of-13 from the field and six-of-nine at the free throw line. Meinholz had 14 points and four assists, going five-of-10 from the field and four-of-six at the line. Bruchs and Lane Von Rueden each finished with six points as 13 different players scored for the Eagles.
Bradley (Ill.) shot 50.0% from the field, including 36.0% (nine-of-25) from three-point range, and 66.7% (18-of-27) at the line. The Braves totaled 16 assists, 18 turnovers and six steals.
Antoine Pittman led four players in double figures with 12 points while Suggs finished with 11. Darrell Brown and Dwayne Lautier-Ogunleye each had 10 points.
UWL, the defending WIAC champion, was picked to finish second in the 2016-17 league standings behind UW-Oshkosh.
UWL opens its 2016-17 regular season Thursday, November 17 at Lakeland College (Wis.) at 7 p.m.
