Courtney Stanley’s 45-footer at the final buzzer was an emotional game-winning shot Wednesday night at Carver Arena for Loyola.
But the 68-65 Bradley basketball defeat — the first time since 1984 the Ramblers had won here — before a stunned crowd of 9,017 seemed to be a lost cause long before that.
This was a game the Braves led by 11 points at halftime and by a dozen three minutes into the second half.
Collapse is a kind description for what happened to the home team in the final 17 minutes.
Bradley (5-4) went through two scoreless droughts — one for seven minutes and one for three. Unfortunately, the three-minute dry spell was the final 180 seconds of the contest after BU had taken a 65-60 lead.
It featured three ugly turnovers — a Sam Maniscalco stumble, a Taylor Brown travel and a horrific Brown pass into the teeth of the defense. Loyola scored off all three, tying the game at 65 and setting up Stanley’s final heroics.
In the last three minutes “they made plays and we didn’t,” said BU coach Jim Les. “We had opportunities we didn’t take advantage of and they did. But I told the team it shouldn’t have come to that. We showed such a lack of maturity at halftime and our approach coming out of halftime, I told ’em (after the game) I was very disappointed in ’em.
“We had guys who were cruising because we were up 11. Experienced guys who know better and know how quickly the game can turn. By the 3-minute mark, the momentum was in their favor, It shouldn’t have come to that. This team and its leaders should show more maturity.”
Despite getting destroyed on the boards 39-25, despite another pathetic night at the free-throw line (9-for-18, including 5-for-12 in the second half), despite collecting a grand total of three offensive rebounds, despite repeated defensive breakdowns, Bradley still had a five-point lead and the ball with two minutes left.
Then came four empty BU possessions.
Maniscalco lost the ball dribbling into the lane, leading to a Terrance Hill jumper. 65-62.
Brown took too many steps trying to make a baseline move, leading to a Hill free throw. 65-63.
Brown made an ill-advised pass into a sea of maroon-clad uniforms, leading to two more Hill free throws. 65-65.
Brown missed a 15-footer and 6-foot-3 Aric Van Weelden snagged the rebound with 2.5 seconds left.
Loyola called time. When the teams came back onto the court, the Braves did not guard the inbounder.
“Bradley did exactly what I hoped they wouldn’t do (on the inbounds play), drop one guy to play five on four,” said Loyola coach Jim Whitesell. “We were looking for something for (Walt) Gibler or Hill, but they took that away. Courtney made a heckuva shot when those options were taken away.
“But I don’t think I can take credit for that. Sometimes you need good fortune and we got it tonight. you especially need that to beat Bradley at Bradley.”
Said Stanley: “I just knew it was going in. I told my teammates before the play that I was going to make that shot. We had worked too hard to come back to lose now.”
The stinging loss took away from a torrid-shooting BU first half. The Braves hit eight of 11 3-pointers to forge a 42-31 lead at the break.
Freshman reserve Milos Knezevic was particularly hot, sinking all four of his shots — three of them 3s — in a four-minute stretch that turned a 13-8 Bradley deficit into a 26-19 lead.
“I was happy with Milos’ minutes and his role on the team, playing behind Taylor,” Les said. “I felt pretty comfortable with his role and his involvement and execution.”
Les declared a back-to-basics approach starting at practice Thursday.
“It’s going to be demanded that every minute on the floor their concentration level, their execution level, their maturity level is getting better daily,” he said. “That’s on me to make sure I get it out of them and I’ll do my darndest to do that.
“I told ’em we’re great at being disappointed after the fact. We’ve got to do something about controlling our destiny during the game.”
Dave Reynolds can be reached at 686-3210 or at dreynolds@pjstar.com.
