PEORIA, Ill. (Interstat) — In a sloppy, defensive struggle decided by turnovers and timely shot-making, the Bradley Braves overcame a halftime deficit to edge the Washington State Cougars 64-60 in non-conference men’s basketball action Tuesday night at Carver Arena.

A crowd of 4,919 saw the Braves improve to 5-4, while the Cougars fell to 3-6 in a game where neither team shot better than 36% from the field and combined for 27 turnovers.

Washington State led 29-28 at intermission, fueled by efficient three-point shooting, hitting 5 of 9 in the opening period. The Cougars maintained a narrow edge early in the second half, but the game turned decisively on a 12-0 Bradley run over a five-minute span. The surge, keyed by relentless defensive pressure, transformed a 42-37 Washington State lead with 14:23 remaining into a 49-42 Bradley advantage at the 9:22 mark.

Bradley’s defense was the catalyst, recording 12 steals and forcing 20 Washington State turnovers, which the Braves converted into 28 points. Conversely, Washington State managed just 3 points off 7 Bradley giveaways.

“We just couldn’t handle their pressure,” a Washington State statement would likely have read. “They sped us up, and we made too many careless mistakes in critical moments.”

Demarion Burch led all scorers with 23 points for Bradley, including a crucial step-back three-pointer with 1:04 left that pushed the Braves’ lead to 60-57. Montana Wheeler and Jaquan Johnson each added 15 points, with Wheeler contributing three assists and three steals. Johnson filled the stat sheet with 10 points, three assists, and a game-high five steals, orchestrating the defensive havoc.

Washington State was led by Ace Glass III’s 15 points, all of which came in the second half as he tried to rally his team. The Cougars placed four others in double figures: ND Okafor, Tomas Thrastarson, and Eemeli Yalaho each had 10 points, and Jerone Morton added 8. Okafor, the 6-foot-9 forward from Ireland, also grabbed a team-high 7 rebounds and blocked two shots.

Despite the loss, Washington State was more efficient from the field, shooting 42.9% (21-49) compared to Bradley’s 35.5% (22-62). The Cougars also excelled from deep, hitting 8 of 16 three-point attempts (50%), while the Braves labored, connecting on just 7 of 30 (23.3%). Free throws told a different story, with Bradley making 13 of 22 and Washington State converting 10 of 12.

Bradley’s significant advantages came in assists (12-3), steals (12-3), and points off turnovers (28-3), ultimately overcoming their poor shooting.

Washington State’s final possession to tie came with 19 seconds left and Bradley leading 62-60 after two Alex Huibregtse free throws. The Cougars worked the ball to Thrastarson, whose contested 18-footer from the left wing missed with 6 seconds remaining. Ahmet Jonovic secured the defensive rebound for Bradley and was fouled, sealing the game from the line.

The Braves, who were 7.5-point pregame favorites, won despite the total score falling well under the over/under line of 157.5. Statistical models gave Bradley a 78.7% probability to win pregame.

Washington State returns home to face Nevada on Sunday. Bradley continues its homestand against Northern Illinois on Saturday.