EVANSVILLE, Ind. (Interstat) — Jaquan Johnson scored a game-high 35 points and Bradley overcame a double-digit deficit and a late Evansville rally to outlast the Purple Aces 94-90 in overtime in a Missouri Valley Conference men’s basketball game Tuesday night at Ford Center.

The most critical sequence unfolded in the final minute of regulation, transforming a game Evansville seemed to have secured into a frantic dash to an extra period. With Bradley trailing 79-77 and 31 seconds left, Evansville’s AJ Casey was fouled and made both free throws to push the lead to four. Johnson answered with a clutch 3-pointer with 46 seconds remaining to cut the deficit to one.

After an Evansville timeout, the Braves’ defense forced a turnover, and Johnson found Demarion Burch for a layup to give Bradley an 82-81 lead with 2:01 left, its first advantage since the game’s opening minutes. Evansville’s Bryce Quinet, who finished with 20 points, then drilled a 3-pointer to put the Purple Aces back up 84-82. Johnson tied it again with two free throws, but Leif Moeller’s driving layup with 44 seconds left gave Evansville an 86-84 edge.

Montana Wheeler’s jumper with 36 seconds left tied the game at 86, setting up a final possession for Evansville. The Purple Aces ran the clock down, but Moeller’s contested 3-point attempt at the buzzer missed, sending the game to overtime tied.

Bradley seized control in the extra period, scoring the first seven points. Wheeler, who had 17 points, hit a jumper and Johnson added a driving layup. After a Moeller free throw, Wheeler sank two more from the line to make it 93-87. Evansville’s Alex Hemenway hit a 3-pointer with 13 seconds left to pull within 93-90, but Johnson sealed the win with a final free throw.

The victory did not come easily for the Braves, who trailed for nearly the entire regulation. Evansville, led by Moeller’s 26 points and six assists, built a 36-29 halftime lead by shooting 50% from the field and hitting five 3-pointers. The Purple Aces extended their lead to 13 points early in the second half before Bradley began its methodical comeback, fueled by defensive pressure.

Bradley forced 15 Evansville turnovers, converting them into 19 points, while committing only five turnovers themselves. The Braves also dominated inside, outscoring Evansville 48-26 in the paint, largely behind Ahmet Jonovic’s 15 points and three blocks. Johnson added seven assists and four steals to his 35-point effort, orchestrating the offense and defense down the stretch.

Evansville, which fell to 5-14 overall and 1-5 in the MVC, shot efficiently overall at 50.9% and made 11 of 24 from 3-point range but could not overcome its ball-handling issues and Bradley’s second-chance opportunities, as the Braves grabbed eight offensive rebounds.

Bradley improved to 13-6 overall and 4-2 in conference play. The Braves were projected as heavy favorites but found themselves in a fight until Johnson’s late-game heroics and the team’s overtime execution secured the road win.

The game’s combined score of 184 points sailed over the pregame over/under line of 141.5. An announced crowd of 4,089 at Ford Center watched the back-and-forth contest.

Bradley next travels to face Illinois State on Saturday. Evansville will host Illinois-Chicago next Tuesday.