How Bradley Braves basketball lost road opener at Davidson, prep for Coppin State duel next

On Tuesday, the Bradley Braves faced a challenging start against the Davidson Wildcats in Davidson, N.C., losing their season-opening road game 62-45. The Braves finished the season with 1-2 record, while Davidson climbed to a convincing 3-0 mark. As the underdog, Bradley entered the game with an 11.5-point deficit, but managed to close the gap to four points in the second half before fading.

The trip included upcoming matches against Coppin State and George Mason in the Showdown in St. Pete at St. Petersburg, Fla. In the first half, the Braves scored 20 points, shooting 26.9% from the field and 1 of 10 from 3-point range. The home opener against Pacific last weekend saw Bradley score 19 points in the first half, shooting 21.4% from the field and 3 of 13 from 3-point range.

Head coach Brian Wardle mentioned that the team's offense was struggling, and he acknowledged that there would be growing pains as they adjusted to the new five-out, motion-oriented system. Veteran guard/forward Timoty van der Knaap made his regular-season debut after recovering from a foot injury, but struggled to hit any shots.

The Braves are currently without their starting guard duo, Dietrich Richardson and Georgi Gerganov, with Richardson dealing with a foot injury and Gerganov out for the season due to a major knee injury. The team's next challenge will be facing Coppin State, with a crucial win needed to maintain their slim lead in the standings.