How the Bradley Braves shut down Eastern Michigan's star and won in a blowout

PEORIA — The Bradley Braves dimmed Eastern Michigan's brightest star with a lights-out defensive effort Tuesday in a nonconference game before 4,110 at Carver Arena.

The Braves held 6-foot-10 NBA Draft prospect Emoni Bates to four points on 1-of-8 shooting in the first half, built a 20-point lead at the break, and never looked back on the way to an 89-61 blowout victory in what served as the opening round of the 2022-23 Cancun Challenge.

Bates, who dropped 30 points on No. 22 Michigan over the weekend, was frustrated with a smothering effort from opposing wing Zek Montgomery, fifth-year forward Ja'Shon Henry and forward Malevy Leons.

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"He (Bates) can make tough shots. That's what he can do," Bradley coach Brian Wardle said. "You just can't let a guy like that get going. And we didn't let him get going tonight. He's going to take tough shots and make tough shots and you got to live with that sometimes.

"I told our team before the game that the team that sacrifices for each other more is going to win. I like how we sacrificed for each other, protected each other and talked. That's what makes basketball a beautiful game. It's a team game. Talent doesn't always win."

Bates' talent, and a bit less-intense Bradley defense in the second half, left him with 20 points for the game on 6-of-14 shooting, plus three rebounds.

He netted 16 second-half points, seven of which came in the final 6:24 after Ville Tahvanainen's 3 gave Bradley a 34-point lead.

"I did get frustrated the last six minutes of the game when they got a lot of their points," Wardle said. " We were up by 30, and I didn't want that to happen. I wanted us to maintain that discipline and toughness. We lost focus a little bit there."

A 1-2 punch off the bench

Fifth-year forward Ja'Shon Henry and guard Ville Tahvanainen came off the bench and packed a wallop.

Henry had 11 points and five rebounds in 14 minutes in the first half and finished with 15 points in 23 minutes for the night. He was matched up often against Bates as Bradley made an effort to force him off the 3-point line and into contested jump shots.

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Tahvanainen had two assists, was 3-of-5 from 3-point range and had 11 points. He hit a 3 from straightaway with 6:24 left to give Bradley its largest lead, 78-44, shaking his head from side-to-side as he back-pedaled down the court afterward.

"Our game plan was to stop their two-headed monster, Bates and (guard Noah) Farrakhan," Tahvanainen said. "We did that. Offensively, a lot of guys got shots, Darius (Hannah) is super easy to play with and got (some dunks) and the crowd was in there helping, too."

That crowd, revved by a 22-4 Bradley run over the final six minutes, launched a standing ovation amid the last 20 seconds of the half.

"Very cool," Wardle said. "It was a fun game to watch and be part of. I heard them. We appreciated that and I know our players felt it."

Henry and Tahvanainen are a real weapon coming in off that Bradley bench. And they bring intangibles onto the floor with them.

"Ja'Shon Henry was huge off the bench for us," Wardle said. "Darius Hannah got us going, second half especially. And Malevy was the Malevy we know and expect to see the rest of the season.

"We have three very young starters in our lineup. This is Duke Deen's second year, Connor Hickman's second year, Zek Montgomery's second year. Zek and Duke and Darius do not have experience starting.

"But then we can come in with Ville and Ja'Shon, bring two vets in who can calm things down, execute better. We love that feeling. And they love playing together in that role."

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Don't let down

The Braves headed to the locker room up 41-21 at halftime, and Wardle did his thing.

"I told them at halftime, 'We're up 20' … the old 0-0 cliche at halftime doesn't work anymore … so you got to give them specific goals," the coach said. "I said, 'The way they get back in this game is if we turn it over on offense and they get 3s on defense. We have to lock down on the 3-point line … make it harder for them to come back.'

"I was proud of how we took care of the ball in the second half."

Bradley students behind the Eastern Michigan bench chanted "Over-rated" at Bates, after he opened the second half with a missed 3 to slide to 1-of-9 from the floor.

Another little 6-0 run over 1:47 put Bradley up 52-25 with 15:12 left on a layup by Pop Weathers, a dunk by Hannah and a layin from Leons.

Game over.

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Magnificent Malevy

Bradley forward Malevy Leons delivered a team-best 16 points, grabbed six rebounds and hit a pair of 3s.

It looked much like the performances he turned in regularly last season.

"We're really deep and we play well together," Leons said. "And our defense was good. I feel like we can stop a good player when we get all five guys working. You can't beat us when we do that."

Bradley improved to 2-1, while Eastern Michigan slipped to 1-2.

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They said it

∙ Bradley guard Ville Tahvanainen: "Bates is talented. We made it hard for him, took him out of his rhythm."

∙ Bradley coach Brian Wardle: "They are explosive dynamic jump-shooters and scorers, (Eastern Michigan forward Emoni Bates and guard Noah Farrakhan).

"They are a talented team. But I thought we had great team defense in the first half, frustrated them a little bit. We protected the paint, made them shoot contested jump shots, (defended) at the rim … and that ignited our transition the last 12 minutes. And that's where we got going."

∙ Wardle, on experience in the lineup being a factor: "Age matters, experience matters. When we played Utah State they had six seniors play in the rotation — I think two or three had wives and kids."

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Bravely Speaking

Bradley center Rienk Mast was on the floor, supporting his teammates during pre-game warmups, and moving well with his right knee in a brace. He said he hopes to get out of the brace this week — three weeks out from his MCL sprain in right knee. Mast says he'll eventually play in a game-day brace. … Eastern Michigan star Emoni Bates was not available for interviews after the game. His father, Elgin, was in the grandstand. ... Bradley sophomore wing Zek Montgomery finished with 10 points and 3 rebounds. His layup 2:12 after the opening tipoff marked the first points of the game and also a milestone for his career, putting him past 100 points. … Eastern Michigan coach Stan Heath drew a technical in the second half after officials whistled guard Noah Farrakhan for his fourth foul. Farrakhan, upset, then went to the other end of the floor and threw a hip into Bradley guard Duke Deen and fouled out. … The Braves had five players in double figures, including Malevy Leons (16 points), Ja'Shon Henry (15), Ville Tahvanainen (11), Connor Hickman (11) and Zek Montgomery (10). … Leons and guard Pop Weathers each had game-high six rebounds. … The Braves shot 53.4% from the field and were 7-of-21 from 3. … Eastern Michigan was 9-of-29 from the field in the first half (31%) but shot 55% in the second half. … The Braves had 10 steals. … Bradley is 31-9 all-time against MAC teams and 22-1 at home. … The Braves are 28-14 in November over the last six seasons.

Dave Eminian is the Journal Star sports columnist, and covers Bradley men's basketball, the Rivermen and Chiefs. He writes the Cleve In The Eve sports column for pjstar.com. Reach him at 686-3206 or deminian@pjstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @icetimecleve.

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Down the stretch

8:50 p.m.: Bradley 83, Eastern Michigan 56 with under 4 to go.

Connor Hickman with a driving layup, and Goanar Biliew adds a free throw. Emoni Bates hits a long, long 3 over Zek Montgomery. Bradley to the under-4 media break up 83-56.

Malevy Leons is rolling

8:30 p.m.: Malevy Leons with a game-high 16. Pop Weathers getting some run with starting point guard Duke Deen on the bench (four fouls).

Darius Hannah with a big dunk.

Bradley cruising 61-36 at the under-12 media timeout.

Bradley extends the lead

8:22 p.m.: Another little 6-0 run over 1:47 put Bradley up 52-25 with 15:12 left in the second half on a layup by Pop Weathers, a dunk by Darius Hannah and a layin from Leons, his 16th points.

HALFTIME: Bradley 41, Eastern Michigan 21

7:50 pm.: Bradley blew out the Eagles with a 22-4 run to the halftime buzzer, during which Leons added eight points.

The crowd launched a standing ovation in the final 30 seconds of the half.

Leons with 12 points and five rebounds at half, Henry with 11 points and five boards. Bradley shooting 5 of 10 from 3-point range (four different players with a 3).

Eastern Michigan's Emoni Bates with 4 points in 16 minutes at the half. Eagles are shooting 31%.

The 3s are falling

7:38 p.m.: Bradley builds a 27-17 lead with 5:29 left in the first half on consecutive 3s from Connor Hickman and Malevy Leons.

Emoni Bates has 1 point in 12 minutes.

A few minutes later, BU reaches the under-4 media break with a 29-18 lead.

Bradley builds a lead

7:26 p.m.: Ja'Shon Henry and Malevy Leons opened up the game with three unanswered buckets in a span of 65 seconds for a 12-8 lead at the under-12 media break.

Henry put home a layup, then Leons had a steal and drove the floor for a layin. Henry then faked Jalen Billingsley into the air near the left corner and drove around him to the rim for a layin.

Henry sank a turnaround jumper with under 9 minutes left in the half for 16-10 BU lead. Henry has game-high eight points.

The Emoni Bates matchup

7:02 p.m.: Bradley wing Zek Montgomery matched up against 6-10 Emoni Bates in the early going, and he gives Braves the game's first points in a layup 2:30 after tip. Someone in the crowd yelled "First one to 2 wins" as teams each had multiple scoreless possessions.

Ja'Shon Henry comes in off the bench and matched up against Bates now.

Starting lineups

6:52 p.m.: Bradley will roll with Connor Hickman and Duke Deen at guards, Zek Montgomery at wing and forwards Malevy Leons and Darius Hannah.

Eastern Michigan counters with forward Emoni Bates, plus forwards Colin Golson Jr and Legend Geeson, and guards Tyson Acuff and Noah Farrakhan.

This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Bradley basketball defeats Eastern Michigan, shuts down Emoni Bates