Bradley Braves Face UC San Diego in ESPN Invitational Semifinals

KISSIMMEE, Fla. — The Bradley Braves are facing off against the UC San Diego Tritons in the semifinals of the ESPN Events Invitational this afternoon. The game is taking place at the State Farm Field House.

Bradley started strong, with fifth-year guard Alex Huibregtse hitting two three-pointers and freshman guard Montana Wheeler adding another, giving the Braves a quick 13-4 lead within the first four minutes of play. However, UC San Diego responded, cutting the lead to 23-22 thanks to a three-pointer by Aidan Burke.

As the first half unfolded, UC San Diego picked up momentum with an 11-5 run, giving them their first lead of the game at 25-23. In the closing minutes of the half, consecutive layups from Hudson Mayes and Tom Beattie pushed the Tritons to a 36-31 advantage.

Bradley, entering the game with a 3-3 record, won their quarterfinal against Princeton, while UC San Diego, undefeated at 5-0, advanced after defeating Temple. The winner of this match will face the winner of the Towson–Liberty semifinal for the championship on Wednesday.

With the first half coming to a close, Bradley’s defense struggled against UC San Diego’s shooting, which improved to 33% from the field compared to Bradley’s earlier success. The Braves started with Jaquan Johnson and Alex Huibregtse as guards along with forwards Timoty van der Knaap, AJ Smith, and 7-foot-1 center Ahmet Jonovic.

Live updates from the game continue as both teams battle for a spot in the title match.