Game of the Year? Bradley survives half-court heave, 3OT to beat Indiana State in classic
Out there, far into the night, basketball kept playing in Terre Haute, Indiana.
Bradley and Indiana State kept trading blows. One overtime wasn't enough, and neither was a second overtime.
The Braves won their Missouri Valley Conference opener 108-99 over the Sycamores, ending a marathon of a basketball game that's an early candidate for Game of the Year. Bradley had to survive multiple overtimes and a half-court prayer in the process.
The backstory:
The Braves started playing at 6 P.M. CT in Terre Haute. They ended after 9 P.M. It was the longest game the Braves have ever won in program history. The last triple-overtime game in Bradley history was a three-overtime loss to Missouri State on Feb. 26, 2015. The Braves lost the last three games that went to three overtimes or more.
It wasn't the longest game player, however. The longest game the Braves have played was a seven-overtime game – yes, seven – back during the 1981-1982 season in a loss to Cincinnati.
Braves' sophomore forward Timoty van der Knaap was the hero on Thursday, as he scored seven points in the third overtime to help clinch the win. He did so fighting foul trouble with four personal fouls. Alex Huibregtse scored 21 points for Bradley, while Indiana State's Ian Scott led all players with 24 points.
Bradley's Jaquan Johnson scored 20 points and added three steals before fouling out in the second overtime.
The Braves trailed 41-36 at halftime. Johnson scored 12 of his 20 points in the second half to help Bradley pull ahead.
TERRE HAUTE, IN - DECEMBER 18: Bradley Braves Guard Timoty van der Knaap (10) celebrates during the college basketball game between the Bradley Braves and the Indiana State Sycamores on December 18, 2025, at the Hulman Center in Terre Haute, Indiana.
Half-Court Stunner:
The Braves took a three-point lead on a free throw by AJ Smith. He hit his first, and missed the second.
Indiana State got the rebound and called timeout with a second remaining. That's when Sycamores' Jo Van Buggenhout's 61-foot 3-pointer tied the game and sent it into overtime.
"Heck of a shot, give him credit," Bradley head coach Brian Wardle told the Peoria Journal Star. "It stunk, but you gotta let the emotions go through for about a minute or so and then you just say, 'Alright, here we go, five more minutes. And you move on."
The Braves and Sycamores both scored nine points apiece in the first and second overtimes. Bradley erupted for 16 in the third overtime to earn a win on the road in a game that featured seven lead changes and was tied seven times.
What they're saying:
"It was a crazy game. I'm proud of the team, told them I'm very proud of every one of them," Wardle said, according to the Peoria Journal Star. "Everybody made winning plays at key moments. We're all tired now."
"We're 1-0, and got a big road win," Wardle told the Star. "The big lesson, we matured a little in this game. We kind of grew up a little bit in this game, and I hope we can build off it."