CONWAY, S.C. — Middle Tennessee State’s road struggles continued Sunday evening as they fell to Bradley 80-69 at The HTC Center, dropping their second game of the season despite a spirited effort from their bench unit.
The Blue Raiders (5-2) struggled to find their shooting touch throughout the contest, particularly from beyond the arc where they connected on just 23.1% of their attempts. The cold shooting proved costly against a Bradley (6-1) team that seemed to have all the answers offensively, shooting an impressive 50% from the field and a blistering 45.5% from three-point range.
Chris Loofe provided a bright spot off the bench with a team-high 15 points for the Blue Raiders. The bench unit outscored Bradley’s reserves 24-10, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the Braves’ hot shooting. Essam Mostafa contributed 12 points in the paint, while Justin Bufford added 11 points, though he struggled from deep, going 1-for-4 from three-point range.
Middle Tennessee stayed competitive on the boards, trailing only slightly in the rebounding battle 37-33. However, Bradley’s perfect 12-for-12 performance from the free-throw line helped keep the Blue Raiders at bay whenever they threatened to make a run.
The loss marks a setback for MTSU, who had been off to a strong start this season. The Blue Raiders’ shooting woes proved too much to overcome, as their 40% field goal percentage and 6-for-26 performance from three-point range wasn’t enough to keep pace with Bradley’s efficient offensive attack.
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