The last time Bradley won an in-season basketball tournament away from Peoria, Joe Stowell was a second-year head coach for the Braves and Joe Allen was the team’s star en route to a Sugar Bowl tourney championship over Tennessee.
Fifty-two years later on Wednesday, the Braves did it again, edging Penn State 59-56 in the Cancun Challenge title game. The defensive battle came in the ballroom of the Hard Rock Hotel.
They won despite getting out-rebounded 45-28, despite going just 9-for-17 from the free-throw line and despite totaling just three points in their last 10 possessions.
“Your defense has to outlast your offense,” said BU coach Brian Wardle.