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Bradley takes lessons learned into home opener

PEORIA — College basketball season openers, especially on the road, are often revealing.

For Bradley, in its 86-81 loss at Saint Joseph’s on Tuesday, the lessons learned are largely fixable.

“We’ve gotta protect the paint better — earlier help, early recovery,” said BU coach Brian Wardle. “We got some great shots. We need to finish better around the rim. Little things that are all controllable.”

Bradley’s defensive focus was on the 3-point shot, which seemed well-placed. Half of the Hawks’ 62 shots came from beyond the arc and they only made six of those 31 attempts for 19 percent.