The long wait to play Northwestern wasn’t worth it after all for Bradley.
After jumping to a 6-0 lead in the first two minutes, the Braves were completely dismantled by the Wildcats in the next 38 before the final buzzer mercifully sounded with a 78-51 Northwestern victory in a semifinal game of the Fort Myers Tip-off. It was the first meeting between the schools in 34 years.
In Wednesday’s 5 p.m. consolation game, Bradley will play Kansas State, a 63-59 loser to Pittsburgh in the first game at the Suncoast Credit Union Arena.
Monday’s 27-point BU defeat marked the most lopsided loss ever for a Bradley team in a regular-season tournament game.