George Washington vs. Bradley recap: Braves keep Colonials at bay all night, hand GW its fourth loss

Trailing by as many as 19 points to begin the second half, the George Washington Colonials pulled to within four late Tuesday night from Carver Arena in Peoria, Ill., but were unable to complete the comeback, falling to the Bradley Braves 72-68.

The Colonials first pulled to within four at 68-64 with less than 80 seconds remaining, but a layup by Bradley's Walt Lemon Jr. and key free throws by guard Dyricus Simms-Edwards in the closing moments kept George Washington from getting any closer.

Bradley center Jordan Prosser, who finished with 17 points and eight rebounds, and Simms-Edwards, who finished with 11 points, helped the Braves get out to an early lead. The Braves kept the Colonials from leading at all on Tuesday night despite guard Patricio Garino's 24 points and rebounds. Isaiah Armwood also contributed a double-double of 12 points and 12 boards in the loss.

Two free throws by Dwayne Smith as the game came to a close provided the final margin, but George Washington simply wasn't able to make up the deficit it created in the first half.

Colonials forward John Kopriva was especially effective off the bench, going for 11 points and three rebounds in limited action.