ST. LOUIS — Several of renowned jazz musician Curtis Lundy’s top songs are in the five-to-eight minute range. For Lundy’s son, Bradley guard Luqman Lundy, it only took 4:20 on a nationally televised Sunday stage to create one of the greatest sound tracks in BU basketball history.

Lundy, who had not yet taken a shot in the game, scored 11 points on 5-for-5 shooting during a second-half period from 14:59 to 10:39, to spark the Braves from an 18-point deficit to its first Missouri Valley Conference tournament championship in 31 years.

It was the greatest comeback in MVC tournament history.

“I know ‘The Arrival’ was our slogan, but really it was ‘The Comeback’ for us more than anything,” said Bradley coach Brian Wardle. “It’s how we stayed together and stayed positive, kept working and grinding and finding ways to win.”

The Braves (20-14) will receive the Valley’s automatic bid to the NCAA tournament, their first appearance in the Big Dance since 2006.

As things looked dismal Sunday in those first 25 minutes for the Braves, who set a title-game record low of just 15 first-half points, Lundy ignited his team by connecting on a 3-pointer from the right corner. Then came Lundy buckets on a breakaway layup, a drive down the lane, a 15-foot jumper and another driving layup.

“Luqman Lundy happened today,” said BU guard Nate Kennell, a member of the all-tournament team.

Said Lundy: “This could’ve been my last game. I didn’t want to go out like we were about to go out. I just wanted to bring energy like I always do.”

By the time Lundy’s barrage was done, the Braves were within four points. But it was another seven minutes of grind-it-out basketball with Northern Iowa before Bradley took its first lead of the game 49-48 on a Dwayne Lautier-Ogunleye 3-pointer at 3:42.

The Panthers quickly leaped ahead again on a Wyatt Lohaus jumper. But after a minute and a half of scoreless action came the turning point in Bradley’s favor.

Lautier-Ogunleye was fouled by AJ Green on a drive to the basket. But as the Bradley guard fell to the floor after the whistle, a dead ball contact technical foul was committed by UNI’s Luke McDonnell.

The Panthers forward’s hand made contact with DLO’s face, according to MVC officials coordinator Eddie Jackson after an official review. That’s an automatic technical.

DLO sank all four free throws. Elijah Childs, the eventual tournament MVP, would then score on the ensuing possession, turning a one-point deficit into a 55-50 lead with 1:43 left.

“It was a huge swing,” said Wardle. “We kind of call it the DLO effect. DLO just wears on you over time in a game. … He just never stops going. That’s why we love him so much. Eventually, he just wears you out. That’s kind of what happened in that play in a way.”

UNI wasn’t finished, scoring four quick points before Green’s potential go-ahead bucket failed to draw iron. Lautier-Ogunleye was fouled on the BU inbounds pass with two seconds left and made two more free throws for the final score.

Pandemonium ensued. Bradley students stormed the court and the Braves seemingly high-fived or hugged every one of them.

None of the celebrating young people, though, could fully appreciate what this moment meant for the long-suffering veteran Bradley fans.

It was the first time in the 29 years the event has been held in St. Louis that Bradley has won the title. And it was the first time since Hersey Hawkins led the nation in scoring 31 years ago that the Braves could call themselves MVC tournament champions.

“There’s only one group that gets to be the first ever,” said BU athletics director Chris Reynolds. “And we were that today.”

The journey for the five graduating Braves has been a rocky one. Four of them came to BU as part of Wardle’s first recruiting class in 2015, which finished with the program’s all-time worst record of 5-27.

“You can’t make this up,” said Lautier-Ogunleye. “We were naïve freshmen (four years ago), thinking we could make a massive impact. We won five games. We said we were going to change the program and it sounded ridiculous, it sounded outrageous. No one really believed it other than the guys that were here.

“We said we wanted to turn the program 360, change it completely and take it back to the rich tradition it had. Knowing that I’m able to do it with the rest of my guys today as a senior is a dream come true.”

Dave Reynolds can be reached at 686-3210 or at dreynolds@pjstar.com. Follow him on Twitter at davereynolds2.