PEORIA, Ill. -- Junior guard Will Franklin (Houston, Texas/Alief Hastings H.S.) came off the bench for the first time this season and scored a game-high 21 points, leading six Bradley players in double-figures and the Braves (10-4, 1-1) to an 85-78 Missouri Valley Conference men's basketball victory versus Evansville (9-5, 2-1) in front of 10,241 fans Saturday night at Carver Arena.
Bradley matched its longest home winning streak in the five-year Jim Les coaching era by securing its 15th consecutive win at Carver Arena. The Braves also extended their Valley home winning streak to seven games. Both are the longest active streaks in the league.
The bulk of Evansville's scoring came from three players -- Matt Webster, Bradley Strickland and Kyle Anslinger -- all of whom scored 20 points. Bradley point guard Daniel Ruffin (Peoria, Ill./Central H.S.) followed Franklin with 17 points. Jeremy Crouch (Pekin, Ill./Pekin H.S.) and Zach Andrews (Rancho Cordova, Calif./Cordova H.S.) each scored 11, while Matt Salley (Charlotte, N.C./North Mecklenburg H.S.) and J.J. Tauai (Verona, Mo./Verona H.S.) each chipped in with 10.
After battling back from a 10-point deficit, 32-22, in the final 3:16 of the first half to forge a 35-35 halftime tie on Anslinger's buzzer-beating 3-pointer, Evansville shot 61.9 percent (13-21) from the field and 93.8 percent (15-16) from the free throw line in the second half to remain within striking distance. The Braves, however, once again relied on their pressure defense to hold off the visitors, forcing Evansville into a season-high-tying 19 turnovers, including 12 after the break.
After Evansville used a 9-0 run to erase its largest deficit of the second half and pull even at 71-71 with 3:40 remaining, Franklin swung the momentum back to Bradley with two key plays. First the 6-foot guard grabbed an offensive rebound on a Crouch misfire from 3-point range and buried his fifth 3-pointer on the night to put the Braves back in front for good, 74-71, with 3:15 left. Franklin then got a steal at midcourt and went in for a layup for a 76-71 lead with 2:54 remaining. Following a Webster turnover on Evansville's next possession, Tauai completed an old-fashioned 3-point play for a 79-71 advantage with 2:01 left. From there, Bradley made enough free throws, 6-for-8, to fend off the Purple Aces.
Saturday's matchup featured the nation's top-ranked 3-point shooting team against the Valley's best 3-point percentage defense. Bradley's gunners won out as the Braves drained 13-of-29 (.448) attempts. Franklin (5-7) and Ruffin (5-8) combined to make 10-of-15 (.667) by themselves.
In the final game of the calendar year, Bradley ended 2006 with a 25-12 record, equalling the sixth-most wins the Braves have ever recorded in one calendar year and matching the most since point guard Jim Les helped Bradley to a 25-7 record in 1986.
The Braves will return to action Tuesday at 7:05 p.m. by hosting Missouri State (10-3, 1-1) in another Valley clash at Carver Arena. The Braves then will go on the road for four of their next five, beginning with games next week at #16 Wichita State (Thursday) and Drake (Saturday).
