CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- Bradley sophomore center Patrick O'Bryant (Blaine, Minn./Blaine H.S.) scored a game-high 18 points, leading the Braves (17-9, 10-7) to 71-49 Missouri Valley Conference victory versus #25 Northern Iowa (22-7, 11-6) Wednesday night in front of 8,074 fans at the UNI-Dome.
Bradley snapped a 14-game losing streak versus teams ranked in the national polls, dating back to an 83-65 victory versus #20 UTEP in the first round of the 1986 NCAA Tournament in Ogden, Utah, when fourth-year Braves head coach Jim Les was the team's senior point guard. Bradley also earned its most-lopsided Valley road victory since a 79-53 win Feb. 1, 1998 at Drake to spoil UNI's Senior Night in the final Valley game in the 30-year history of the UNI-Dome.
Senior guard Tony Bennett added 13 points, six rebounds, two assists, two steals and a blocked shot for the Braves, while senior forward Marcellus Sommerville added 11 points, a game-high eight rebounds and three steals for the Braves. Northern Iowa senior guards Ben Jacoboson (16) and Erik Crawford (15) combined for 31 of UNI's 49 points.
Following the pregame Senior Night ceremony, Bradley hit the Panthers with a 17-5 burst to start the game. Crawford scored the game's first points on a basket at 19:19, but Bradley guard J.J. Tauai answered with the first of his three 3-pointers to put the Braves in front for good. The Panthers eventually closed to within 28-23 with 3:38 left in the first half, but the Braves scored the final four points of the period on baskets by O'Bryant and Lawrence Wright to take a 32-23 halftime lead.
The second half started with a back-and-forth exchange before a Crawford 3-pointer and Grant Stout basket pulled UNI within 41-37 with 14:37 left. Bennett's jumper 15 seconds later, however, triggered a 16-4 Bradley run that broke the game open.
Northern Iowa came into Wednesday's game ranked second in the Valley in scoring defense by allowing only 58.5 points per game and the Panthers had allowed as many as 70 points only one time the entire season. The Braves, who lead the Valley in scoring during conference play at 73.9 points per game, blistered the nets and scored their 71 points by shooting 59.6 percent from the field.
Conversely, Bradley held UNI to a season-low 49 points as the Panthers made only 38.2 percent of their field goal attempts.
Bradley outrebounded the hosts 33-23. The Braves also committed just 12 turnovers and 12 fouls, limiting Northern Iowa to two free throws in four attempts.
Bradley will close the regular-season by hosting Drake Saturday at 7:05 p.m. at Carver Arena. Saturday's game will be the final regular-season home game for four Braves seniors: Bennett, Sommerville, Wright and fifth-year center Brandyn Heemskerk.
