Bradley University Athletics

Sam Maniscalco Named Country Financial Scholar-Athlete of the Week

Bradley Secures 67-61 Win Against SIU-Edwardsville

Bradley University Men's Basketball 12/24/2008 3:45:00 AM

PEORIA, Ill. ? Sam Maniscalco and senior forward Theron Wilson each scored 17 points, leading Bradley (6-5) to a 67-61 men's basketball victory against visiting Southern Illinois-Edwardsville (2-10) Tuesday night at Carver Arena. Bradley shot 54.3 percent from the field to spoil the return of second-year SIU-Edwardsville head coach Lennox Forrester, who was an assistant on Jim Les' staff at Bradley from 2002-07.

Maniscalco and Wilson each scored 11 points in the second half to help hold off the Cougars. Junior guard Dodie Dunson added 10 points as the trio offset a near-perfect shooting night by SIU-E's Amir McCleary, who made his first seven field goal attempts en route to a game-high 23 points. The junior guard made all three of his 3-point field goal attempts and added a 6-for-6 effort at the free throw line.

McCleary converted on a variety of scoring of opportunities in the first period for almost half of his team's 29 points at the intermission. But the Braves got an 11-0 defining run starting at 10:53 in the first half on a Darian Norris jumper. Five different Braves chipped in during the span. Only McCleary could stop the Bradley push two minutes after it began. By then the Braves had their second-largest lead of the game, only to be surpassed when Maniscalco connected from long range to give Bradley a 45-33 lead.

Bradley big man David Collins blocked four more shots on Tuesday. The swats give him 13 blocks in his last three contests. Collins also pulled down nine rebounds and added two steals.

Tuesday's game was Bradley's final non-conference tune-up before opening Missouri Valley Conference action Sunday at 1:05 p.m. against Southern Illinois at Carver Arena.

Print Friendly Version