NEW YORK CITY - The Bradley men's basketball team played a role in the No. 1 "Moment in College Basketball History at Madison Square Garden."  The top three moments, which are being unveiled tonight by ESPN during the Big East/SEC Challenge, are headlined by CCNY's two victories against Bradley in the 1950 championship games of both the NIT and NCAA Tournaments, both played at "The World's Most Famous Arena."

Bradley joins CCNY as the only two teams to ever play in the championship games of college basketball's two most prestigious tournaments in the same season. 

Led by the All-American tandem of Gene "Squeaky" Melchiorre and Paul Unruh, the 1949-50 Braves amassed a 27-3 regular-season record and rolled through the Missouri Valley Conference with an 11-1 mark in their second year of membership in the league.  Riding a 12-game winning streak to end the regular-season, Bradley took the Associated Press' No. 1 national ranking into the NIT at Madison Square Garden, where the Braves faced a trio of hometown favorites.  After downing Syracuse (78-66) in the first round, Bradley knocked off #9 St. John's (83-72) in the semifinals, only to fall victim to CCNY in the championship game, 69-61.

Instead of ending the season with a trip home to Peoria, however, the Braves headed west to Kansas City to begin play in the NCAA Tournament.  Coach Chuck Orsborn's team played its way back to Madison Square Garden by downing #19 Kansas (59-57), #7 UCLA (73-59) and Baylor (68-66).  The 1950 national championship game against CCNY has long been remembered by Bradley fans for a non-call of a foul committed against Melchiorre in the closing seconds, allowing CCNY to pull out a 71-68 victory.

According to a release from MSG, the difficult task of selecting the top 10 moments was given to a panel of local basketball insiders, including past and present sports reporters, broadcasters, coaches and game officials. The comprehensive ballot itself highlights the storied history of Madison Square Garden's college basketball tradition.

Several of the moments listed on the ballot included:

• First-ever college games at MSG - NYU defeated Notre Dame and Westminster beat St. John's
• Ernie Calverley's 55-foot prayer to beat Bowling Green on March 14, 1946
• CCNY's NIT and NCAA championships in 1950
• Lew Alcindor's performance during the 1968 Holiday Festival
• Carol Blazejowski's 52-point performance against Queens College on March 6, 1977
• St. John's takes first Big East title on March 12, 1983
• Pearl Washington turns the Garden into "his house" on March 10, 1984
• The "Sweater Game" between Georgetown and St. John's on February 27, 1985
• UConn wins Big East title at the buzzer on March 10, 1996
• Coach Carnesecca's banner raised to the rafters on January 30, 2001
• McNamara's heroics lead Syracuse to Big East title in 2006
• Pitt defeats Duke in a battle of unbeaten teams on December 20, 2007

Although not included on the list, some of Bradley Basketball's most memorable moments occurred at Madison Square Garden, where the Braves claimed NIT championships in 1957, 1960, 1964 and 1982.  Bradley also played in the first-ever NIT at Madison Square Garden in 1938, then beat hometown favorite St. John's in the consolation final of the 1939 NIT at MSG.  The Braves also won a pair of preliminary round games against New York University at Madison Square Garden during the 1949 and 1959 NIT's.

For a little more flavor regarding the No. 1 College Basketball Moment in College Basketball History at Madison Square Garden," check out today's Associated Press feature story:  http://www.bradleyhoops.com/homepage/x987136312/CCNY-Bradley-named-top-Garden-hoop-moment.