Game Info
Game 15 - Bradley Braves (7-7, 2-2 MVC) at Missouri State Bears (12-3, 2-2 MVC)
Saturday, Jan. 9 - 2:05 p.m. CST - Springfield, Mo. - JQH Arena (11,000)
Series History - Missouri State leads 25-16
Television: Comcast Spotlight (Peoria 74 and Chicago 102) - Frank Bussone (play-by-play) and Dick Versace (analyst)
Radio: 1470 AM WMBD -- Dave Snell (play-by-play), Chuck Buescher (analyst) and Dan DiOrio (pregame studio host)
Online: BradleyBraves.com -- subscription video streams, free audio streams; MissouriStateBears - live stats
Return to the Road
After making a brief home appearance with a 91-85 overtime win Wednesday night versus Indiana State, Bradley returns to the road again, beginning a two-game trip Saturday afternoon at Missouri State...Missouri State is the only Valley team with a winning record against Bradley, but the Braves have won the last three meetings for their longest series winning streak against the Bears...After winning only three times in 17 tries at Hammonds Student Center, Bradley has a chance to become the first visiting team to win twice at the two-year old JQH Arena.
One-Two Punch
Through the first four rounds of league play, Bradley boasts the top two scorers in The Valley...Junior guard Andrew Warren leads the pack by averaging 21.8 ppg in the first four league games...Sophomore forward Taylor Brown checks in with 18.7 ppg...Warren, who has scored at least 13 points in nine consecutive games overall, has poured in at least 24 points in three of the first four league games...And if the Warren-Brown one-two punch was not enough, junior guard Sam Maniscalco is tied for seventh with 15.0 ppg against the MVC.
See You Next Week
Two of Bradley's next three games are being played against Missouri State...Following Saturday's game JQH Arena, Bradley will visit UNI Tuesday night, then will host Missouri State next Saturday afternoon at Carver Arena...Bradley has not faced the same team twice in a 3-game, regular-season span since 1998 against Southern Illinois...The Braves split that regular-season series, winning at home, 86-76, on Feb. 14, 1998 before falling at Southern Illinois, 70-66, on Feb. 21...Bradley faced a similar 2-of-3 stretch three other times from 1994-95 through 1997-98, sweeping Indiana State Jan. 7 &14, 1995; Creighton Jan. 3 & 10, 1996; and Drake Feb. 1 & 7, 1998.
Frequent Travelers
Bradley is the only Valley team to start the league schedule by playing four of its first six games on the road...The Braves will complete the 6-game opening stretch by visiting Missouri State Saturday and league-leader UNI Tuesday night (ESPNU)...Those two teams are a combined 14-1 at home so far this year...Those two road games will be Bradley's eighth and ninth away from home, compared to just seven at home...Bradley has split its first two Valley road games, winning at Drake and falling at Wichita State.
Bradley Basketball Coast-to-Coast
When Bradley visits UNI in its next game Tuesday night, Bradley fans will be gathering together across the country to watch the ESPNU telecast...The Bradley University Alumni Association has organized a national watch party at 21 locations in 18 cities around the country...For more information, visit http://www.bradley.edu/spotlight/10/coasttocoast/.
Trendy Numbers
.500 -- Bradley is 3-0 this year and 46-2 (.958) in the Jim Les era when shooting at least 50 percent from the field.
.400 -- Defensively, Bradley is 4-0 this year and 54-14 (.794) in the Les era when limiting the opposition to less than 40 percent shooting from the field.
60 -- Bradley is 4-0 this season and 48-7 (.873) in the Les era when limiting the opposition to fewer than 60 points.
70 -- Bradley is 4-1 this year when scoring at least 70 points, but 3-6 when scoring less than 70.
Percentages Tell Story
Field goal percentage has been the best predictor for Bradley's first 14 results...The team that has shot at a more efficient clip from the field has won 13 of Bradley's first 14 games: the Braves are 7-1 when they shoot a better field goal percentage than their opponent and 0-6 when the opponent has a better field goal percentage.
About The Stripe
The Braves rank second in The Valley by shooting 75.8 percent from the line through four rounds of conference play...Bradley also leads the league by averaging 24.8 free throw attempts per game in MVC play...Bradley has scored a league-best 75 points from the stripe in conference action.
Chasing 1,000 Points
Bradley junior guards Sam Maniscalco and Andrew Warren both are on pace to join the school's 1,000-Point Club this season...Maniscalco enters the weekend with 893 career points, while Warren owns 798 points...At his current average of 10.5 ppg, Maniscalco needs 11 more games to join the club -- Feb. 13 versus Northern Iowa...At his current average of 16.0 ppg, Warren needs 13 more games to hit the 1,000-point mark -- Feb.20 in the BracketBusters game...Bradley currently boasts 42 members of the 1,000-Point Club.
Back With A Vengance
After missing the entire 2008-09 season due to a stress fracture in his foot, junior guard Andrew Warren leads The Valley in scoring in league play at 21.8 ppg and he ranks second overall at 16.0 ppg...Warren has scored at least 13 points in nine consecutive games, including at least 24 in three of the first four Valley games...In addition to shooting 48.3 percent from the field, Warren has made 11-of-23 (.478) 3-point field goal attempts and 20-of-22 (.909) free throw attempts in Valley action.
Big Media Numbers
Now in his 31st year as the radio Voice of the Braves, Dave Snell has participated in 935 Bradley Basketball game broadcasts, all in succession, on WMBD AM 1470 since taking over play-by-play duties for the 1979-80 season...Snell will be inducted into the Bradley Athletics Hall of Fame next Saturday...Snell's longtime radio sidekick, Joe Stowell has been witness to 1,534 Bradley Basketball games in his various roles as player (103, 1947-50); assistant coach (250, 1956-65); head coach (344, 1965-78); assistant athletic director (107, 1978-85); and radio analyst (730, 1985-present)...Peoria Journal Star beat writer Dave Reynolds has covered 598 Bradley Basketball games, all in succession, since taking over the beat for the start of the 1990-91 season.
