CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Walt Lemon, Jr. scored a game-high 20 points and made off with five steals, leading Bradley (10-4, 2-0 MVC) to a 66-60 Missouri Valley Conference road win Wednesday night at Southern Illinois (7-6, 0-2 MVC).
The win is the first Valley road win for second-year Braves head coach Geno Ford, who saw the Braves go 0-9 on the MVC road as part of an overall 7-25 season in 2011-12.
Southern Illinois held a 56-53 lead following a Desmar Jackson basket with 3:33 left, but Lemon countered with a tough drive for one layup, then got a steal at midcourt for a breakaway basket to give the Braves the lead for good, 57-56, with 2:58 left. After a Davante Drinkard missed dunk, Lemon fed Eastman for a 3-pointer with 2:18 left and forward Tyshon Pickett for a layup and a 62-58 lead with 1:29 remaining. Lemon added the final nail when he hit a tough-angled bank from the left base line with 35 seconds left for a 64-58 lead.
Bradley will host defending league champion Wichita State (13-1, 2-0 MVC) in a 4:30 p.m. game Sunday at Carver Arena.
