Bradley Hosts Southern Illinois in MVC Opener on Thursday

Bradley University Marketing

Men's Basketball 12/28/2016 3:16:00 PM

Bradley (5-8, 0-0 MVC) vs. Southern Illinois (7-6, 0-0 MVC)
Game Details	Thursday, Dec. 29 • 7 p.m. • Peoria, Ill. • Carver Arena
Television	ESPN3
Radio	1470 WMBD
Game Notes	Bradley \| Southern Illinois
Game Coverage	Live Stats \| Twitter: @bradleyumbb \| Instagram: @bradleyumbb
Tickets	Ticketmaster \| (309) 677-2625

Bradley men's basketball begins Missouri Valley Conference play on Thursday with a home game against Southern Illinois. The schools are set to meet at Carver Arena at 7 p.m. with the game shown live on ESPN3.

HALL OF FAME INDUCTIONS
• Former Bradley stars Marcellus Sommerville and Lindsay Stalzer will be inducted into the Bradley Athletics Hall of Fame during a halftime ceremony on Thursday.
• Sommerville played for the Braves basketball team from 2003 to 2006, earning first-team All-MVC honors in 2004 and 2005. He ranks 14th in school history with 1,493 career points and helped lead Bradley to the 2006 Sweet 16.
• Stalzer (2002-05) was named the 2005 MVC Player of the Year in volleyball after leading the nation with 720 kills. She is the only three-time first-team All-MVC selection in school history.

MORE PROMOTIONS
• Every home game also includes Kaboom!'s Korner in the Great Hall lobby. Thursday's contest features the Basketball Jam Bounce House, face painting from Wild Style Design Company and The Unique Twist Balloon Artist.

ABOUT THE BRAVES
• Bradley finished its non-conference season with a 5-8 record, losing its last three contests.
• Freshman Darrell Brown leads BU with 11.6 points per game and 35 assists this year, making 47.1 percent of his 3-pointers.
• Junior JoJo McGlaston ranks second with 9.0 points per game, while sophomore Dwayne Lautier-Ogunleye is third with 8.4.
• Freshman Koch Bar has collected a team-leading 6.2 rebounds per game.
• As a team, BU is making 43.1 percent of its field goals with a 34.8 mark beyond the 3-point line.

SERIES HISTORY
• In a series that dates back to 1927, Bradley holds a slight advantage in the all-time series, 46-44.
• The Braves have had the better of the Salukis in Peoria, winning 28-of-42 contests at home.
• While the school have split the last eight meetings, Southern Illinois swept the season series from the Braves last season, posting a 65-44 win at Carver Arena before a 71-59 victory at home.
• SIU's win in Peoria snapped a three-game winning streak for the Braves against the Salukis at Carver Arena.

ABOUT THE SALUKIS
• Southern Illinois enters Missouri Valley Conference play with a 7-6 record. The Salukis last played on Dec. 22, earning a 78-70 win versus UT Martin.
• Armon Fletcher led SIU during non-conference action with 14.5 points per game.
• Mike Rodriguez ranks second with 13.8 points per game with a team-best 67 assists, while Sean O'Brien is third with 11.0 points to go with a team-leading 7.6 rebounds.
• The Salukis are making 46.7 percent of their shots this year with a 32.6 percent clip from 3-point range.

ON THIS DATE
Record on Dec. 29: 20-14
Dec. 29 Highlight: Marking the 50th anniversary of the team's Sugar Bowl Championship, the Braves opened the 1966 tournament with a 60-53 victory against Tennessee. Joe Allen and Al Smith both scored 20 points in the winning effort as the Braves advanced to play Utah in the championship game.

BRAVES IN MVC OPENERS
• Bradley owns a 35-29 all-time mark in Missouri Valley openers (.547 winning percentage).
• The Braves are 25-7 when beginning the conference season at home (78.1 winning percentage).
• Bradley has lost its last three openers and five of its last six but the team was victories the last time the Braves opened Valley play at Carver Arena, posting a 67-57 win during the 2012-13 season versus Drake.

GETTING DEFENSIVE
• The focus for the Braves as of late has been on the defensive side of the ball.
• After allowing 75.7 points during the season's first nine contests, the Braves have lowered that number by nearly 15 points the last four contests with BU surrendering just 61.0 during that stretch.
• The Braves are limiting their opponents to 35.2 percent shooting and 28.8 percent from 3-point range throughout the four-game stretch.

STOPPING THE BEST
• One key for the Braves during the stretch has been the team's ability to shut down its opponent top scoring guard.
• Starting with the Chicago State contest, Bradley has not allowed its opponent's top scoring guard to reach 10 points in any game.
• The four players, who average 15.0 points per game, were held to just 5.0 points per game with a 16.2 shooting percentage and a 20.0 3-point percentage.
• Sophomore Antoine Pittman often draws the initial assignment of guarding the opposing team's top threat on the perimeter.
• Armon Fletcher is the Salukis' top scoring guard, averaging 14.5 points per game.

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