Braves Host Drake on Hall of Fame Day

Bob Hunt - Photographer

Men's Basketball 2/3/2017 5:01:00 PM

Bradley (8-16, 3-8 MVC) vs. Drake (7-16, 5-6 MVC)
Game Details	Saturday, Feb. 4 • 3 p.m. • Peoria, Ill. • Carver Arena
Television	ESPN3
Radio	1470 WMBD
Game Notes	Bradley \| Drake
Game Coverage	Live Stats \| Twitter: @bradleyumbb \| Instagram: @bradleyumbb
Tickets	Ticketmaster \| (309) 677-2625

The Braves returns to Carver Arena to face Drake on Saturday afternoon. Bradley will also induct its latest Hall of Fame class as the schools meet for a 1 p.m. contest, which will be shown live on ESPN3.

PROMOTIONS
• Bradley will induct the latest members of the BU Athletics Hall of Fame at halftime with honorees including soccer goalie Chris Dunsheath, women's golfer Meaghan LeBlanc and the 1995-96 men's basketball team that claimed the MVC regular-season title and earned an NCAA Tournament bid.
• The 1995-96 basketball team will also sign autographs from noon to 12:30 behind section one, including Anthony Parker and Deon Jackson.
• A pottery sale featuring the works of the BU Pottery Club begins at noon on the main concourse.
• Every home game includes Kaboom!'s Korner in the Great Hall lobby. Saturday's contest features the Basketball Jam Bounce House, face painting from Wild Style Design Company and The Unique Twist Balloon Artist (from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.).

ABOUT THE BRAVES
• Bradley has lost its last six games of the season to fall to 3-8 in MVC play and 8-16 overall.
• The Braves lost their most recent contest on Wednesday at Southern Illinois, 85-65.
• Freshman Darrell Brown leads Bradley with 12.5 points per game and 63 assists, while junior JoJo McGlaston is second on the team with 8.3 points per game.
• Junior Donte Thomas leads the Braves with 6.0 rebounds per game, including a mark of 7.2 in conference play.
• As a team, Bradley is making 42.4 percent of its field goals with a 35.8 percent 3-point mark.

SERIES HISTORY
• In a series that dates back to 1942, Bradley has played Drake more than any other school in the program's history as the teams are set to meet for the 146th time.
• The Braves own an 83-62 advantage against the Bulldogs, marking the most wins for BU against any school.
• Last season, the schools split the season series with each team winning on its home court. Donte Thomas hit a late 3-pointer in the most recent meeting to give the Braves a 73-70 victory.
• Overall, the Braves are 50-19 against the Bulldogs in Peoria.

ABOUT THE BULLDOGS
• Drake is 7-16 during the 2016-17 campaign with a 5-6 mark in MVC play.
• The Bulldogs are 6-6 in their last 12 games after starting the season with a 1-10 record.
• Reed Timmer leads Drake with 16.2 points per game, while Billy Wampler is second with 10.2.
• De'Antae McMurray leads Drake with 67 assists, while T.J. Thomas has a team-best 5.0 rebounds.
• The Bulldogs are averaging 73.2 points per game overall – shooting 42.4 percent – but are allowing 76.2 per game – opponents are making 45.2 percent of their baskets.

ON THIS DATE
Record on Feb. 4: 17-12
Feb. 4 Highlight: In a meeting of two of the top MVC schools, Bradley rallied from a 17-point deficit to force overtime against defending champion Tulsa on Feb. 4, 1996. The Braves then outscored the Golden Hurricane, 19-6, in the extra session with Anthony Parker scoring the first 10 BU points en route to an 85-72 victory.

SECOND-HALF BLUES
• In the last three games, the second half has proven to be costly for the Braves.
• Bradley has played nearly an even first 20 minutes, being outscored 30.0 to 28.3. However, the Braves have lost the second half, 43.0 to 26.3.
• Defense has been the biggest factor as Bradley is allowing teams to shoot 58.2 percent from the field and 51.9 percent from 3-point range during the last three games in the second stanza.

HODGSON GAINING CONFIDENCE
• Rookie point guard Jayden Hodgson is showcasing his talent as of late as he becomes more comfortable with the college game.
• Hodgson is second on the Braves with 9.4 points per game since Jan. 18, scoring 47 total points in the five-game stretch.
• In his first 19 career contests, the rookie totaled only 63 total points – an average of 3.3 per game.
• The rookie's recent push has led to ranking third in MVC games only with a 3-point percentage of 51.9 percent (he made just 21.4 percent of his 3-pointers in non-conference action).
• Hodgson has also proven to be among the team's best ball handlers. The freshman ranks first on BU in MVC games with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.2 (second in all games with 1.1).

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