Southern Illinois SIU 10-8, 2-3 MVC

Bradley BRAD 13-5, 3-2 MVC

Southern Illinois SIU

10-8, 2-3 MVC

Final

Jan. 09, 2018

Bradley BRAD

13-5, 3-2 MVC

Score By Periods
Team	1	2	F
Southern Illinois SIU	22	40	62
Bradley BRAD	30	38	68

Box Score

Thomas Leads Braves Past SIU, 68-62

Box Score (PDF)

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | 1/9/2018 10:37:00 PM

Peoria, Ill. – Senior forward Donte Thomas matched his career high with 22 points to lift the Bradley men's basketball team past Southern Illinois on Tuesday night, 68-62. With the win – Bradley's 11th-straight at Carver Arena – the Braves improve to 13-5 on the season and 3-2 in Missouri Valley Conference action, while the Salukis drop to 10-8 and 2-3 against league foes.

Thomas connected on 8-of-10 shots to lead the BU offense – scoring 15 of his 22 points in the second half, while also adding a team-leading seven rebounds. Sophomore guards Darrell Brown and Jayden Hodgson also added 11 points with Brown registering a team-best five assists and Hodgson setting his career high with four steals.

The Braves quickly rebounded from an early deficit and led for a majority of the first half. After falling behind, 6-0, and then trailing, 12-8, Bradley used a 12-3 spurt to pull in front by five, 20-15. The Braves then stretched their advantage to as many as nine points before settling for an eight-point lead at the break, 30-22.

BEAST MODE for Donte Thomas tonight as the Ameren Illinois Player of the Game finishes with a career-best 2?2? points (15 in the second half) and seven boards #TheMovement ??????? pic.twitter.com/i5JR8sKnbg
— Bradley Braves (@BradleyBraves) January 10, 2018

Overall, Bradley finished the half on a 25-12 run over the final 13:05. During the stretch, the Braves shot 52.6 percent, while holding the Salukis to just 27.8 percent shooting to swing the edge to BU's favor.

The Braves used the strong finish to the opening stanza to its advantage as the Braves ever trailed in the second half – answering Southern Illinois' run every time. Seven times in the final 10 minutes of the game, the Salukis pulled to within a single possession only to see the Braves respond all seven times with points on their ensuing possession.

With under three minutes remaining and a one-point lead after an SIU 3-pointer, Hodgson drove to the paint and finished a floater to push the edge back to three, 61-58. The Salukis pulled back within one with a jumper with 64 ticks remaining but Thomas then completed a three-point play on the other end – driving for a layup and finishing the and-1 with a free throw – as BU went up by four, 64-60. The Braves then calmly sealed the game at the free-throw line, where Bradley made 13-of-15 in the second half, for the 68-62 victory.

The Braves finished the game by shooting 47.1 percent from the field with a 15-of-18 mark from the charity stripe. Meanwhile, the Salukis shot 40.7 percent in the losing effort.

Bradley now hits the road for its next two games, starting at Loyola on Saturday. Game time in Chicago is set for 3 p.m.

Game Notes: The Braves' 11-game home-winning streak is the longest active streak in the Missouri Valley Conference and the team's longest since a 15-game run in 2006 … Thomas scored 22 points for the third time in his career … In five conference games, Thomas is averaging 13.8 points and 7.8 rebounds – shooting 65.8 percent (he averaged 8.5 points and 5.8 rebounds in 13 non-conference games) … The home team has won nine of the last 10 meetings between the two in-state foes … Bradley gained another point in the Battle for Illinois series (men's and women's basketball competition between four Valley schools from Illinois) and now leads the series with a perfect 3-0 record.

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