Bradley BRAD 19-11, 9-8 MVC

Missouri State MSU 17-13, 7-10 MVC

Bradley BRAD

19-11, 9-8 MVC

Final

Feb. 21, 2018

Missouri State MSU

17-13, 7-10 MVC

Score By Periods
Team	1	2	F
Bradley BRAD	38	44	82
Missouri State MSU	41	37	78

Box Score

Braves Clinch Top-Five Seed for Valley Tournament

Box Score (PDF)

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | 2/21/2018 10:18:00 PM

Springfield, Mo. – Five Braves scored in double figures and a late run propelled the Bradley men's basketball team to an 82-78 road victory at Missouri State. With the win, BU clinches at least a five seed for the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament for the first time in eight years as it improves to 19-11 overall and 9-8 in league play. The Bears are now 17-13 and 7-10 in MVC play.

Sophomore Nate Kennell led the Braves with 20 points, connecting on 6-of-10 shots from beyond the arc. Junior Dwayne Lautier-Ogunleye chipped in 19 points to go with six rebounds, while sophomore Darrell Brown tallied 16 points and a team-best four assists. Senior Donte Thomas and sophomore Koch Bar added 10 points apiece with Thomas also collecting a team-leading seven boards.

? Top Five Seed in The Valley clinched for the first time since 2010 #TheMovement pic.twitter.com/wBMD9jTUox
— Bradley Basketball (@bradleyumbb) February 22, 2018

In the highest scoring first half of a Bradley game this season, the teams combined for 79 points in the first 20 minutes. Kennell caught fire from the start with five triples in the opening stanza, scoring 15 of his team-best 20 points to keep the Braves in the road contest. Missouri State made nine 3-pointers of its own in the period, including one in the dying seconds for a 41-38 edge at the intermission.

After trading leads multiple times to start the second half, the Bears used a 15-5 run to grab the largest lead of the game, 61-53, with 9:42 remaining. However, the Braves responded with a 12-0 run in just over two minutes of action to take back the advantage. Bar started the streak with two free throws before Lautier-Ogunleye swung the momentum in Bradley's favor with an and-one on a fastbreak layup. Kennell finished the 12-0 stretch with his sixth 3-pointer before Thomas slammed home a dunk as Bradley took a 65-61 lead.

Missouri State fought back and took a three-point lead, 73-70, with just 2:30 remaining in the game. Lautier-Ogunleye and Elijah Childs then each tallied baskets on back-to-back possessions to give Bradley the lead, 74-73, with just 1:35 left. Missouri State knocked down a pair of free throws to temporarily reclaim its edge only for Kennell to be fouled on the next possession and drain a pair from the charity stripe for the 76-75 edge. Thomas then came up with the biggest defensive play of the game when the senior forced a turnover by denying a pass into the post. Brown then sealed the victory by making all six of his free throw attempts in the final 30 seconds for the 82-78 victory.

Bradley shot 46.2 percent in the winning effort with a 9-of-21 day from 3-point range (42.9 percent). Missouri State made 45.2 percent of its baskets with a 13-of-30 performance from beyond the arc.

The Braves look to clinch a winning record in Missouri Valley Conference action when they host Indiana State on Saturday. The Senior Day contest – where the Braves will honor Thomas before the game – is slated for a 3 p.m. start on CBS Sports Network.

Game Notes: With his seven rebounds, Thomas moved into the top 10 and up to number nine on Bradley's all-time list, now with 691 … Bradley ended an eight-game losing streak at Missouri State and earned its first sweep of the Bears since 2009 … Kennell made 13 combined 3-pointers in Bradley's two road Missouri Valley Conference contests, scoring at least 20 points in both wins … Bradley is now locked into the 2:30 quarterfinal contest of the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament … The Braves haven't finished as high as the five seed since 2010.

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