Braves Open Valley Play Tuesday, Host Drake

Men's Basketball 12/30/2019 4:38:00 PM

Bradley (9-4, 0-0 MVC) vs. Drake (10-3, 0-0 MVC)
Game Details	Tuesday, Dec. 31 • 6 p.m. • Peoria, Ill. • Carver Arena
Television	ESPN+
Radio	1470 WMBD
Game Notes	Bradley \| Drake
Game Coverage	Live Stats \| Twitter: @bradleyumbb \| Instagram: @bradleyumbb
Tickets	Ticketmaster \| (309) 677-2625

The Bradley men's basketball team opens Missouri Valley Conference play at home on Tuesday, hosting Drake. First tip between the Braves and Bulldogs is set for 6 p.m. at Carver Arena.

PROMOTIONS
• In Kaboom!'s Korner is inflatables from Fun on the Run, including a Bounce House, and Pop-a-Shot.

ABOUT THE BRAVES
• Bradley is 9-4 during the 2019-20 season, finishing the non-conference campaign with a victory on Saturday against Toledo, 78-66.
• BU's top scorer and rebounder, Elijah Childs, has missed the last two contests with a hand injury suffered on Dec. 15. Childs leads the Braves with 14.5 points and 9.4 boards this year.
• Senior Darrell Brown scored a season-best 29 points in the win versus the Rockets on Saturday. He is second on the team with 13.2 points, while leading the Braves with 5.0 assists per game.
• Senior Nate Kennell is third on Bradley with 11.9 points, shooting 48.0 percent from 3-point range.
• Senior Koch Bar is second on the team with 8.2 rebounds per game.
• The Braves are averaging 72.5 points per game, while allowing 63.3 defensively.

SERIES HISTORY
• In a series that dates back to 1942 and as the two oldest members of the Valley, Bradley has played Drake more than any other school in the its history as the teams have met 153 times.
• The Braves own an 87-66 edge against the Bulldogs in series history with a 51-21 advantage in Peoria.
• Drake swept the season series a year ago, posting a 69-52 victory at Carver Arena before a 77-68 win in Des Moines.
• Bradley's last victory in the series was a 63-61 win during the 2018 MVC Quarterfinals.

ABOUT THE BULLDOGS
• Drake finished its non-conference season with a 10-3 record, winning its final two games before the holiday against Mount Mary and at Air Force.
• Roman Penn leads the Bulldogs with 12.0 points and 5.2 assists per game in 2019-20.
• Liam Robbins is second with 11.8 points and a team-leading 5.8 rebounds per game.
• Anthony Murphy also averages in double figures with 10.2 points per game.
• The Bulldogs are averaging 71.7 points on offense, while allowing 64.5 points on defense.

BRAVES IN VALLEY OPENERS
• Beginning its 68th season in the Missouri Valley Conference, Bradley is 36-31 all-time in openers.
• Bradley has enjoyed even more success when opening conference play in Peoria, posting a 26-9 record at home in its first Valley game.
• The Braves are 8-2 all-time against Drake in their conference opener, including a 5-0 mark in Peoria.

2018-19 VALLEY RECAP
• Tuesday's matchup features a pair of champions from last season in the conference opener.
• Bradley won its third Missouri Valley Conference Tournament Championship last year and earned the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
• The Braves finished the campaign with a 9-9 MVC record, winning 12 of its final 16 games versus league teams after an 0-5 start to the campaign.
• Drake was regular-season co-champions (along with Loyola) with a 12-6 conference record.

HOME SWEET HOME
• Bradley looks to continue its home dominance when its hosts Drake on Tuesday.
• The Braves are a perfect 8-0 at home this season and dating back to last year, Bradley owns a 12-game winning streak at Carver Arena.
• The Braves' 12-game run is the longest active streak in the Valley and the 16th-longest in the nation. It is the longest since the Braves had a 14-game run from 2017 to 2018.
• Six of the 12 wins have come by at least 25 points as Bradley is outscoring opponents by an average of 76.2 to 56.8 during the winning streak.

DEPTH IN NUMBERS
• One key for Bradley is its number of options and how each player contributes to the team's success.
• The Braves have nine active scholarship players on the roster this season and eight have scored in double figures in at least one game.
• The only player that hasn't scored 10 points in a game, Ari Boya, leads the team and is second in the Valley with 1.30 blocks per game.
• Overall, three different Braves are averaging in double figures this season. BU has not had at least three players score 10 points a game since 2013-14.

THOMAS SUCCEEDS IN FIRST START
• The latest Brave to score double figures was rookie Antonio Thomas on Saturday, taking advantage of his first career start.
• With just seven scholarship players available, Thomas scored 14 points in the win versus Toledo to go with three assists and zero turnovers.
• His 14 points were 10 more than his previous career high and just four shy of his career total from his first 12 games combined (18 points).

MAGIC NUMBER IS 70
• The number the Braves are looking to avoid is 70.
• Bradley is a perfect 9-0 this season when holding its opponent under 70 points. However, the Braves have lost all four games when allowing more than 70 points in a game.
• Overall, the Braves have won their last 17 contests when allowing fewer than 70 points in a game.
• BU has allowed 57.4 points per game in its nine wins this year, while surrendering 76.5 in its losses.

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