Loyola Chicago LUC 16-10, 9-4 MVC

Bradley BRAD 14-12, 6-7 MVC

Loyola Chicago LUC

16-10, 9-4 MVC

Final

Feb. 13, 2019

Bradley BRAD

14-12, 6-7 MVC

Score By Periods
Team	1	2	F
Loyola Chicago LUC	26	28	54
Bradley BRAD	22	39	61

Box Score

Braves Win Third-Straight, Defeat Loyola, 61-54

Box Score (PDF)

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | 2/13/2019 11:01:00 PM

Peoria, Ill. – First-place Loyola was the latest team to try and cool down the Bradley men's basketball team but the Braves ran past the Ramblers in the second half to earn a 61-54 victory on Wednesday night at Carver Arena. BU has won six of its last eight games to improve to 14-12 on the season and 6-7 in Missouri Valley Conference action, while the Ramblers drop to 16-10 overall and 9-4 versus league foes.

Junior Darrell Brown tallied his third-straight 20-point game in the winning effort, scoring 21 points on 5-of-13 shooting. The junior collected 16 of his 21 after the halftime intermission as the Braves rallied from a deficit after 20 minutes for a Valley-leading sixth time this season.

Senior Luuk van Bree added his first double-double of the season – and the first since his rookie campaign – with 11 points and 10 rebounds to go with a season-best three assists. Sophomore Elijah Childs also chipped in 13 points to go with seven boards and two blocks.

The teams played a slow pace early in the game – leading to the Ramblers grabbing a four-point halftime advantage. Loyola grabbed the edge early in the game and outscored the Braves, 14-6, in the opening nine and a half minutes. Bradley, however, slowly chipped away at the lead. A put-back basket from Childs in the closing seconds of the first half sent the teams into the locker room with Loyola ahead, 26-22.

🔊🔊 Hear what Coach Wardle had to say after Bradley's 61-54 win over Loyola! pic.twitter.com/ImXuP0kCIc
— Bradley Basketball (@bradleyumbb) February 14, 2019

🔊🔊 Luuk van Bree discusses Bradley's victory over the Ramblers and keeping its momentum going foward pic.twitter.com/AIodbKSPAx
— Bradley Basketball (@bradleyumbb) February 14, 2019

The Ramblers would temporarily push their lead to five early in the second stanza but Bradley responded and Brown's second triple of the game squared the game at 31 for the first time since it was scoreless. The schools fought through a one-possession game back-and-forth over the next seven minutes before a decisive Bradley run put the Braves in front.

Ahead by just one point, 40-39, Bradley outscored the Ramblers, 16-6, over the next seven minutes to pull ahead by 11, 56-45, with just 2:30 remaining. Brown started the run with a triple as the shot clock expired before van Bree then added seven points during the stretch – highlighted by a pump fake into a 3-pointer for a 52-43 edge.

Loyola would cut its deficit nearly in half but Bradley hit five of its final six free throws to seal the seven-point Valley victory.

Bradley continued its strong shooting by making 46.0 percent of its field goals in the winning effort. The Braves, meanwhile, held the Ramblers to 44.0 percent shooting and just 5-of-20 from beyond the arc.

Bradley looks to continue its winning ways with a road game at I-74 rival Illinois State on Saturday. First tip is set for 7 p.m. and can be seen live on ESPN2.

Game Notes: Brown is the first Brave with three-straight 20-point games since Walt Lemon, Jr. during the 2013-14 season … van Bree's only other double-double during his career was against TCU on Dec. 23, 2015 (19 points and 11 rebounds) … Bradley won the battle in the paint for the seventh-straight game for the first time since 2008-09 … The Braves' Valley-leading six second-half rallies are their most since collecting seven in 2012-13 … Bradley has won its last two home games versus the Ramblers.

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