Bradley BRAD 19-14

Loyola Chicago LUC 20-13

Bradley BRAD

19-14

Final

Mar. 09, 2019

Loyola Chicago LUC

20-13

Score By Periods
Team	1	2	F
Bradley BRAD	25	28	53
Loyola Chicago LUC	22	29	51

Box Score

Braves Headed to Valley Championship After Defeating Top-Seeded Loyola!

Box Score (PDF)

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | 3/9/2019 6:14:00 PM

St. Louis – The Bradley men's basketball team is headed to the Missouri Valley Conference Championship for the first time in 13 years after defeating top-seeded Loyola, 53-51, on Saturday afternoon. The Braves, who improve to 19-14 with the win, play the winner of second-seeded Drake and sixth-seeded Northern Iowa on Sunday at 1 p.m. for the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Championship. Loyola sees its bid to repeat end with a 20-13 record.

Junior Nate Kennell led the Braves with 19 points – connecting on 7-of-13 field goals with a 5-of-8 mark from beyond the arc. Sophomore forward Elijah Childs also came up big in the winning effort, recording his first postseason double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds, while adding a career-best five assists in addition to two blocks.

A rematch of last year's semifinal which ended in a narrow Loyola victory, both schools came out with a strong defensive effort as the teams battled in a one-possession contest for nearly the first 12 minutes. However, trailing, 11-10, Kennell started to take over and give the Braves a needed cushion. The junior scored Bradley's next 13 points as BU pushed its lead to as many as eight before Kennell's spurt gave the Braves a 23-17 advantage.

Loyola answered back and would pull within one before a layup from Childs gave Bradley a three-point lead at the break, 25-22.

The first half just set up a thrilling second stanza between the two Valley rivals as the lead would change eight times with three ties. The Ramblers punched first and grabbed their largest lead of the day, 32-28, after a 10-3 run to start the frame. The Braves, however, would answer right back and a 6-1 mini-spurt put fifth-seeded Bradley back in front, 37-36.

Bradley would then take the lead for good with a pair of clutch shots from junior Darrell Brown. The team's scoring leader had been held in check for the first 32 minutes with just two points but Brown responded with two-straight 3-pointers to cap an 8-0 run and give Bradley a 49-43 lead with 5:45 remaining.

We came to play today and tomorrow we play for a 'ship!!! #TheArrival pic.twitter.com/mE1axJPOA3
— Bradley Basketball (@bradleyumbb) March 9, 2019

Two Down. One to go.

Watch the highlights from today's #ArchMadness Semifinal win over top-seeded as Loyola as the Braves now play for a bid to the NCAA Tournament! pic.twitter.com/Dbsl4d86pk
— Bradley Basketball (@bradleyumbb) March 10, 2019

Loyola pulled within a single point, 50-49, with 1:47 remaining in regulation. However, Kennell had one final shot in his arsenal and the junior's 3-pointer on the next possession pushed the lead back to four and two possessions, 53-49. The Ramblers knocked down a jumper on their next possession but with the game on the line, Bradley forced the Larry Bird Player of the Year, Marques Townes, into missing a jumper and freshman Ja'Shon Henry collected the loose ball as time expired, sending the Braves into the Valley Championship.

Bradley shot 33.3 percent in the winning effort, while holding Loyola to 35.7 percent shooting. The Braves' performance on the glass – 44-31 advantage in rebounding and 12-3 edge in second-chance points – and in the paint on the defensive end – school-record nine blocks in a MVC Tournament game – proved to be the difference.

Braves now aim for their third Valley Championship in school history and the first in 31 seasons when they play either Drake or Northern Iowa on Sunday afternoon. Game time is set for 1 p.m. and can be seen live on CBS.

Game Notes: Bradley has won two Valley titles in school history – 1980 and 1988 … BU last advanced to the title game in 2006 and is 2-4 all-time with the championship on the line … Bradley defeated the one seed in Arch Madness for just the second time. BU entered the game 1-9 with its only win against Wichita State in 2006 … The Braves' nine blocks are the most in school history in the Valley Tournament – surpassing the previous mark of eight, set against Wichita State in 2017 … Kennell's five 3-pointers are tied for the second most by a Brave in the conference tournament … Childs' previous best in assists was three, accomplished three times … Bradley has won the last nine game its has had the edge on the glass.

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