Valparaiso VALPO 11-11, 4-5 MVC

Bradley BRAD 15-7, 6-3 MVC

Valparaiso VALPO

11-11, 4-5 MVC

Final

Jan. 29, 2020

Bradley BRAD

15-7, 6-3 MVC

Score By Periods
Team	1	2	F
Valparaiso VALPO	26	43	69
Bradley BRAD	37	43	80

Box Score

Bradley Tops Valparaiso, 80-69

Box Score (PDF)

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | 1/29/2020 9:56:00 PM

Peoria, Ill. – Five Braves scored in double figures to lead the Bradley men's basketball team to an 80-69 victory against Valparaiso on Wednesday night at Carver Arena. BU improved to 15-7 during the 2019-20 campaign and 6-3 in Missouri Valley Conference action, while the Crusaders drop to 11-11 and 4-5 versus league foes.

Sophomore forward Ja'Shon Henry led the Braves with a career-high 21 points – making 7-of-9 field goals – to go with nine rebounds. Senior Koch Bar added a double-double in the post – his second of the season – with 11 points and a game-high 10 rebounds.

In his first game back from injury, senior Darrell Brown tallied 17 points and five assists. Senior Nate Kennell and freshman Ville Tahvanainen also reached double figures with 15 and 10 points, respectively.

Bradley jumped on the Crusaders early, taking the lead 97 seconds into the game and never giving it back. The Braves opened the game by making 12 of their first 19 shots (63.2 percent), including all three from beyond the arc, while holding the Crusaders to just 5-of-20 shooting (25.0 percent) in building a 16-point lead, 30-14. Henry (eight) and Brown (six) combined for 14 points during the early stretch en route to a double-digit halftime lead, 37-26.

An early 8-0 run by the Crusaders in the second half cut the Bradley edge down to six, 40-34. However, Henry connected for two field goals and two free throws on Bradley's next three possessions to quickly push the advantage back to double digits, 46-36, with 16:34 remaining.

The Bradley lead would then reach as many as 17 points, 56-39, following a Kennell 3-pointer with 12:21 left in the game. The Braves would maintain a double-digit edge for the next five minutes before a late Valparaiso run closed the gap down to a single possession. Trailing by 10, the Crusaders rallied off eight-straight points for a 68-66 contest with 3:44 remaining in regulation.

Bradley would answer back and quickly end any thoughts of a comeback. Junior Danya Kingsby drove to the rim and made his only field goal of the game on the ensuing possession, before Henry added another basket for a 72-66 lead with 1:53 left. The Braves then made their final six free throws before a layup from Bar completed his double-double and the 80-69 victory.

Bradley shot 52.9 percent in the winning effort, while making 50.0 percent (6-12) of its 3-point attempts. The Braves also held the Crusaders to just 39.1 percent shooting with an 8-of-33 clip from beyond the arc (24.2 percent).

The Braves continue Missouri Valley Conference action on Saturday night, squaring off at rival Loyola at 7 p.m. on ESPN2.

Game Notes: Henry's previous career high was 17 points, accomplished twice … He is the fifth different Brave to score at least 20 points in a game this season … In the last five games, five different Braves have also scored or matched their career high in points … The team that has collected more rebounds in all nine of BU's Valley games has won the game – Bradley won the rebounding battle, 40-27, Wednesday … Brown had missed the last two games with an injury … The home team has won all eight games in the series with Bradley now holding a 5-3 edge.

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