Braves Host RedHawks on Saturday Night

Men's Basketball 12/18/2020 4:46:00 PM

Bradley (5-2, 0-0 MVC) vs. Miami University (3-2, 0-1 MAC)
Game Details	Saturday, Dec. 19 • 7 p.m. • Peoria, Ill. • Carver Arena
Television	Marquee Sports Network \| ESPN3
Radio	1470 WMBD
Game Notes	Bradley \| Miami
Game Coverage	Live Stats \| Twitter: @bradleyumbb \| Instagram: @bradleyumbb

The Bradley basketball team wraps up its five-game homestand on Saturday night, hosting Miami University at Carver Arena. First tip is at 7 p.m. and can be seen live on Marquee Sports Network.

ABOUT THE BRAVES
• Bradley is 5-2 through seven games of the 2020-21 campaign, having won two-straight contests against Lewis and Jackson State.
• Senior Elijah Childs leads the Braves with 14.9 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game.
• Two additional Braves average in double figures as Ja'Shon Henry is second on the team with 12.8 points and Terry Nolan Jr. adds 11.3 points.
• Sophomore Sean East II adds 8.7 points, while leading BU with 4.7 assists per game.
• The Braves are averaging 78.9 points per game, while allowing just 58.9 on the defensive end.

SERIES HISTORY
• Bradley and Miami met on the basketball court for the first time last season with the RedHawks earning a 71-55 home victory.
• Ville Tahvanainen led the Braves with 12 points as BU played its first game without an injured Elijah Childs.

BRAVES VERSUS MAC
• Bradley is 29-8 all-time against schools in the Mid-American Conference.
• The Braves have dominated MAC schools in Peoria, posting a 20-1 record versus conference teams at home. BU's only loss in Peoria was to Central Michigan during the 2002-03 season.
• Bradley has won its last two meetings with MAC schools – both against Toledo, including a season-opening victory on Nov. 25.

ABOUT THE REDHAWKS
• Miami enters the weekend with a 3-2 overall mark, losing its conference opener in its most recent game on Tuesday to Buffalo.
• Mekhi Lairy leads the RedHawks with 11.8 points per game, while Isaiah Coleman-Lands is right behind with 11.2 points.
• James Beck has posted a team-best 7.0 rebounds per game, while Dae Dae Grant leads Miami with 3.2 assists per game.
• The RedHawks are averaging 67.2 points, while allowing 69.8 on the defensive end.

WELCOME TO THE STARTING FIVE
• Ville Tahvanainen has taken advantage of his new role in the Bradley starting five.
• In the Braves' last two games, Tahvanainen earned the start at guard and contributed 16.5 points – shooting 47.6 from the field and 46.7 percent from 3-point range – to go with 4.5 rebounds and 2.0 steals.
• In Bradley's first five games, Tahvanainen came off the bench with 6.8 points per game.
• The sophomore scored a career-best 19 points in Thursday's win against Jackson State, including 16 in the second half.

HIGH EFFICIENCY FOR HENRY
• Not all stars have to be starters for their teams as junior Ja'Shon Henry has led the action for BU from the bench.
• Henry is second on the team with 12.8 points per game – shooting 68.6 percent from the field in 19.8 minutes of action.
• In his last four games, Henry has totaled 63 points in just 73 minutes of action (average of 15.8 points in 18.3 minutes).
• Perhaps most impressive, the junior has tallied 77 points this season on just 35 field-goal attempts (2.2 shots per field goal attempt).

GETTING TO THE LINE
• One key to Ja'Shon Henry's success in 2020-21 is his ability to get to and convert from the free-throw line.
• Henry currently leads the Valley and ranks 63rd nationally with 27 made free throws and 57th in the country with 36 attempts.
• In the most recent two games, Henry made a career-best nine free throws in each contest – shooting 78.3 percent (18-23).

NON-CONFERENCE OFFENSE
• Bradley is enjoying a strong start on the offensive end in 2020-21.
• The Braves enter the weekend averaging 78.9 points per game through seven contests.
• Bradley is currently on pace for its highest-scoring non-conference season since averaging 80.8 points during the 2006-07 campaign.
• BU has scored at least 83 points in each of its four home games this year, averaging 91.8 per game.

TOP-RANKED DEFENSE
• Bradley is already showcasing an elite defense to start the 2020-21 season.
• The Braves currently rank 24th nationally (of 323 teams) by holding teams to just 58.9 points.
• The key to BU's success is forcing its foe into tough shots as the Braves rank 11th in the country with a field goal percentage defense of 34.3.
• An example of Bradley's tough defense was evident when it held Xavier to just 51 points on Nov. 26 – the Musketeers have scored at least 76 points in each of their other six games.

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