Braves Face Southern Illinois Saturday on CBS Sports Network

Men's Basketball 2/14/2020 9:16:00 AM

Bradley (17-9, 8-5 MVC) at Southern Illinois (15-11, 9-4 MVC)
Game Details	Saturday, Feb. 15 • 1 p.m. • Carbondale, Ill. • Banterra Center
Television	CBS Sports Network
Radio	1470 WMBD
Game Notes	Bradley \| Southern Illinois
Game Coverage	Live Stats \| Twitter: @bradleyumbb \| Instagram: @bradleyumbb

The Bradley men's basketball team travels to face Southern Illinois on Saturday with a chance to move up the Missouri Valley Conference standings with a victory. Tipoff is set for 1 p.m. on CBS Sports Network.

ABOUT THE BRAVES
• Bradley owns a 17-9 record during the 2019-20 campaign and sits in fourth place in the Valley standings at 8-5 – just one game shy of second.
• The Braves have won their last two games, earning home wins against Evansville and Indiana State.
• Junior Elijah Childs scored 19 points in each of the last two games and now leads the team with 14.9 points and 9.1 rebounds per game.
• Darrell Brown is second on BU with 14.7 points to go with a team-leading 4.4 assists per game.
• Nate Kennell also averages in double figures with 12.3 points – ranking 10th nationally in 3-point percentage (43.6).
• The Braves are averaging 71.1 points per game this season, while allowing 64.4 defensively.

SERIES HISTORY
• In a series that dates back to the 1927 season, Bradley holds a slight advantage against Southern Illinois, 50-47.
• The teams have alternated victories in each of the last eight meetings.
• Earlier this season, Bradley posted a 67-48 home victory over the Salukis – the fewest points allowed by BU in a Valley game since 2015.
• Last season, Bradley earned a 57-54 victory in Carbondale, ending a five-game losing streak in Banterra Center. BU has not won back-to-back road games in the series since 2010 and 2011.

BACK IN CARBONDALE
• One year ago, BU entered its game at Southern Illinois with a 0-5 Valley record. The road win for the Braves, however, turned their season around.
• Since its 2019 game at SIU, Bradley is 20-9 against Valley teams – including the 2019 tournament title and a 6-8 record in road MVC games.

ABOUT THE SALUKIS
• Southern Illinois enters the weekend with a 15-11 record and is tied for second in the MVC standings at 9-4 – one game ahead of the Braves.
• The Salukis saw their seven-game winning streak snapped Wednesday at Valparaiso, 55-38.
• Freshman Marcus Domask leads SIU with 14.5 points per game.
• Eric McGill is second with 11.2 points to go with a team-best 2.8 assists, while Barret Benson adds 10.7 points and a SIU-leading 5.7 boards.
• Southern Illinois averages 62.6 points per game, while ranking ninth with a scoring defense of 60.8.

BRAVES THROUGH 13 GAMES
• Fresh off its first Missouri Valley Tournament title in 31 years, Bradley is continuing to rewrite its recent history during the 2019-20 season.
• At 8-5 during the MVC campaign, the Braves own their best conference record through 13 games since a 9-4 mark during the 2000-01 season.

WELCOME BACK, ELIJAH CHILDS
• The Braves have received a boost as of late with leading scorer and rebound Elijah Childs returning to the lineup.
• Childs missed 12-of-13 games from Dec. 21 to Feb. 5 with a hand injury suffered against Georgia Southern.
• The junior has wasted no time picking up where he left off with 19.0 points and 9.0 rebounds in two games since his return.
• Overall, Childs leads Bradley with 14.9 points and 9.1 rebounds in 14 games this season.

OFFENSIVE OUTPUT
• Bradley is enjoying one of its better seasons in years shooting the ball.
• The Braves own their best field-goal percentage (44.10) and 3-point percentage (37.0) in 12 years since the 2007-08 team posted marks of 44.13 and 37.4.
• The difference between the two teams, however, is on the defensive end. Bradley is third this year in the MVC by allowing 64.4 points per game. The 2007-08 Braves placed 10th at 71.7.
• Additionally, at 73.3 percent, Bradley owns its best free-throw percentage since 2009-10 (74.4).

BALANCED TEAM
• Overall, BU has featured a strong offensive and defensive team throughout the 2019-20 season.
• The Braves currently ranks third in the Valley in both scoring offense (71.1) and scoring defense (64.4) this season.
• Bradley is on pace to finish in the top five in the conference in both categories for the first time since the 1981-82 campaign (4th - offense / 3rd - defense).

BROWN RANKS EIGHTH IN BU SCORING
• Senior Darrell Brown has continued his climb up the BU record book and isn't ready to stop yet.
• Brown ranks eighth in Bradley history with 1,718 career points, passing Voise Winters Wednesday.
• The senior is now just three points short of Walt Lemon, Jr. for seventh in school history.
• Overall, the senior ranks 36th among active players in the NCAA with his 1,718 points.
• With at least six games remaining, Brown is on pace to finish his career with 1,806 career points – ranking sixth in school history.

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Players Mentioned

#5 Darrell Brown: G; 5' 10"; Senior

#10 Elijah Childs: F; 6' 7"; Junior

#25 Nate Kennell: G; 6' 6"; Senior

Players Mentioned

#5 Darrell Brown
: 5' 10"; Senior
: G

#10 Elijah Childs
: 6' 7"; Junior
: F

#25 Nate Kennell
: 6' 6"; Senior
: G

Braves Face Southern Illinois Saturday on CBS Sports Network

Players Mentioned

#5 Darrell Brown

#10 Elijah Childs

#25 Nate Kennell

Players Mentioned

#5 Darrell Brown

#10 Elijah Childs

#25 Nate Kennell