Bradley BRAD 18-9, 9-5 MVC

Southern Illinois SIU 15-12, 9-5 MVC

Bradley BRAD

18-9, 9-5 MVC

Final

Feb. 15, 2020

Southern Illinois SIU

15-12, 9-5 MVC

Score By Periods
Team	1	2	F
Bradley BRAD	43	26	69
Southern Illinois SIU	25	42	67

Box Score

Braves Earn Road Win at Southern Illinois

Box Score (PDF)

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | 2/15/2020 4:35:00 PM

Carbondale, Ill. – The Bradley men's basketball team earned a key road Missouri Valley Conference victory on Saturday, traveling to Carbondale for a 69-67 win over Southern Illinois. With the win, the Braves move into a tie with the Salukis in the conference standings as BU is now 18-9 overall and 9-5 in league action. Southern Illinois drops to 15-12 overall and 9-5 versus league foes.

Junior Elijah Childs led Bradley with 14 points to go with nine rebounds and four assists. Senior Nate Kennell added 13 points, while sophomore Ja'Shon Henry also scored in double figures with 12 points.

Senior Darrell Brown made a couple of clutch shots down the stretch and finished with nine points and four assists. Senior Koch Bar anchored the post defensively with a game-high 11 rebounds to go with nine points on the other end.

The Braves controlled the first 20 minutes of action, quickly building a double-digit lead. Kennell led BU early in the contest, sinking three triples in the first eight minutes as Bradley pulled in front with a 10-0 run. Overall, Bradley outscored the Salukis, 22-7, during a nine-plus minute stretch – shooting 64.3 percent (9-14) and holding Southern Illinois to just 1-of-9 shooting with four turnovers for a 29-16 edge.

The Salukis scored six-straight points to pull within seven only for Bradley again to pour it on over the final four minutes of the period, finishing with a 14-3 run to head into the locker room with a 43-25 advantage. The Braves shot 51.6 percent in the opening 20 minutes of action, while holding SIU to just 28.6 percent from the field.

Southern Illinois made its run in the second half, attempting to maintain its perfect home record in Valley play. With the Braves ahead by 13, 47-34, the Salukis scored seven-straight points to pull within single digits for the first time, 47-41. Bradley went back up by 10 points, 53-43, but SIU answered with an 11-1 run to square the game at 54 with 8:33 remaining in the contest.

The Salukis then grabbed their only lead of the second half, answering a BU layup with a 3-pointer for a 57-56 edge. The Braves, however, quickly responded with a five-point possession on their next trip down the court. Childs was fouled while making a basket but missed the ensuing free throw. The Braves, though, would take advantage of an offensive rebound when Brown made his first triple of the game to give Bradley a 61-57 lead with 6:48 remaining.

Southern Illinois pulled within one on its next three possessions but every time, Bradley had the answer to go back up by three, eventually leading 67-64 with 4:08 left in the game. The Braves defense then buckled down, forcing the Salukis to go scoreless in their next seven possessions as SIU missed seven field goals to go with two turnovers. Brown then made a dagger jumper with 18.1 seconds left before a SIU 3-pointer at the buzzer gave Bradley a 69-67 victory.

The Braves shot 46.6 percent overall in the contest, while holding Southern Illinois to 39.3 percent shooting. The Braves also won the battle in the paint, 36-22, while holding an 18-3 advantage in second-chance points.

Winners of three-straight games, the Braves look to continue their winning ways on Wednesday night at Carver Arena. Bradley hosts Missouri State with a 7 p.m. tipoff.

Game Notes: With his nine points, Brown moved into seventh place in Bradley history with 1,727 career points – passing Walt Lemon, Jr., who had 1,721 points from 2010 to 2014 … Bradley held a team to under 40 percent shooting for the 17th time this season in 27 games, going 13-4 … BU earned back-to-back wins at Southern Illinois for the first time since 2010 and 2011, while sweeping the season series from the Salukis for the first time since 2012-13.

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