Loyola Chicago LUC 21-10, 13-5 MVC

Bradley BRAD 20-11, 11-7 MVC

Loyola Chicago LUC

21-10, 13-5 MVC

Final

Feb. 29, 2020

Bradley BRAD

20-11, 11-7 MVC

Score By Periods
Team	1	2	F
Loyola Chicago LUC	38	29	67
Bradley BRAD	27	39	66

Box Score

Loyola Edges Bradley in Regular-Season Finale

Box Score (PDF)

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | 2/29/2020 5:42:00 PM

Peoria, Ill. – The Bradley men's basketball dropped its regular-season finale in front of 8,558 fans at Carver Arena on Saturday afternoon, falling to Loyola, 67-66. BU finishes tied for third in the Missouri Valley Conference standings with an 11-7 record and is 20-11 overall, while the Ramblers are second at 21-10 and 13-5 in league play.

Junior Elijah Childs led Bradley with 21 points and nine rebounds. Senior Nate Kennell added 19 points – making 5-of-7 from 3-point range – while classmate Darrell Brown chipped in 18 points and five assists.

The schools battled in a tight first half before a late Loyola run pushed its lead to double digits. The Ramblers led by just one point, 21-20, but finished the period on a 17-7 surge in the final five minutes to head into the locker room with a 38-27 advantage.

Bradley would come out hot in the second half, however. After the teams combined to make eight of their first nine field goals in the second stanza, it was all BU over the next seven minutes. The Braves made 7-of-12 field goals in a 7:22 span – including 4-of-7 from 3-point range – while holding the Ramblers to seven-straight misses and five turnovers during a 20-0 run for 56-49 lead.

The Ramblers, however, would bounce back with a 9-0 run of their own for a two-point lead, setting up a thrilling conclusion at Carver Arena. Loyola would lead by as many as five down the stretch, 65-60, with just over two minutes remaining. Brown would sink his third triple of the game on the next possession to bring Bradley within two with 1:45 left. Childs would then complete an and-one as BU moved in front by a single point, 66-65, with 46 ticks remaining.

Loyola, though, would draw a foul on the ensuing possession and sink two free throws to reclaim the one-point lead. After empty possessions for both teams, Bradley's final two shots just missed, with the final attempt rimming out for the 67-66 final.

Both teams made 46.2 percent of their baskets on Saturday. Loyola, though, would hold the edge in rebounds, 34-28, and in free throws, 12-9, for the one-point victory.

Bradley will likely earn the four seed via NET tiebreaker and play Southern Illinois in the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Tournament on Friday. The quarterfinal matchup is slated to begin at approximately 2:30 p.m. at Enterprise Center in St. Louis.

Game Notes: The Braves finished as the four seed for the first time since 2009 … Bradley completed the season with a 15-2 home record, its most wins in Peoria since 1993-94 and its most in regular-season play since 1967-68 … The Braves honored their three seniors – Brown, Kennell and Bar – prior to the game for playing in their final contest at Carver Arena.

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