Braves Host Evansville Sunday Afternoon

Men's Basketball 2/7/2020 1:55:00 PM

Bradley (15-9, 6-5 MVC) vs. Evansville (9-15, 0-11 MVC)
Game Details	Sunday, Feb. 9 • 1 p.m. • Peoria, Ill. • Carver Arena
Television	CBS Sports Network
Radio	1470 WMBD
Game Notes	Bradley \| Evansville
Game Coverage	Live Stats \| Twitter: @bradleyumbb \| Instagram: @bradleyumbb
Tickets	Ticketmaster \| (309) 677-2625

The Bradley men's basketball team returns to Carver Arena for a Sunday matchup against Evansville. The Missouri Valley Conference schools are set for a 1 p.m. tipoff on CBS Sports Network.

PROMOTIONS
• The induction ceremony for the 2020 Bradley Hall of Fame class is set for Sunday at halftime.
• The final Braves Club Gameday Luncheon, presented by Busey Bank, is set for Saturday at 11:30 a.m. at Renaissance Coliseum.
• In Kaboom!'s Korner is inflatables from Fun on the Run, including a Bounce House, and Pop-a-Shot.

2020 BRADLEY HALL OF FAME
• Four Braves standouts will formally be inducted into the Bradley Athletics Hall of Fame this weekend.
• The class includes volleyball player Stephanie Behrns (1999-02), Ashley Birdsong of softball (2005-09), Jeremy Crouch of men's basketball (2004-08) and Rob Scahill of baseball (2006-09).
• Crouch appeared in 115 games with BU, totaling 1,306 career points. A 2008 All-MVC First Team honoree, he led the NCAA with a 3-point percentage of 50.0 in 2007 and is the school's all-time leader in made triples at 262.
• Former men's basketball coach Jim Molinari was already inducted this year on Jan. 22.

ABOUT THE BRAVES
• Bradley owns a 15-9 record during the 2019-20 campaign with a 6-5 mark in Valley play.
• The Braves have lost their last two games, falling on the road to Loyola and Drake.
• Senior Darrell Brown led BU with 24 points Wednesday at Drake and leads the Braves with 14.5 points and 4.5 assists per game.
• Nate Kennell adds 12.5 points per game, ranking 11th nationally with a 3-point clip of 44.2.
• Ja'Shon Henry also scores in double figures with 10.1 points per game.
• Junior Elijah Childs has missed 12 of the last 13 games after averaging 14.2 points and 9.1 rebounds to start the season.
• The Braves are averaging 71.1 points per game, while allowing 64.8 defensively.

SERIES HISTORY
• The Braves own a 31-24 all-time edge versus the Purple Aces, including a 21-5 record in Peoria.
• BU has won six of the last seven versus Evansville. Bradley has won four-straight over the Aces – its longest since a seven-game run from 2006-09.
• Earlier this season, Bradley posted its largest road Valley win in 10 years with a 72-52 victory over the Aces on Jan. 5. Nate Kennell led BU with his first career double-double.

ABOUT THE PURPLE ACES
• Evansville owns a 9-15 record this season and is winless in 11 Valley games.
• The Purple Aces are coming off a 64-60 overtime setback to Southern Illinois on Wednesday.
• The team's leader in points, rebounds and assists per game, DeAndre Williams, has missed the last nine games.
• K.J. Riley and Sam Cunliffe score in double figures with 12.3 and 11.2 points, respectively.
• Evansville is averaging 68.8 points per game this season, while allowing 74.8.

BROWN ENTERS BU'S TOP 10
• Senior Darrell Brown ranks among the best to wear the Bradley Red & White and entered the school's top 10 scoring list on Wednesday.
• Brown moved into a tie for 10th place with former BU standout and NBA veteran Anthony Parker with 1,683 career points.
• Overall, the senior ranks 36th among active players in the NCAA with his 1,683 points.
• With at least eight games remaining, Brown is on pace to finish his career with 1,799 career points – ranking sixth in school history.

BALANCED TEAM
• The Braves have featured a strong offensive and defensive team throughout the 2019-20 season.
• Bradley currently ranks third in the Valley with 71.1 points per game, while placing fourth in the league (and 70th nationally) with a scoring defense of 64.8.
• The Braves are on pace to finish in the top five in the conference in both scoring offense and scoring defense for the first time since the 1981-82 campaign (4th - offense / 3rd - defense).

REBOUNDING EDGE
• Winning the rebounding battle is key for BU during the 2019-20 campaign and the Braves have done a good job of controlling the glass in most contests.
• The team that has collected more rebounds in all 11 of Bradley's MVC games has also won the contest (six for BU and five for its opponent).
• Overall, the Braves have won the rebounding battle in 17-of-24 games this season, drawing once and losing six times.
• The Braves are 15-3 when winning or drawing the battle on the glass. However, the team has lost all six games when its opponent collects more.

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