Bradley BRAD 6-4, 0-1 MVC

Northern Iowa UNI 3-7, 2-3 MVC

Bradley BRAD

6-4, 0-1 MVC

Final

Jan. 10, 2021

Northern Iowa UNI

3-7, 2-3 MVC

Score By Periods
Team	1	2	F
Bradley BRAD	36	36	72
Northern Iowa UNI	36	42	78

Box Score

Northern Iowa Edges BU in Valley Opener

Box Score (PDF)

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | 1/10/2021 7:08:00 PM

Cedar Falls, Iowa – Playing for the first time in 19 days, the Bradley men's basketball team dropped its Missouri Valley Conference opener on Sunday afternoon with Northern Iowa earning a 78-72 victory. The Braves are now 6-4 on the season, while the Panthers improve to 3-7 and 2-3 in league action.

Four Braves scored in double figures with junior Terry Nolan Jr. leading the way with 17 points to go with a team-leading five assists. Senior Elijah Childs chipped in 15 points in addition to a BU-best nine rebounds. Redshirt freshman Rienk Mast added a career-best 14 points and six boards, while Sean East II tallied 13 points.

The teams played a close game throughout. Northern Iowa claimed an early six-point lead, 8-2, before the Braves responded and led by as many as five points, 25-20. Bradley maintained its lead until the closing minute of the first half when the Panthers tallied the final five points of the period to head into the locker room knotted at 36.

The halftime deadlock set up a back-and-forth second half. Neither team led by more than a single possession for the first 10 minutes until the Braves opened up a four-point lead, 55-51, with 9:24 remaining. However, Northern Iowa responded with a 13-4 run to move in front, 64-59, with 4:44 left in regulation. Bradley pulled to within one, 64-63, following a steal and layup from East but the Panthers hit a 3-pointer on its next possession and the Braves never held the ball within a single possession the rest of the game as Northern Iowa continued to respond to BU's scores.

Bradley shot 41.0 percent, while the Panthers made 50.9 percent of their field goals and 10-of-22 from beyond the arc.

The two teams wrap up their series tomorrow night with tipoff set for 7 p.m.

Game Notes: Bradley's first two Missouri Valley Conference series of the season were postponed due to positive COVID tests … Childs has scored in double figures in all 10 games this season … Mast's previous career high was 11 points against Judson … Northern Iowa has won three-straight in the series and now leads the all-time series, 35-32.

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