Braves Host Loyola Sunday and Monday

Men's Basketball 1/22/2021 12:15:00 PM

Bradley (9-5, 3-2 MVC) vs. Loyola (11-3, 6-1 MVC)
Game #1 Details	Sunday, Jan. 24 • 3 p.m. • Peoria, Ill. • Carver Center
Television	FOX Sports Midwest / Indiana / Kansas City / NBC Sports Chicago
Webcast	FOX Sports Go \| ESPN+

Game #2 Details	Monday, Jan. 25 • 6 p.m. • Peoria, Ill. • Carver Center
Television	CBS Sports Network

Radio	1470 & 100.3 WMBD
Game Notes	Bradley \| Loyola
Game Coverage	Live Stats \| Twitter: @bradleyumbb \| Instagram: @bradleyumbb

The Bradley men's basketball team returns to action with a pair of Valley games against Loyola this weekend. The two in-state foes begin their series on Sunday afternoon at Carver Arena with a 3 p.m. tipoff.

ABOUT THE BRAVES
• Bradley is 9-5 this season with a 3-2 record in the Missouri Valley Conference.
• The Braves had their three-game winning streak snapped on Wednesday, losing at Illinois State.
• Senior Elijah Childs leads the Braves with 14.6 points, 7.9 rebounds and 1.36 blocks per game.
• Two additional Braves average in double figures with Terry Nolan Jr. posting 11.8 points per game and Ja'Shon Henry adding 11.2.
• Sean East II chips in 8.5 points, while also leading the Braves with 4.3 assists per game.
• The Braves are averaging 73.7 points per game in 2020-21, while ranking 29th nationally with a scoring defense of 62.2.

SERIES HISTORY
• The Braves hold a 36-29 all-time edge against the Ramblers in a series that dates back to 1928.
• BU is also 23-9 against the Ramblers in Peoria.
• The Ramblers swept a pair of games last season against Bradley, earning a 62-51 home win before ending a two-game losing streak at Carver Arena with a one-point win, 67-66.
• BU's last win in the series was a 53-51 victory in the 2019 MVC Tournament Semifinals en route to their first league title in 31 years.

ABOUT THE RAMBLERS
• Loyola is 11-3 this season with a 6-1 record in Missouri Valley action.
• The Ramblers have won their last four games, including a 75-39 win at Valparaiso Wednesday.
• Cameron Krutwig leads Loyola with 15.0 points and 5.8 rebounds per game.
• Tate Hall also averages in double figures with 10.0 points per game.
• Braden Norris leads the Ramblers with 3.1 assists.
• Loyola is averaging 76.1 points per game, while allowing just 57.3 on defense.

A LEADER IN CHILDS
• The first player on opposing teams' scouting reports is senior Elijah Childs.
• Childs leads BU in points (14.6), rebounds (7.9) and blocks (1.36) per game. He is sixth in the MVC in points, third in rebounds and fifth in blocks.
• The senior has led the team in points on nine occasions, on the glass nine times and in both points and rebounds a total of six times.

A DOUBLE-DIGIT THREAT IN CHILDS
• The key to Elijah Childs' success is his consistency.
• Childs is one of only three Valley players to score in double figures in each game this year..
• In fact, Childs is the first Brave to score at least 10 points in each of the team's first 14 games since Jeremy Crouch in 2006-07. The last Brave to reach the mark in the first 15 games was Jerome Robinson in 2000-01 (23 games).

TOP-RANKED DEFENSE
• The Braves have become known for their defense and 2020-21 is no different.
• Bradley owns the nation's 29th-ranked scoring defense – allowing just 62.2 points per game.
• The Braves were strong on defense right from the start as the team allowed just 59.3 points during non-conference play – its lowest since the 1998-99 non-conference season.

FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE DEFENSE
• The key to Bradley's early-season success on the defensive end is its field goal percentage defense and, specifically, its defense inside the arc.
• Bradley ranks fifth nationally by allowing foes to make just 37.3 percent of their shots this season.
• BU is also allowing schools to make only 39.4 percent of their 2-point attempts in Division I games – second-best in the country and more than 10 percent better than the national average (49.8).
• The current MVC record for field goal defense is 37.7 percent, set by Wichita State in 2016-17.

STRIVE FOR 45
• The number the Braves need to aim for on offense is 45 percent shooting.
• Bradley is a perfect 8-0 this season when making at least 45 percent of its field goals. However, the Braves are just 1-5 when held under the mark.
• In its nine wins, BU is shooting 50.0 percent from the field and 35.4 percent from 3-point range.
• In the team's five losses, the Braves are making just 38.9 percent of their field goals with a 29.6 percent clip from 3-point range.

TAHVANAINEN KEY TO SUCCESS
• One player the Braves need to get going to reach 45 percent shooting is Ville Tahvanainen.
• The team's leader in 3-point shooting, Tahvanainen has been at his best in Bradley's wins this season – averaging more than twice as many points and shooting nearly 25 percent better.
• BU is 6-1 this season when Tahvanainen scores in double figures and 3-4 when held under 10 points.
• Overall, Tahvanainen leads Bradley with 28 made triples and a 38.4 mark from beyond the arc.

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