Southern Illinois SIU 12-13

Bradley BRAD 12-16

Southern Illinois SIU

12-13

Final

Mar. 04, 2021

Bradley BRAD

12-16

Score By Periods
Team	1	2	F
Southern Illinois SIU	38	35	73
Bradley BRAD	32	31	63

Box Score

Braves' Arch Madness Run Ends versus Southern Illinois

Box Score (PDF)

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | 3/4/2021 8:58:00 PM

St. Louis, Mo. – The Bradley men's basketball team had its two-year run atop the Missouri Valley Conference ended on Thursday, falling to Southern Illinois, 73-63, in the MVC Tournament First Round. The Braves finish the year with a 12-16 record, while the Salukis advance to the quarterfinals with a 12-13 mark.

Redshirt freshman Rienk Mast led the Braves against the Salukis, registering his second career double-double with a career-best 24 points to go with 10 rebounds. Mast's 24 points are also the most by a rookie at Arch Madness in eight years.

Sophomore Sean East II also scored in double figures for BU, tallying 16 points to go with a team-best four assists.

The teams both started strong on the offensive end as the schools traded shots throughout the first half. The Salukis, however, were able to take advantage behind the arc – making 8-of-16 during the first half – to move in front of the Braves. Southern Illinois would also score the final five points of the period to head into the locker room with a 38-32 lead.

The Salukis then extended their run to open the second half, scoring the first four points for a 42-32 lead. Southern Illinois would then lead by as many as 13 points, 60-47, before Bradley responded with a 12-4 run to pull within five, 64-59. However, SIU would answer with a three-point play on its next possession and the Braves were never closer than eight the rest of the game en route to the 73-63 final.

Southern Illinois shot 50.0 percent in the winning effort with a 10-of-27 performance from 3-point range. Bradley made 47.4 percent of its shots, going 7-of-21 behind the arc.

The Salukis now advance to the MVC Quarterfinals, facing top-seeded and nationally-ranked Loyola on Friday at 11 a.m.

Game Notes: Mast's 24 points are the most by a freshman at the MVC Tournament since Missouri State's Marcus Marshall scored 25 in 2013 … Mast led Bradley during the last 11 games of the season, averaging 13.3 points – shooting 53.8 percent from the field and 41.8 percent from 3-point range … East's 16 points are his most in a Bradley uniform … Bradley had won its last six Arch Madness games and was attempting to be just the second team to win three-straight titles … Southern Illinois now leads the series in Arch Madness meetings, 6-3.

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