PEORIA, Ill. – The 6-0 Bradley Men's Basketball team secured a victory over Vermont on Saturday night by a score of 79-70. They are 6-0 for the first time since the 1985-86 season when the Braves finished 32-3 and made the NCAA Tournament Second Round.
The Braves landed eight three-pointers in the first half in 16 attempts after they led the Catamounts with a score of 35-29. They had 11 points off turnovers compared to Vermont's nine. Bradley led for the majority of the half after they shot 41.4% from the field.
Connor Hickman was 4-for-9 from the field with three three-pointers. The Junior recorded 11 points, two assists and two steals. Almar Atlason collected six points after he was 2-for-2 from beyond the arc.
Bradley defeated Vermont after out-scoring the Catamounts 44-41 in the second half. They shot 22-for-25 (88%) from the free throw line in the game. The Braves only committed 14 fouls in the game and shot 39.1% from the three-point line.
Darius Hannah led in points with a career-high 17. He was 6-for-9 from the field with six rebounds, two assists and two steals. Malevy Leons went a perfect 10-for-10 from the free throw line with two three-pointers for 16 points. Hickman ended his night with 14 points and six steals. Ahmet Jonovic tallied six points, four rebounds and three blocks, two of them back-to-back.
Bradley's quality of wins this season cannot be overstated after their 6-0 start. Tulane and UAB were projected third and fourth in the American, respectively. UTEP was picked to finish fifth in C-USA and Vermont was projected to end their season first in the American-East.
Utah State and Vermont both made the NCAA Tournament last season. UAB was the runner-up in the NIT last year. The Braves still play Akron, Cleveland State, Duquesne and SIUE later this year who are all picked to finish in the top four of their respective conference. Bradley could see votes in the next AP poll on Monday before their game at Murray State.
Looking Ahead
Bradley starts their two-game conference slate on Nov. 29 at Murray State at 7 PM. Listen here or watch on ESPN+.
They return home on Dec. 2 to face Indiana State at Carver Arena. Tipoff is set for 1 PM.
Tickets
Single-game tickets can be purchased here.