Peoria, IL -- Bradley Men's Basketball earned a statement win over the Southern Illinois Salukis in their Missouri Valley Conference Opener.
Final Score | Bradley Braves 83 - Southern Illinois Salukis 60
Game Recap
Bradley (8-1, 1-0 MVC) began its Missouri Valley Conference campaign with a dominant 83-60 victory over Southern Illinois (3-6, 0-1 MVC) on Tuesday night at Banterra Center in Carbondale, Illinois. A fast start and an efficient first half helped the Braves build a large lead that they never relinquished, controlling the game from wire to wire. The 23-point margin ties the largest victory margin for Bradley in series history (Bradley won 59-36 on Feb. 2, 1981) and is the largest margin of victory for the Braves when playing in Carbondale.
Bradley's Balanced Attack Leads the Way
The Braves were led by senior guard Zek Montgomery, who delivered a standout performance with 22 points on 8-of-13 shooting, including 5-of-6 from beyond the arc, and 18 first-half points. Montgomery's scoring burst in the first half was a key factor in Bradley's early advantage. His shooting efficiency helped the Braves finish the first half shooting 65.5% from the field, creating a 17-point lead at the break. Almar Atlason, the sharpshooting forward, was also instrumental in the victory, finishing with 17 points on 5-of-7 shooting from three-point range. In addition to his scoring, Atlason grabbed 3 rebounds and dished out an assist.
Darius Hannah played a key role on both ends of the floor, finishing with 9 points and a team-high 8 rebounds. Despite shooting just 4-of-10 from the field, Hannah was active defensively, collecting three blocks and four steals. Bradley's bench also made important contributions. Jaquan Johnson scored 9 points in 21 minutes, shooting 3-of-6 from the field and adding 3 rebounds, 5 assists, and 5 steals (one away from tying the Bradley single-game freshman steal record). Demarion Burch came off the bench and contributed 7 points, including a three-pointer, and added a couple of assists. Corey Thomas grabbed 5 rebounds and provided a solid defensive presence in his 18 minutes on the floor.
For the Salukis
On the other side, the Salukis were led by Kennard Davis Jr., who finished with a team-high 15 points on 5-of-14 shooting. Jarrett Hensley was the only other Saluki in double figures and had a strong game for SIU, finishing with a double-double: 12 points and 12 rebounds, along with two blocks. Ali Dibba, who came into the game averaging double-digit scoring, was limited to just 5 points on 2-of-8 shooting. Dibba did contribute three steals and three rebounds.
Bradley's defense made it a tough night for the SIU offense, holding them to just 4-of-16 from three-point range (25%) and forcing 17 turnovers, which resulted in 24 points for Bradley. Neither team had many free throw attempts, with just 26 free throws attempted between the two sides (Bradley 7-of-10, SIU 10-of-16). Bradley never trailed in the game and controlled the pace from start to finish. Their defense forced Southern Illinois into difficult shots and limited their fast-break opportunities. Southern Illinois made some minor runs in the second half, but the early deficit was too much to overcome. Despite their second-half shooting slump, Bradley's balanced scoring attack and aggressive defense were more than enough to secure the win.
What's Next
Bradley will have the next few days off before playing the Santa Clara Broncos in a neutral-site game in Henderson, NV, on Dec. 14. That game will be available to stream on BallerTV and will tip off at 11:30 a.m. CST.