Murray, KY -- The Bradley Braves 16-3 (7-1 MVC) earn their 7th MVC win in eight tries following a road win over Murray State, who falls to 10-9 (4-4 MVC).
Looking Back
The Bradley Braves earned an MVC best 4th win on the road in league play after defeating Murray State 74-61. With the win, Bradley improved to 16-3 overall and 7-1 in the Missouri Valley Conference, while Murray State dropped to 10-9 and 4-4 in MVC play. The game was closely contested early on. Bradley held a slight 41-35 lead at halftime, shooting a hot 71.4% from the field in the first half. They hit 5 of 10 from beyond the arc and shot 85.7% from the free-throw line. Murray State kept it close with a solid 42.3% shooting performance in the first half, but they struggled from deep, going just 5-for-13 from three.
In the second half, Bradley's shooting cooled down a touch but they were still effective from the charity stripe, hitting 11 of 12 free throws (91.7%). Duke Deen led Bradley with 18 points, hitting 5 of 11 from the field, including 3-of-9 from three-point range. Darius Hannah added 16 points, with 6 rebounds and 2 assists, while Corey Thomas contributed a career high 16 points off the bench on 5-of-6 shooting.
Murray State was led by AJ Ferguson, who scored 12 points and grabbed 4 rebounds in 35 minutes of play. JaCobi Wood also contributed 11 points and 4 rebounds. Kylen Milton and Nick Ellington each added 11 points, but Murray State's offense was inconsistent, particularly from long range, where they made just 7 of 22 attempts (31.8%). Bradley owned the battle paint with 28 points in the paint compared to Murray State's 24, and they also scored 20 points off Murray State turnovers. The game featured 8 lead changes and 2 ties before Bradley pushed the lead up to 13 mid-way through the second half.
Bradley's bench was key in the win, contributing 26 points, On the other hand, Murray State's bench scored 13 points, with Alden Applewhite leading the way with 10 points.
Making History
Following the win, Brian Wardle moves into second place in all-time MVC wins at Bradley with his 92nd MVC win passing Joe Stowell (91). Jim Molinari sits in first with 110. Bradley's 7-1 start in league play is the second best in program history, last accomplished in 1993-94, (BU's best start 16-0, went unbeaten in MVC play for 1985-86 season).
What's Next??
Bradley will be back in action Tuesday when they make the journey to Nashville, TN to face the Belmont Bruins 15-5 (6-2 MVC), the game will be available for streaming on ESPN+