Peoria, IL -- The Bradley Braves 18-3 (9-1 MVC) will host the UIC Flames 13-7 (6-4 MVC) as Bradley begins the second half of their Missouri Valley Conference schedule.
Game Information
Bradley Braves 18-3 (9-1 MVC) vs UIC Flames 13-7 (6-4 MVC)
Date & Time: Wednesday, Jan. 29th • 7:00 PM CST
Live Coverage: ESPN+ | Live Stats | Radio
Location: Carver Arena
All-Time Series: Bradley leads 12-2 (8-0 in Peoria)
Setting the Table
Bradley and UIC will meet for the second time this season as both teams continue to battle for positioning to earn a first-round bye in the upcoming conference tournament, which is just 10 regular season games away. UIC has been a surprise in the MVC this season. After being projected to finish last in the MVC preseason poll, the Flames have rattled off six league wins and sit right in the thick of things—just one game out of the top four and three games behind Bradley, who is in first place. The first meeting between these two teams this season was a rollercoaster
ride, with UIC leading for much of the contest until two late scoring runs from the Braves allowed BU to steal a road win in Chicago. The game was capped off by a game-winning three-pointer from Duke Deen with 2.4 seconds left. The Braves lead the all-time series 12-2, with an 8-0 mark in Peoria.
About the Braves
Bradley is coming off their ninth conference win of the year after defeating Illinois State 61-57 in Peoria. The Braves have been on quite a run over the last two weeks and now rank in the top 3 of the MVC in nearly every offensive statistic, and the top 4 in nearly every defensive statistic. BU has proven its mettle in tightly contested games this season, sitting at 6-0 in games decided by six points or fewer, or those that have gone to overtime. The Braves will be looking to cap one of their most successful months in recent years by claiming their ninth win in the month of January alone. Brian Wardle would also move into sole possession of fourth place on the Bradley all-time wins leaderboard, passing Jim Molinarni, with whom he is currently tied at 174 wins. On the floor, the Braves have continued to get great production from across the board, with a different leading scorer in three of their last four contests. Duke Deen currently leads the balanced attack at 14.2 PPG, with Zek Montgomery, Darius Hannah, and Christian Davis closely behind, averaging between 10-13 PPG. As a team, BU continues to hit its marks, ranking first in the NCAA in 3-point percentage at roughly 41%, and sitting eighth in the NCAA in effective field goal percentage at 58%.
About the Flames
For the Flames, UIC operates in a similar fashion, with a very balanced attack. Six players are averaging 9.5+ PPG. #22 Javon Jackson leads the way for UIC at 13.0 PPG, with #21 Sasa Ciani at 11.2 PPG. As a team, UIC ranks third in the MVC in scoring offense at 80.1 PPG and ranks in the top 5 in the MVC in both team field goal percentage and opponent field goal percentage. Robert Ehsan is the head coach for UIC in his first season with the Flames. Ehsan has previous head coaching experience at UAB and owns a career record of 89-64. He has spent the last few seasons as an offensive assistant at Stanford. In the last matchup with the Braves Jordan Mason and Ahmad Henderson II did the bulk of the scoring for UIC with the two working in combination for 28 of UIC's 60 points on the night.
Keeping Track
Darius Hannah is five games away from owning the record for most games played in a Bradley career, while only needing 25 more points to earn his 1,000th points in his career. Zek Montgomery also continues his pursuit of 1,000 career points at 105pts away from his 1,000th. When it comes to all-time seasons Bradley's 18-3 overall record and 9-1 conference mark have the chance to continue to climb, see the list below for both. Wednesday's game will be available to stream on ESPN+ with tip-off coming at 7:00 PM CST,
BRADLEY'S BEST OVERALL RECORD 22-GAME IN
1. (22-1) 3x
1985-86
1959-60
1947-48
4. (20-2)
1946-47
7. (19-3) 3x
1958-59
1950-51
1949-50
10. (18-4) 3x
1961-62
1956-57
1987-88
**2024-25 (18-3)
BRADLEY'S BEST CONF RECORD 11-GAMES IN
1. (11-0) 1985-86, ended 16-0 in MVC
2. (10-1) 1949-50 ended 11-1 in MVC
3. (9-2) 10x last,
1995-96
1993-94
1961-62
1959-60
1987-88
1986-87
1981-82
1979-80
1973-74
1960-61
1958-59
1957-58
5. (8-3) last, 1980-81
1956-57
**2024-25 (9-1)
