Braves fall to Flames and will look to bounce back against Panthers

Cody Roskens Men's Basketball 1/30/2025 9:57:00 AM

Peoria, IL - The Braves Braves 18-4 (9-2 MVC) will look to bounce back against the Northern Iowa Panthes 13-9 (7-4 MVC) after falling to UIC Wednesday night.

Game Information
Bradley Braves 18-4 (9-2 MVC) at Northern Iowa Panthers 13-9 (7-4 MVC)
Date & Time: Sunday, Feb 2nd, 2025 • 3:00 PM CST
Live Coverage: ESPN2 | Live Stats | Radio
Location: McLeod Center
All-Time Series: Bradley leads 38-37 (UNI leads 24-11 in Cedar Falls)

Looking Back
UIC defeated Bradley 93-70 in a Missouri Valley Conference matchup on January 29, 2025, at Carver Arena in Peoria. UIC shot an impressive 53.1% from the field and 91.7% from the free-throw line, with standout performances from Javon Jackson (25 points) and Jordan Mason (22 points), who each played 35 minutes. The Flames had a strong first half, leading 55-39 at the break, and maintained their lead in the second half by holding the Braves at arm's length during a few scoring runs. UIC capitalized on Bradley's turnovers, scoring 19 points off turnovers. Despite Bradley's strong 34 points in the paint, the Braves struggled with shooting from beyond the arc, making just 6 of 24 attempts (25%). Bradley was led by Zek Montgomery's 16 points and Darius Hannah's 14. The Braves shot 48.3% from the field overall. Both benches contributed nearly 20 points each, with UIC's bench scoring 16 points and Bradley's adding 19 points. Following the loss, the Braves remain tied for first place in the Missouri Valley Conference with the Drake Bulldogs, who defeated the UNI Panthers earlier Wednesday night.

Setting the Table

Looking ahead to Sunday, Bradley and UNI have faced each other 75 times, with the Braves leading the all-time series 38-37. However, Northern Iowa leads the series 24-11 in Cedar Falls. Over the last few years, both teams have shared some thrilling contests, and once again, they have much to play for as both aim to stay near the top of the MVC standings. This will be the first meeting of the season between the two programs, with the next matchup in Peoria scheduled for March 2nd, the regular-season finale. This contest will feature the longest tenures of coaches at their respective schools, with Ben Jacobsen in his 19th year with the Panthers and Brian Wardle in his 10th year with the Braves. Bradley enters Sunday's contest as the only MVC team in the top three in both scoring offense, while UNI leads the MVC in field-goal percentage and ranks fourth in opponent field-goal percentage.

About the Braves
Bradley enters Sunday's matchup tied for first place in the MVC with nine games to play. Despite falling in their last game, the Braves should still feel good about where they stand. Since the start of the 2022-23 season, Bradley has lost back-to-back MVC games only twice and currently carries a five-game win streak in MVC road games. Duke Deen and Zek Montgomery are currently first and second for the Braves in scoring, with both averaging over 13.7 PPG. Darius Hannah and Christian Davis are tied for the team lead in rebounds, each averaging 5.5 RPG. Bradley's long-range shooting has held up among the nation's best this season. BU's 3FG% still leads the MVC and ranks 4th nationally at 39.9%. The Braves also rank in the top 10 nationally in effective FG%, with a mark of 57.8%. Both Darius Hannah and Christian Davis continue to move up the MVC leaderboard for blocks, with Davis tied for 4th and Hannah tied for 7th. BU freshman Jaquan Johnson is also having a standout season in steals, currently tied for 4th in the MVC and the only BU underclassman in the top-6.

About the Panthers
Northern Iowa will be looking to get back on track after falling to the Drake Bulldogs in Des Moines, 66-52. UNI is led by Tytan Anderson, who averages 14.7 PPG and 6.4 RPG (ranking 7th in the MVC in scoring, 9th in rebounding, 1st in free throw attempts), along with a duo of players, Jacob Hutson and Trey Campbell, who average between 10-12 PPG. The Panthers are ranked 103rd in the NCAA NET rankings (4th in the MVC). Under coach Jacobsen, UNI has been very good at taking care of the ball this season, ranking in the top three of the MVC in assist-to-turnover ratio and third in turnover margin. Much like Bradley, UNI also boasts one of the best defenses and scoring margins in the MVC, surrendering only 67.8 PPG on average and holding a margin of over +7.1.

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