Peoria, IL -- The Bradley Braves 20-6 (11-4 MVC) will meet the Drake Bulldogs 23-2 (13-2 MVC) for the second time this season.
Game Information
Bradley Braves 20-6 (11-4 MVC) vs Drake Bulldogs 23-2 (13-2 MVC)
Date & Time: Sunday, Feb 16th, 2025 • 1:00 PM CST
Live Coverage: ESPN2 |
Live Stats |
Radio
Location: Knapp Center
All-Time Series: Bradley Leads 93-74 (DU leads 44-30 in Des Moines)
Setting the Table
The Bradley Braves and Drake Bulldogs will meet for the second time this season as the Braves travel to Des Moines. The first meeting saw Drake earn a seven-point road win in Peoria back in early January. Now, with five games left in the regular season, both Drake and Bradley sit among the league's top teams, with the Bulldogs in first place and Bradley currently tied for second. The Braves lead the all-time series 93-74 against the Bulldogs, but Drake holds the edge in Des Moines, 44-30. The initial meeting saw both star point guards for their respective teams have off days, with
Duke Deen and Bennett Stirtz combining for 1-of-10 shooting, totaling seven points and thirteen assists.
About the Braves
Bradley won their second game in a row with victories over Evansville and Southern Illinois. With the win over Southern Illinois, they earned their 20th victory of the season, marking six of the last eight seasons with 20+ wins. On the floor, the Braves have seen their stars shine, with
Duke Deen,
Christian Davis,
Zek Montgomery, and
Darius Hannah all recording double-digit scoring outputs in their last two games (the quartet is averaging a combined 58 points per game in their last two). Bradley's defense has also been solid, capitalizing on mistakes and averaging 15 points per game off turnovers in the last two games. The Braves have also been sharing the ball well of late, with a better-than-2.1 assist-to-turnover ratio in their last two games.
About the Bulldogs
The Bulldogs are winners of their last eleven contests and sit in first place in the MVC. Bennett Stirtz leads the way for the Bulldogs, averaging 18.9 points per game, 6.2 assists per game, and 2.3 steals per game. As a team, Drake ranks first in the MVC in scoring defense, allowing only 59.2 points per game, and first in opponent three-point field goal percentage defense at 30.5%. A hallmark of the Bulldogs this season has been their pace of play, ranking as the slowest tempo team in the country, taking nearly 22 seconds per possession on offense. The Bulldogs are coached by Ben McCollum, who is in his first season at the Division I level but holds a 417-93 record in his head coaching career.
