Murray, KY -- The Bradley Braves will look to close out their road trip at Murray State.
Game Information
Bradley Braves 10-5 (3-1 MVC) at Murray State Racers 12-3 (4-0 MVC)
Date & Time: Sunday, January 4th | 4:00 PM CST
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Location: CFSB Center in Murray, KY
All-Time Series: Bradley leads 12-9
The Valley
Through a quarter of the Missouri Valley Conference schedule, three teams remain unbeaten in Illinois State, Murray State, and UNI. Bradley and Belmont are close behind at 3-1 in league play. Sunday's matchup between Bradley and Murray State will feature two of the more physical teams in the conference, as both programs rank in the top three in the MVC in free throw attempts. The contest will also showcase two of the league's top scorers, with
Jaquan Johnson and Javon Jackson going head-to-head. Both rank in the top four in the conference in points per game, averaging 18.1 and 16.3 respectively. Young players who shine are also located on both squads as freshmen
Montana Wheeler and Roman Doman are among the MVC's highest producing freshman so far this season.
Bradley will look to bounce back following a 10-point road loss to the Belmont Bruins and earn a split of its road trip as the Braves take on the Murray State Racers. Against Belmont, Demarion Burch and Montana Wheeler carried the bulk of the scoring load, combining for 47 points while shooting 11-of-17 from beyond the three-point line. Wheeler's seven three-pointers set a new Bradley freshman single-game record, surpassing the previous mark held by Almar Atlason in 2023 against Tarleton State.
Steal totals have continued to climb for Jaquan Johnson (51) and AJ Smith (27), with both ranking in the top three in the MVC. Johnson's 51 steals are also tied for first nationally alongside Javontae Campbell of Bowling Green. As a team, Bradley continues to lead the MVC in turnovers forced, averaging 16.3 per game.
Murray State enters the matchup with a 4-0 record in league play, earning wins over Drake, Valparaiso, Southern Illinois, and UIC. The Racers are led by first-year head coach Ryan Miller, who most recently served as an assistant coach at Creighton under Greg McDermott. Murray State currently has three players averaging double figures in scoring with Javon Jackson, Fred King, and Roman Doman, Fred King is currently the MVC's leader in rebounding at 8.5 per game. Both Bradley and Murray State boast two of the strongest home-court advantages in the MVC combining for a 14-1 record at their home venues this season.
Sunday's game marks the 22nd all-time meeting between Bradley and Murray State, with the Braves holding a 12-9 series advantage. Bradley has won the last four matchups in the series, fueld by three close wins last season against Murray State.
Tipoff is set for 4:00 p.m. CST, with the game airing on ESPN2 and available for streaming on the ESPN+ app. Fans can also listen live on 1470 WMBD, with Dave Snell and Chad Kleine calling the action on the Bradley radio broadcast.
