Peoria, IL -- The Bradley Braves will head to Carbondale, IL to take on the Southern Illinois Salukis.

Game Information 
Bradley Braves 17-9 (10-5 MVC) at Southern Illinois Salukis 12-14 (6-9 MVC)
Date & Time: Sunday, February 15th | 1:00 PM CST
Live Coverage: Live Stats | Watch | Listen 
Location: Banterra Center in Carbondale, IL
All-Time Series: Bradley leads 61-50

The Valley
With Belmont's win over Northern Iowa on Thursday, the Bruins improved to 13-3 in Missouri Valley Conference play. They now hold a two-game lead over second-place Murray State, while Bradley sits 2.5 games behind Belmont. Illinois State and UIC are tied for fourth place, rounding out the teams that would currently receive a first-round bye in St. Louis. Sunday's matchup between Bradley and Southern Illinois will feature the MVC's second-best three-point offense against the conference's second-best three-point defense with both teams also ranking among the top three in the league in forced turnovers, with Bradley leading the conference (374) and SIU ranking third (352).

The Bradley Braves
Coming off a week without a midweek game, Bradley will look to build on its Monday night win over first-place Belmont. Jaquan Johnson and Alex Huibregtse led the way for the Braves, combining for 51 points, 10 assists, and seven rebounds while shooting 12-of-21 from three-point range. Over the last three games, Bradley is shooting 41 percent from beyond the arc while holding opponents to just 31 percent. Additionally, five different Braves (Jaquan Johnson, Alex Huibregtse, Montana Wheeler, Ahmet Jonovic, and Timoty van der Knaap) have each taken at least 12 shots over that stretch and are shooting 41 percent or better from the field.

Johnson's 31-point performance against the Bruins marked the first time that a Bradley player has recorded three 30-point games in a single season since the 1990-91 season. The last to accomplish the feat was Curtis Stuckey, who did so nine times that year.

The Southern Illinois Salukis
Southern Illinois is 12-14 overall and 6-9 in MVC play and is coming off its second consecutive double-digit victory after defeating the Evansville Purple Aces 86-60. SIU currently has two players averaging double figures in scoring (Quel'ron House and Rolyns Aligbe) while also receiving key contributions from others, most recently Drew Steffe and Damien Mayo Jr. who each finished in double figures against the Purple Aces. Southern Illinois will rely on Rolyns Aligbe and Prince Aligbe to anchor the interior. The duo ranks second and 15th in the MVC in rebounding, respectively, combining for 12.6 rebounds per game. The Salukis currently sit eighth in the MVC standings, three games out of a first-round bye with five regular-season games remaining.

History Says!
History says we should expect another close encounter between the Braves and Salukis. Bradley leads the all-time series 61-50, with Southern Illinois holds a 28-20 advantage in Carbondale. Recently, however, Bradley has controlled the series, winning seven of the last 10 meetings, including the last three in Carbondale. Of the previous 111 meetings, 37 have been decided by five points or less. Bradley leads 25-12 in that stretch. With a win, Brian Wardle would become Bradley's all-time leader in Missouri Valley Conference victories, breaking a tie with Jim Molinari (110). He would also move within one win of earning the 300th victory of his coaching career.

The game will be available for streaming on ESPN+, with a 1:00 p.m. tipoff at the Banterra Center. Larry Larson and Doug Novsek will have the call. Fans can also tune in to 1470 WMBD to listen to the Bradley Basketball radio broadcast featuring Dave Snell and Chad Kleine.