The Bradley men’s basketball team continued their winning ways after defeating both Indiana State University on the road and Loyola University Chicago, the top team in the Missouri Valley Conference at home. The Braves improved their record to 17-7 overall and 7-4 in the MVC.
Against Indiana State, the game started out evenly for both teams. However, the Braves were able to take a small 14-9 lead, thanks to an 8-0 run led by 3-pointers from sophomore guard Darrell Brown and freshman forward Ryan Stipanovich.
The rest of the first half remained close, as Loyola brought the score within three points. Nevertheless, Bradley held onto their small advantage, ending with a score of 36-33. Stipanovich notably led the Braves with nine points by the end of the half.
Bradley would not hold their lead for long as the Sycamores went on a 10-0 run to lead 55-49 early in the second half. Indiana State was able to hold a four-point advantage until the last five minutes of the game.
With the Sycamores up 64-60, the Braves began to rally back, thanks to late-game efforts from sophomore guard Nate Kennell. Kennell was able to score back-to-back 3-pointers to highlight a 10-0 run that secured a 70-64 lead for the Braves.
Bradley secured a difficult 81-73 win at Indiana State and improved their MVC record to 6-4.
On Wednesday night, Bradley took on the Valley’s No. 1 team, Loyola University Chicago, with their impressive 13-game win streak at home on the line. The Bradley faithful has come out in full force this season as the Braves have emerged as a top team in the Missouri Valley.
The game started out slow for both the Braves and Ramblers as they attempted to find their rhythm. The score was tied, 7-7, five minutes into the first half.
It was the Braves who gained the upper hand as they went on a 15-4 run to take the lead, with a score of 22-11, which ignited the crowd. The Braves were able to reach a lead of 13 points at one point during the half, but ended with an eight-point lead at the break, edging the Ramblers, 37-29.
The second half would prove more difficult for Bradley. The Ramblers began to find their tempo on-court and continuously closed down their opponent’s lead.
With 2:12 left in the game, Loyola went on a 10-0 run to bring the score within one, 60-59. Brown was able to land a corner jumper to extend the lead for the Braves, which was hailed as the play of the game by Loyola head coach Porter Moser.
“Brown hit that shot,” Moser said. “That was the biggest shot of the game. That’s a sign for Bradley [and their improvement].”
However, the Ramblers did not allow that to disway them. With 12.4 seconds left, the Ramblers sank a much-needed three. The intensity in Carver Arena was the highest it had been in years. The Braves stayed calm under pressure by making one-of-two free throws to extend the lead by two points.
Bradley head coach Brian Wardle was happy with the first half performance but was disappointed with the turnovers in the second half, which almost costed the lead.
“In the first half, yeah [we shared the ball well],” Wardle said. “Second half, we got a little stagnant and stood too much. Careless passes and decision-making … were very frustrating, because [the Ramblers] were scoring off all our turnovers.”
Bradley’s defense would hold strong for the remaining time, concluding the game at 69-67 in their favor. After a hard-earned victory against the Valley’s No. 1 team, the Braves extended their undefeated home run to straight 14 games.
Freshman forward Elijah Childs led the team with 18 points and 7 rebounds.
Wardle noted how emphasis on the little things in practice is what prepared the team for a tough opponent like Loyola and will prepare them for their next opponent.
“We keep emphasizing the details,” Wardle said. “We move on to tomorrow and correct on things we did poorly tonight … We got better in us.”
The Braves take on Drake University at Carver Arena at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 3.
