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Final score: Bradley 62 SIU 52

What a refreshing, really well played game, and we won a big one! Played steady throughout and didn’t commit bad turnovers or out of control shots. A little bit of weird subbing in first half, but otherwise well coached game too. We are now officially back in contention, but must keep playing this way. Zek may be that go to wing player I’m looking for. I love his game. The five of Deen, Zek, Leons, Mast, and Henry really are our best five (not necessarily on court at same time). I want Davis to play more, and Hannah, Ville are fine depth players. Hickman is the wild card, as he is seemingly struggling on both ends now. If he can get going along with the other four starters and Henry as a sixth man, we can do some things. I’m not going to get ahead of myself with this team though, it’s been too much of a roller coaster. Keep playing hard nose defense and keep Zek developing! Great win today, nice job to the players and coaches! Another big one Saturday that could knock us right back down.
 
We played great defensively tonight. Henry looked like his old self and was glad his injury was nothing serious. Zek is going to be a hell of a player by the time he is done here. Mast struggled with his bread and butter shots but the rest of the team made up for it. Encouraging game, now we know we can play with that level of intensity for a full 40, let's keep it going.

Oh yeah and that was some of the worst officiating I've ever seen. On both ends of the court.
 
Bradley now tied for 1st with SIU, Belmont, and the NI/ Drake winner at 9-4. Four more teams will be just a game back at 8-5. Eight teams within one game of each other.
 
When is the last time Bradley was 9-4 in the Valley? I just checked back to 02-03 (that's as far back as ESPN dot com season schedules go). There were a couple of 9-5 starts, but no 9-4s.
 
Ugly game, as expected when 2 good defensive teams meet in the Valley, but we closed out at the end with free throws. And how about that zone defense at the end. Good job Coach Wardle!
 
17 points off turnovers, 19 points from the bench, removing Domask, and 13-17 free throws. And somehow Wardle was able to avoid getting a T from the old ref that’s starved for attention. Fun game, good victory.
 
I think Wardle came within a whisker of a T in the second half. Another terrible example of officiating tonight. Huge win for us!
 
Well, Drake pulls it out in OT, unfortunately. Think they are the bigger threat than NI to finish ahead of Bradley and win the MVC. Thought N Iowa was gonna get the road upset. :(
 
Great win tonight and the defense was superb for most of the game. There was talk earlier about who might be our closer at the end of the game. Zek is definitely on my list and only a sophomore.
 
Wardle also received a warning from one of the officials, who must have been upset with a couple fans near the court riding them about their horrendous calls, Wardle then asked someone from the athletic department to go ask those fans to quiet down a little to avoid a technical foul. The athletic department person then walked over to a couple fans at courtside near the SIU bench and talked to them, then went around to the other side of the SIU basket, and talked to another fan seated at that end of the court. After that, those fans remained in the seats and did quiet down

As far as the game went- Bradley did exactly what they had to do to win. The Braves played terrific defense and held Marcus Domask to just 5 points. That matched his lowest point total of the season. And they held Lance Jones to 13 points on 14 shot attempts. Bradley outrebounded the Salukis 35-27, including a big advantage in offensive rebounds, 12-4. The 12 offensive rebounds lead to 10 Bradley points.
The Braves also scored 17 points off SIU's 13 turnovers, and took advantage with their better size and skill in the frontcourt by scoring 34 of their 62 points in the paint.

I agree about the officiating. SIU got away with constant overly-aggressive hand-checking, often with 2 hands on the Bradley players, and a lot of poking and hacking all game. They complained when fouls were called, but there were many more that weren't called. It's no surprise, since that is the way SIU played defense when Bryan Mullins was playing for them. The return game in Carbondale will likely be a similar struggle.

Official box score- https://bradleybraves.com/sports/men...boxscore/21525
Attendance 4,817

Game story from SIU website- https://siusalukis.com/news/2023/2/1...t-bradley.aspx
 
MikeCash said:
When is the last time Bradley was 9-4 in the Valley? I just checked back to 02-03
Click to expand...

It was the 2000-‘01 season, where we finished 12-6 in the Valley, We defeated the Shockers at Carver to get to 9-4, then lost at Creighton when Korver was a sophomore. We matched that record in 96-‘97 (AP’s senior year, but he was out with foot injury for many games)
Then of course the sensational ‘95-‘96 team (15-3), the last time Braves were Valley champs.

Some key guys from the 2000-‘01 team were seniors Jerome Robinson and Eddie Cage, and the trio of freshmen (Cello, Gilbert, and Gillingham)
Robinson had a great season - at 17 ppg, which may be the highest in the last 25 yrs other than maybe Andrew Warren’s senior year (I think he had over 18 ppg and was 1st team All-conf on a last place BU team)
 
We had to match SIU's physical play and for 40 minutes, which hasn't happened very often, we did. Despite the extremely crappy officiating with their rabbit ears though fans need to keep it clean. Zek is really coming into his own on both ends of the court and should be 1st team all improved. JaShon was just a beast out there especially on offense and I just hope his ankle is ok. Just need to bottle up this effort and take it on the road at UNI on Saturday.
 
MikeCash said:
When is the last time Bradley was 9-4 in the Valley? I just checked back to 02-03 (that's as far back as ESPN dot com season schedules go). There were a couple of 9-5 starts, but no 9-4s.
Click to expand...

Check bubraves.com. This site goes back a lot further than 20 years.
 
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