Final: Missouri State 64 Bradley 56

[Da Coach]

Bradley plays at Missouri State Staurday, March 2 at 7:05 PM in the final scheduled game of the year. There will be no TV available.
Video stream is available by subscription from Missouri State website-

http://www.missouristatebears.com/allaccess/?media=347342

Game notes from BradleyBraves.com

http://www.bradleybraves.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=3400&ATCLID=206566860

Missouri State game notes-

http://www.missouristatebears.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/030113aaa.html

Missouri State website-

http://www.missouristatebears.com/sports/m-baskbl/mosu-m-baskbl-body.html

[Da Coach]

Dave Reynolds' pregame article-
Bradley finale may be preview for next week
Strong possibility Braves will face Missouri State again next week

http://www.pjstar.com/bradleyhoops/x1037518629/Bradley-finale-may-be-preview-for-next-week

Geno calls the fact we could end up playing Missouri State again next Thursday "odd". But if it happens this season, it will actually make 3 times in the past 4 years, and 4 times in the last 6 years that it has happened.

[Tulsa Brave]

If we're ever going to win in Springfield, this is the year. Time to beat the Bears twice in a row this coming week...

[LittleBrave]

If we're ever going to win in Springfield, this is the year. Time to beat the Bears twice in a row this coming week...

Absolutely true, and We usually play pretty tough at MSU, but never cam seem to pull it out.

[tornado]

We are 15-2 when we outscore our opponents IN THE PAINT
WE ARE 1-11 WHEN WE ARE outscored by our opponents IN THE PAINT

So where does everyone think is the best place to try to get our offense??
...and yet in this 21-4 run by Missouri State we just keep launching bad three point attempts.. not good execution so far.......

[tornado]

Chad Kleine just said again - we have to take the ball inside - we have the advantage inside ....we are giving away our advantage with all those (1-8 ) bad 3-pointers
If most of your wins come from scoring in the paint - should we not try to get the ball there?
...we rally to get within 31-25 at half......

[tornado]

I listened to the entire pre-game show and at least 4 or 5 times I heard either Diorio, Snell, and even Geno all say that it's pretty certain that win or lose we're still playing Missouri State next Thursday....
Kind of as if tonight's game really was of no consequence... Even hearing that comment ONE time woulda made me mad - but hearing it several times then seeing our guys play this bad - makes me think all our guys have that thought in their minds...
probably not a good move to keep saying that.....


stop the turnovers, get stops, get the ball inside...and we can still win this game...
if Will Egolf has more assists than all our guards combined then we're not playing good team ball
...again Chad says the same thing we have to get the ball in the paint!

[tornado]

I am stunned - we get the ball to Pross a couple times in a row and the guy shoots us back into this game -- Go Pross!

[Da Coach]

Final score- Missouri State 64 Bradley 56

Box score-

http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/boxscore?gameId=330610071

[Big Mike]

3 t/o's for MS
2 steals
15 Bradley t/o's
A lot of guys did not show up to play tonight!

[Tulsa Brave]

We get the 8 seed and play Drake. (7) Missouri State plays (10) SIU.

(1) Creighton vs. Bradley/Drake
(4) Evansville vs. (5) Indiana State
(2) Wichita State vs. Missouri State/SIU
(3) UNI vs. (6) Illinois State.

SIU saves the Birds from Thursday.

[Da Coach]

Drake loses at Home to SIU- so Bradley will play Drake in the Thursday night 8-9 game

[PTownHawkeye]

SIU has been playing some good ball lately, I think I'd rather have Drake.

[LittleBrave]

Drake loses at Home to SIU- so Bradley will play Drake in the Thursday night 8-9 game

Bradley finishes as the #9 seed- exactly where they were picked in the preseason poll- so much for all the cheerleader talk from the PJ Star about how vastly improved we are.

Probably our best chance to win of any opponent in the Valley.
We might as well call this the annual BU-Drake Play-in game

[LittleBrave]

3 t/o's for MS
2 steals
15 Bradley t/o's
A lot of guys did not show up to play tonight!

All of what you said has not happened much this season - we seem to have come ready to play in 90% of our games, out-steal the opponents, and aren't too sloppy with turnovers.

Still not over, but hard to say that this season was a good one after our last 2 games...but if we take the season as a whole, I am satisfied with the progress, but expect a .500 Valley record next year - no matter who we have on the roster. Geno should be held fully accountable for his team's success/failure from here on out and has no excuses.

Hopefully we exceed expectations like we did this season...gradual improvement each year until we compete for the league title!