Final score: Bradley 83 Murray State 48

[Da Coach]

Next game: Murray State at Bradley, Saturday, Feb. 11, 1 pm

This game is on ESPN3, the free streaming platform of ESPN.
Link- https://www.espn.com/watch/player/_/...3-498ba6f805fb
Live stats- https://bradleybraves.com/sidearmstats/mbball/summary
Chat room- www.chatzy.com/bradleyfans
Radio/audio stream- WMBD 1470 AM or 100.3 FM

Murray State beat Bradley in Murray, KY, on January, 4, 67-58. It was Bradley's second-worst shooting game (34.5%) this season. Only the Braves' 32.1% shooting against Liberty was worse.
Rienk Mast had his worst game of the season, scoring only 3 points on 1-7 shooting. Bradley's guards were no better. Connor Hickman was 1-9, and Duke Deen was 2-11.
Recap- https://bradleybraves.com/news/2023/...ray-state.aspx
Box score- https://bradleybraves.com/sports/men...boxscore/21517

Bradley is 18-8 overall, 11-4 in the MVC, and in a 3-way tie for 1st place with Drake and SIU. Bradley has won 5 straight games.
Murray State is 13-12 overall, and 8-7 in the MVC. They are now tied for 7th place with UNI, and are 3 games behind the leaders.
MVC Standings- https://www.espn.com/mens-college-ba...ngs/_/group/18

Bradley is 7-8 all-time vs. Murray State. However, prior to the January 4 MVC game, the last time they met was on March 16, 1994, in the NIT, a game that Bradley won 66-58.

Murray State schedule/results- https://goracers.com/sports/mens-bas...le?path=mbball
Roster- https://goracers.com/sports/mens-bas...er?path=mbball

Murray State averages 70.8 ppg, which ranks 5th in the MVC, and Bradley averages 72.0 ppg, which ranks 4th in the MVC.
The Racers' 3-point percentage is 31.6%, which ranks 11th, ahead of only Valparaiso (30.1%).
Bradley is shooting 37.2% from three, which ranks 2nd in the MVC, and 39th in the country out of 363 teams.

Murray State sortable stats- https://www.espn.com/mens-college-ba.../stats/_/id/93
BU stats- https://www.espn.com/mens-college-ba.../stats/_/id/71
MVC stats- https://www.espn.com/mens-college-ba...oints/dir/desc

[Bradley3342]

Another biggest game of the year coming up on Saturday. I think we could be looking at the biggest crowd of the year also. Keep it rollin……

[BUfan14]

It's been fun because every game we play matters so much lately, and we have played well the last several. Even still, every game could jostle this team between achieving the success we wanted and falling below expectations because the MVC is so close, and we have many tough games left still. We "should" win the next two home games, but it won't be easy at all against two tough teams. We need to play well. Valpo we should win if we don't overlook them. The SIU and Drake games may tell the tale. Probably have to have at least one of them, if not both, to bring home the crown. The Drake one might be a must win since we lost to them already and would need to outplay them by two games in the other four contests if we were to lose it (I don't see that happening).

[LittleBrave]

Another biggest game of the year coming up on Saturday. I think we could be looking at the biggest crowd of the year also. Keep it rollin……

I am making the hike down to P-town (from north Chi. suburb) to catch my 1st BU home game in 3 years! (with Dad and BU alum friend)
We are really hoping the PCC will be rockin' - and we will certainly do our part to cheer on the BRAVES!!!

It's almost surreal that we're battling for the Valley crown with 3/4 of the conf. season done! It's been 27 years faithful Bradley fans!!!

[pfcmsh]

I'm thinking we can beat Murray State at Carver. As reported above, we shot poorly and didnt play too well across the board. Since we are at home, we should shoot better and that alone should beat Murray State. Am I missing something about tomorrows game and the Braves chances?

[LittleBrave]

I'm thinking we can beat Murray State at Carver. As reported above, we shot poorly and didnt play too well across the board. Since we are at home, we should shoot better and that alone should beat Murray State. Am I missing something about tomorrows game and the Braves chances?

Nope - would be very disappointing to lose to Murray at home - not a very good road team, and they basically replaced their entire roster from a year ago. The talent level between us and them, factored in with how we've been playing great during this win streak - really no reason the Braves shouldn't win by 10+ tomorrow...and I feel it'll be closer to 20.

[Fan since 88]

Looking forward to tomorrow’s game, hope the team remembers what happened when we played them last time. No room for a letdown game!

[Bradley3342]

I think there is a pregame party Saturday for Braves Clubs members before the Murray State game at the Hotel Pere Marquettes ballroom starting at 10:30. I got an email about it but didn’t see it on the Braves club website. Does anyone know anything different?

[Da Coach]

I think there is a pregame party Saturday for Braves Clubs members before the Murray State game at the Hotel Pere Marquettes ballroom starting at 10:30. I got an email about it but didn’t see it on the Braves club website. Does anyone know anything different?

It's not well publicized-

The Bradley University Alumni Association will host a pregame party at the Hotel Pere Marquette, where Bradley Athletics Hall of Fame inductee Joe Donoho will be the featured guest. The event is FREE to all Braves Club members and $10 at the door for non-members. The 2007 MVC Men’s Soccer Player of the Year will be inducted into the Hall of Fame during a halftime ceremony of the game against the Racers. Ticket promotions include the Educators Appreciation Program, presented by REMAX/Traders Unlimited, and discounts for Fulton County residents, courtesy of Discover Peoria.

[Bradley3342]

It's not well publicized-

The Bradley University Alumni Association will host a pregame party at the Hotel Pere Marquette, where Bradley Athletics Hall of Fame inductee Joe Donoho will be the featured guest. The event is FREE to all Braves Club members and $10 at the door for non-members. The 2007 MVC Men’s Soccer Player of the Year will be inducted into the Hall of Fame during a halftime ceremony of the game against the Racers. Ticket promotions include the Educators Appreciation Program, presented by REMAX/Traders Unlimited, and discounts for Fulton County residents, courtesy of Discover Peoria.

Thanks DaCoach!

[BUfan14]

Good to see us take a nice lead even though we struggled shooting. We hustled and kept the defense up even with a subpar offensive half. That didn't happen earlier in the year. This is the better team clearly even when we struggle. We should win this.

Nice to see Davis get in and make a big bucket. I really like his game and still believe he can make some big threes for us (as he did today). We have debated him vs. Ville recently and I think both have a place in the rotation, but I trust Davis more when a big three is needed and his defense looks better. Great hustle from Hannah and Leons, and I don't always feel that way on Hannah. Mast normally makes many of the shots he missed this half, so I expect he will be better in half two. Only real negative I saw (other than just having an off half shooting) was Deen forcing some things.

[basketball nut]

Ville Ville Ville Ville Ville Ville
6-6 on 3's

[BUfan14]

Great game for Bradley. It’s amazing how far this team has come in one month. They were not very good just a few weeks ago, and now they look confident and some things in the conference broke there way that didn’t look they would before. Credit to coaches and players for turning it around so dramatically. Still a ways to go but keep playing like this and only Drake scares me. End of the year game at home could be really fun against them.

Hickman finally looks like the player I thought he would be this year.

Ville has been the subject of much debate, and I’ve maintained he is a solid rotation player, but not a starter level player. Today he was outstanding. Consistency is something he has never really had and been the big problem shooting wise. I don’t want to overreact to one good game either, but if he can shoot just a little better than he has all year going forward that will make us that much tougher. Great game from him. He deserves tons of credit for today.

Mast and Leons quietly did their thing, and Deen played better in the second half. Everyone played well and tonight it just happened to be Hick and Ville getting the points. Nice job on both ends in the game. Offense actually looked good the whole game, just weren’t hitting shots we normally do in the first half. We still showed toughness and then when shots started falling we buried them.

[Big Mike]

Great game by the Braves....Ville coming out party was good to see...also glad to get Davis meaningful minutes in the heat of the game....it will pay dividends down the road!

[Fan since 88]

What's not to like after a performance like that one! It seems like everyone on the court did a good job today on both ends. Too many ticky tack fouls after the game was put away, but the ref's seemed determined to keep calling them. Great job today by all. Nice to see the end of the bench get some PT Coach Wardle.