PEORIA, Ill. - Indiana State men's basketball heads to Bradley University on Saturday to end the short two-game conference stint on Saturday, Both teams enter 6-1 on the season; the Sycamores are 1-0 in the Missouri Valley Conference and Bradley is 1-0. Saturday's matchup tips at 2 p.m. ET/1 p.m. CT. Those who can't make it in-person can watch ESPNU or listen on 105.5 The Legend.
Series History
Saturday will be the 100th game between the Sycamores and the Braves. Indiana State is on a three-game losing streak vs Bradley, with the recent matchup coming in last season's MVC tournament where the Braves were victorious.
About Bradley
The Braves are in their 9th season with Brian Wardle at the helm. Bradley won the MVC last season 23-8, 16-4 MVC to win the regular-season title. Bradley went onto the postseason championship and lost to Drake 77-51. The Braves continued one game post-MVC championship in the NIT and fell to the University of Wisconsin 81-62. Three Braves are averaging more than 10.0 PPG this season: Malevy Leons (15.3), Darius Hannah (13.1), and Connor Hickman (12.7).
Last Time Out - Indiana State
Indiana State men's basketball opened Missouri Valley play with a win over Southern Illinois on Tuesday night with the largest margin of victory over the Salukis in 20+ years, 77-48. The Sycamores moved to 6-1 on the season with the first MVC win.
Isaiah Swope finished with a game-high 22 points, leading the Sycamores' offense in scoring for the sixth time in seven games. Swope knocked down four triples, marking the fifth time he's recorded four-plus made threes this season.
Xavier Bledson entered the starting lineup for the third time this season and made the most of his 28 minutes, shattering his season-high in scoring with 17 points on 6-for-9 from the floor.
Julian Larry recorded 11 points, and
Jayson Kent finished with 11 points and nine rebounds.
For the second straight season under Coach
Josh Schertz, the Sycamores opened the season with a 6-1 record. ISU has opened MVC play with a win twice in the Coach Schertz era. The victory was the largest margin of victory over the Salukis since January 19, 2000 when ISU won 91-56.
Last Time Out - Bradley
Bradley men's basketball fell to Murray State on the road by a score of 79-72 on Wednesday night. Murray State held a 42-32 lead over Bradley at halftime. The Braves collected 19 rebounds while the Racers had 16. Bradley also had 18 of their 32 points in the paint. Malevy Leons led the way for Bradley with 10 points and three rebounds. Darius Hannah tallied five points and five rebounds.
In the second half, the Braves outscored the Racers 40-37 but could not complete a comeback on the road. Bradley and Murray State were tied in rebounds with 33 in the game. The Braves shot 33% from beyond the arc and recorded 14 second chance points with seven steals in the game.
Follow the Sycamores
For the latest information on the Sycamore Men's Basketball team, make sure to check out
GoSycamores.com. You can also find the team on social media including
Facebook,
Twitter, and
Instagram. Fans can also receive updates on Sycamore Athletics by downloading the March On App from both the
App Store and the
Google Play Store.
