For the first time since 1996, the Bradley men’s basketball team heads into Arch Madness as the regular-season Missouri Valley Conference champions.
Sparked by 19 points from sophomore guard Connor Hickman and a strong defensive effort, the Braves secured the title Sunday with a 73-61 showdown win over Drake before a sold-out Carver Arena crowd of 10,458.
Bradley’s 10th straight win to finish the schedule gave them a 16-4 record in the Valley and the No. 1 seed for the conference tourney later this week in St. Louis. The Braves will bring a 23-8 overall record into Friday’s noon matchup against either Northern Iowa or Illinois State at Enterprise Center.
Forwards Rienk Mast and Malevy Leons added 12 points apiece for Bradley, with Mast posting a double-double with a game-high 13 rebounds. The Braves claimed a 39-28 rebounding advantage and held Drake to 38.1% shooting from the field.
Bradley stayed in front most of the game, taking a 37-34 lead into halftime. The Bulldogs inched ahead 41-40 on a 3-pointer by Tucker DeVries with 16:05 to play, but a Hickman jumper just under a minute later put the Braves back up by one and started a 15-0 run for a lead they never relinquished.
The advantage peaked at 14 points on two occasions after halftime, the second coming on a Hickman dunk that made it 73-59 with 1:19 to play and punctuated the Braves’ triumphant effort. When the final horn sounded, a crush of Bradley fans surged onto the court in celebration.
Hickman connected on 4 of 5 shots from 3-point territory, while Leons hit both of his long range attempts. Bradley also excelled inside, outscoring Drake 38-28 in the paint.
The Braves finished the season with a 15-1 record on their home court after avenging an 86-61 loss at Drake on Jan. 14 and snapping the Bulldogs’ 10-game winning streak. Mast, guard Ville Tahvanainen and fifth-year guard Ja’Shon Henry were honored before tip-off on Senior Night.
Bradley will be seeking its third MVC conference title in five seasons and its fifth overall. The Braves also are vying for their 10th NCAA Tournament bid.
