The Bradley Braves are clashing with the Missouri State Bears in a Missouri Valley Conference men’s basketball game at JQH Arena in Springfield, Missouri.
The Braves are 16-12 overall and 10-6 in the Valley and has won eight of their last 10 games. The Bears are 20-9 overall and 11-5 in the Valley.
ANALYSIS:Bradley growing into a contender | LIVE STATS:Bradley at MSU
Missouri State won the previous game between the two, 71-69, on Jan. 5 at Carver Arena in Peoria.
Return to this story for live updates from the game. Dave Eminian of the Journal Star will monitor the MVC contest.
7:46 p.m.: HALFTIME: Missouri State 43, Bradley 33
Freshman guard Connor Hickman leads the Braves with 10 points at the half on 4 of 6 shooting. Ville Tahvanainen is next at 6 points on a pair of 3s he hit in the game’s first five minutes.
Isiaih Mosley with 18 points on 7 of 10 shooting (4 of 6 from 3) for Missouri State. Big Gaige Prim has 11 points and three boards.
Bradley’s Rienk Mast has 2 points and a game-best four rebounds. Terry Roberts just 1 of 7 shooting in 13 minutes for the half.
Missouri State had six steals in the first half. BU had 7 turnovers, MSU 3. Bradley bench with a 12-1 edge.
7:41 p.m.: Bradley makes a run
Bradley was in a 16-16 tie when Mosley led Missouri State to a 23-11 run over a span of 6:41, during which he piled up 16 points and the team hit 8 of 10 shots.
The Braves scratched away at that deficit and got it down to seven on a 3 from Connor Hickman for 39-32 with 1:23 left in the half.
But Gaige Prim hit a layup and then a followup dunk to push the Bears lead back to 43-32 with 30 seconds left.
7:36 p.m.: Mosley hot from 3
Ari Boya delivered a dunk coming out of the timeout, but Mosley answered with two more 3s.
Mosley was held to six points in a 20-point loss to Northern Iowa on Sunday. He had 16 with five minutes still left in the first half against Bradley.
He hit four 3s in a span of 3:21 to push the Bears to a 34-22 lead with 4:50 left in the half.
7:27 p.m.: Missouri State 25, Bradley 18
Donovan Clay — who had 10 made 3s all season — hit a pair on back-to-back trips to give Missouri State a 19-16 lead.
Then Isiaih Mosely hit a 3 and was fouled as Malevy Leons left his feet and collided on the way down. He missed the free throw, but then Mosely then hit another 3 on the next possession for a 25-18 lead to force a BU timeout with 7:41 left.
7:16 p.m.: Bradley 12, Missouri State 11
Zek Montgomery comes in off the bench and hits a jumper to put Bradley on top, 12-11, as media break arrives with 11:55 left in the first half.
7:10 p.m.: Tahvanainen hot early
Ville Tahvanainen hits a pair of 3s in the opening minutes, but Missouri State takes an 11-10 lead to the first media break with 14:10 left.
6:47 p.m.: Starting lineups
Bradley will open with guards Terry Roberts and Connor Hickman, forwards Rienk Mast and Malevy Leons, and guard Ville Tahvanainen, the latter replacing Jayson Kent in the lineup.
Missouri State counters with guards Isiaih Mosley, Patterson and Minnett, plus forwards Gaige Prim and Donovan Clay.
6:44 p.m.: Jayson Kent will not play
Bradley wing Jayson Kent will miss his second straight game with a right wrist injury, Senior forward Ja’Shon Henry remains out (concussion).
More Bradley stories at pjstar.com
Dave Eminian is the Journal Star sports columnist, and covers Bradley men’s basketball, the Rivermen and Chiefs. He writes the Cleve In The Eve sports column for pjstar.com. Reach him at 686-3206 or [email protected] Follow him on Twitter @icetimecleve.
George is Digismak’s reported cum editor with 13 years of experience in Journalism