Bradley knocks off Creighton for first time this season

The third time was the charm for the Braves as Bradley knocked off Creighton 81-62 in the quarterfinals of the Missouri Valley Conference tournament. Bradley now faces Northern Iowa tomorrow in the conference semifinals.

Junior guard Sam Maniscalco had an incredible game, scoring 31 points and making 18-of-19 from the free-throw line. Fellow junior guard Andrew Warren also finished in double figures (14 points).

While Creighton nailed 50 percent of its three-pointers in the first two games during the regular season, the shots didn't fall today (9-of-33, 27.3 percent).

Creighton continues dominance at home against Bradley

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Creighton always seemed to bring its best games against Bradley in Omaha. Saturday wasn't any different as the Bluejays nabbed an 11-point victory and secured sole possession of fourth place in the final regular season Missouri Valley Conference standings.

The game might have been lopsided if it weren't for the standout performance by sophomore forward Taylor Brown, who finished with a career high 27 points. He made 12-of-21 from the floor, grabbed eight rebounds and was basically unstoppable the entire game.

Unfortunately for the Braves, Creighton got big contributions from up and down its lineup, especially from Kenny Lawson Jr. Just like Illinois State's Dinma Odikosa did earlier in the season, Lawson took advantage of a big weight differential against sophomore center Will Egolf. He finished with 20 points on 6-of-7 shooting and snagged eight rebounds.

Of course, part of the problem is the Egolf is forced to play out of position due to Bradley's lack of a "bruiser" inside. But players like Lawson and Odiakosa are the primary reason why the Braves are 0-4 against Creighton and Illinois State. Egolf fouled out of this game, officially only playing five minutes while still contributing four points and five rebounds.

These little aspects are what have plagued Bradley the entire season. The bench has not been deep enough to adjust to the different lineups that other teams throw at them. The Braves have been much more successful against smaller, quicker teams.

Because looking at the stats, or even just getting a feel from watching the game, Bradley wasn't really bad yesterday. In fact, the Braves actually played okay but Creighton was just better. The Bluejays led slightly in shooting percentage (44.0-40.0), 3-pointers made (6-2) and free throws made (23-19). Most of the other points of comparison were negligible, which made for a fairly close game.

Probably the most surprising aspect of the game was the performance of freshman guard Jake Eastman, who scored a career high 13 points off the bench. He had been shooting under 50 percent from the free throw line and calmly knocked in all six attempts. Though he has shown some flashes of talent throughout the season, this was the first game Eastman really made a big contribution to a game. Hopefully he can build on this performance going into the MVC tournament and next year.

As great as Eastman and Brown were, guards Sam Maniscalco and Chris Roberts were equally as off. The two combined to make just 2-of-11 from the floor and score just eight points combined. Maniscalco's game was certainly unexpected considering the fact that he'd been playing so well and was on the floor for all 40 minutes.

Bradley will now get one more shot at Creighton, just like last season. The two will face-off in the 4-5 game of the MVC tournament on Friday. The old adage is that it's really tough to beat a team three times in a season. We'll see if that proves to be true this time around.

Creighton beats the Braves again

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When a team struggles near .500 the whole season, losses can almost be expected. Creighton continued its dominance over the Braves in the Jim Les-era with a 73-68 victory last night in Peoria.

With the win, the Bluejays (11-10, 6-4 MVC) took sole possession of third place in the conference standings. Head coach Dana Altman improved his record to 13-3 all-time against Jim Les' Braves (10-10, 5-5 MVC).

The back story before the game was the absence of Creighton's toxic guard P'Allen Stinnett. All sorts of speculation has been floating around the Internet about why the highly talented Stinnett was suspended indefinitely from the team Tuesday. Whether it related to off-the-court issues or his hot headed personality on the court, one thing could be confirmed in Peoria - the Bluejays were better without him.

Freshman guard Josh Jones, who had zero points in conference play before yesterday, inexplicably made 3-of-6 from beyond the arc and finished with 13 points. More baffling was how the Bluejays made twelve 3-pointers when they had been shooting less than 32 percent on the season.

These are just a few examples of why this game felt like one that Bradley simply was never going to win. Every loose ball seemed to be tipped off a Brave. A couple questionable calls from the officials, including a five-point possession for Creighton, went against Bradley as well. None of these things are excuses, but they all helped contribute to another home loss.

Depth was clearly a factor, too. Creighton, who is known for its frequent (and sometimes excessive) substitutions, played 11 guys. Bradley only played eight men and freshman guard Jake Eastman played just five minutes.

And for all of the fluky occurrences, the Braves simply didn't shoot well enough to win. Bradley had multiple opportunities to tie the score in the final minute of the game but couldn't knock down a key shot. For the game, Bradley made just 5-of-20 attempts from 3-point range.

A commitment has really been made to rebounding better, which is a very encouraging sign. The Braves held a 44-34 advantage overall with sophomore forward Taylor Brown leading the way with 12.

Brown led all scorers with 19 and the rest of the Bradley starters all had at least eight points. But it was the amount of attempts that really held the team back. Senior guard Chris Roberts hit 2-of-10 from the field and junior guard Andrew Warren wasn't much better (4-of-14).

In reality, this wouldn't be such a frustrating loss if it hadn't been for all of the other ones that Bradley gave away earlier in the season. The margin for error is so small that even when an opponent comes out and beats you, it gets even further magnified.

As Egolf goes, so do the Braves

If you're looking for an easy indicator on why Bradley wins or loses, just watch the stat line for sophomore center Will Egolf. He didn't have a bad game at all (10 points, 5 rebounds), but a big reason why the Braves got down big early was that he was on the bench in foul trouble.

Then, as Bradley began to climb back into the game, Egolf was on the court more and managed to limit his fouls. The Braves need to have their Egolf on the floor to be successful. Other guys like Brown or Warren can have off nights and the team can survive.

But with the skill set he possesses, Egolf makes as big of an impact on the outcome of games as much as any other player. Kenny Lawson Jr. was not a great matchup for Egolf against Creighton and Illinois State's Dinma Okiakosa has a similar skill set coming up. We'll see how Egolf fares against the Redbirds' big man.

Still no McCain

Sophomore guard Eddren McCain sat out another game with his hand injury. Varying reports are out there on the severity but he clearly was in enough pain to sit out against the Bluejays. His skill on both ends of the court provide valuable depth that Bradley was missing.

The War on 74

The long awaited first game between rivals Bradley and Illinois State comes up Saturday in Normal. This will be televised regionally so even those of us who have to watch many games on the Internet will be able to tune in on regular cable.

The Redbirds and Braves sit tied in a logjam for fourth place in the Valley. Not only are the usual bragging rights at stake but this may be critical for seeding in the conference tournament as the season winds down.

Nobody ever really knows what to expect in these rivalry games except that they will be entertaining. Here's hoping for another BU-ISU classic.

Game Twenty-Four Recap: Bradley @ Creighton

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Games like these are when Bradley really misses players like Andrew Warren and Jeremy Crouch.

Creighton proved why its a perennial Missouri Valley Conference powerhouse, outlasting a gutsy performance by the Braves 79-65. The Bluejays (20-6, 10-4) kept pace with Northern Iowa, who beat Southern Illinois easily tonight, holding onto second place in the Valley, two games back. Bradley (13-12, 7-7) has lost seven of 10 conference games now after starting 4-0 in league play.

Unlike the flat performance at Drake, Bradley battled hard in an arena (Qwest Center) that the team has never won. After allowing a 3-pointer to start the game by guard Dodie Dunson, Creighton ran eight straight points on the Braves. For a long time, the game simply looked out of reach.

The Bluejays always had an answer to any run the Braves made. Two free throws by forward/center Sam Singh trimmed the Creighton lead to 25-23 with 5:50 left in the first half. But a bad four possessions (two turnovers by forward Theron Wilson, two tough shots made by Booker Woodfox) quickly extended the lead back to six, 29-23.

Bradley looked as if it would surely trail going into the half, but a half court buzzer beater by guard Sam Maniscalco gave Bradley its first lead going into halftime, 39-37. Creighton had played a really sloppy half and still only trailed by two. With how inconsistent Bradley's shooting has been all season, it would be hard to imagine how the team could put up another big scoring half.

And unfortunately for the Braves, they didn't. Bradley could have folded, falling behind 55-47 in the midst of an 8-0 Creighton run. Instead, the team stormed back, and went on a 10-0 run of its own.

But the offense was nonexistent for the final nine minutes and the Bluejays finished the game scoring 24 of the final 32 points. Not only were the Braves not making shots, but they also were turning the ball over too much. Just like at Drake, Bradley finished with 19 turnovers.

Maybe living with the center David Collins, whose soft play can often be brought into question, is rubbing off on Wilson. His overall stat line doesn't look bad on paper (15 points, 11 rebounds), but he also made numerous bonehead mistakes and just hasn't been himself since defenses have committed to shutting him down. He's really going to need to get it together and start playing like the leader he showed to be earlier in the season.

Guard Chris Roberts, who can be frustratingly inconsistent, had one of his good nights. He had 11 points, three rebounds, a steal and a block — filling up the stat sheet as he generally does during his positive games. If only he could put together games like this nightly, he'd start every game.

Maniscalco also finished in double figures with 13. But as much as Sam can be praised for his heart, determination and overall basketball IQ, even he made some silly turnovers that helped seal Bradley's fate.

Without Warren and Will Egolf, this team just isn't that great. If the team had a finisher, like Creighton has P'Allen Stinnett and Woodfox, then a few of these close games would have likely swung in Bradley's favor. Fortunate for them, as the rest of the league isn't that impressive either. This has helped the team stay afloat through the last difficult part of the schedule.

Up next:

Realistically, Bradley will finish somewhere between fourth and sixth once conference play ends. Which, considering what was lost, isn't the worst end result to the season. If the Braves are to assure fourth place (or attempt an outside chance at third), the winning must start again Saturday. Evansville comes to Peoria, who shares fourth place currently with Bradley.

Teams as average as Evansville must be beaten at home. Expect Bradley to finish the season strong, with all five games (two with Evansville, one with both Missouri State and Drake and the Bracketbuster at Loyola) being winnable. As big of a rut as this team has been in closing out games, the talent level for the Braves still is superior to all of the remaining opponents.

Game Sixteen Recap: Creighton @ Bradley

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No Woodfox? No problem.

A short-handed Creighton team showed why it was picked to win the Missouri Valley Conference Saturday at Carver Arena, handing Bradley (10-6, 4-1) its first loss in MVC play. The Bluejays (13-4, 3-2) didn't have leading scorer Booker Woodfox (16.8 PPG), but still produced a solid team effort to secure a 73-64 road win in Peoria.

Bradley never really got in a good rhythm the entire game on either side of the floor. The defense wasn't terrible, but when the team needed stops, Creighton scored. The offense looked disjointed and the Braves got back into "chuck" mode, launching 18 attempts from beyond the 3-point line.

Post player Kenny Lawson Jr. as well as guard Cavel Witter helped Creighton stretch its first half lead to 10 points with 5 minutes left in the half at 27-17. But the lackadaisical Braves awoke for the last five minutes, scoring the last nine points and trailing 27-26 at the break.

Bradley even stretched that run into the second session, taking a 30-26 lead after a Eddren McCain layup and Theron Wilson dunk. But the Braves wouldn't make another field goal for eight minutes, letting Creighton build its lead back up to seven points.

This game had the classic feel of one that Bradley simply would never get over the hump. Creighton hit big shot after big shot, never allowing the Braves to make a run.

The biggest back breaker might have come with just under 12 minutes to play and Bradley within three points. The Braves had a great defensive possession, forcing the Bluejays to use the entire shot clock. As the buzzer sounded and guard Josh Dotzler threw up a wild shot in the lane, Lawson was there to tip the ball right back into the basket, pushing the score back up to 40-35.

Though the game felt almost unwinnable at that point, the lead was still five points with five minutes to play. A critical four possessions iced the game for Creighton.

First, guard Chris Roberts made a bad decision and committed a turnover. Bluejay star guard P'Allen Stinnett, who was having a terrible game up until that point, nailed a tough jumper to put Creighton up seven. Then McCain made another turnover and Stinnett would take the ball in transition, score and get fouled by guard Sam Maniscalco. In less than a minute, Bradley went from down five to down 10 and the game was essentially over.

And though some Bradley players had good stat lines, nobody really had two good halves. Maniscalco had a huge first half, scoring 11 of Bradley's 26 points. But then Maniscalco was nearly invisible in the second half, making only 1-of-5 attempts.

Conversely, nobody else really showed up for the Braves in the first half. Guard Dodie Dunson had all but three of his 16 points during the final 20 minutes. Nine of McCain's 12 points also came in the second half.

Bradley also only got a combined three points from inside players Taylor Brown, Sam Singh, and David Collins. When the Braves have been successful, they've gotten major contributions from the big men.

Overall, this was a very disappointing loss and a frustrating game to watch. Luckily this wasn't a bottom feeder in the league and nobody expected Bradley to go 18-0 in conference play.

Up next:

The schedule doesn't get any easier for awhile as the Braves now go on the road for three straight (at Indiana State, Tues., at Southern Illinois, Sun., at Northern Iowa, Weds. 1/21). Bradley needs to win two of these if it really wants to continue to consider itself a contender for the conference title.

Any road win is great in the Valley, but the Braves two road wins were against two of the worst teams in the league. Bradley needs to take care of business against Indiana State and SIU, as the Braves are clearly superior on the talent side.

More pictures:

Check out the slideshow of pictures I took at the game.

Click the photo above to view a slideshow.

(Updated at 11:45 PM with full recap.)

1. Creighton

Preseason poll: 1st

Southern Illinois has loads of talent. But Creighton can match the Salukis in skill and surpass them in experience.

The comparisons don't stop there, either. Both teams are loaded at guard and thin inside. Both teams also have very good senior leaders at the point and are always expected to be near the top of the Missouri Valley Conference.

But the Bluejays are favored to win the conference championship – can you bet against Dana Altman? He's certainly won with less talent.

The most electric player for Creighton has to be guard P'Allen Stinnett (6'3" So.). He plays with some of the brashness that Illinois State's Osiris Eldridge does, but he can usually back up his attitude. Stinnett shot 45 percent from the floor and hit nearly 80 percent of his free throws during his freshman season (12.6 ppg).

Guard Josh Dotzler (6'1" Sr.) will be the man who will be serving up the ball to the talented back court players of Creighton. He's steady at carrying the ball and won't hurt the Bluejays.

The other two guards, Booker Woodfox (6'1" Sr.)and Cavel Witter (5'11" Jr.), are the players who make Creighton a special team. Woodfox's scoring exploded during conference play last year, tossing in double figures in each of the Bluejays last 11 games of the regular season.

Witter, on the other hand, didn't score big in every game. But when he gets hot, he can be nearly unstoppable. His signature game was a memorable one against Bradley last season, where he made 13 field goals en route to a 42-point game and a thrilling 111-110 double overtime win .

Like SIU's Tony Boyle, center Kenny Lawson Jr. (6'9" So.) will need to be a major contributor in the paint. Creighton doesn't have a ton of size and must count on Lawson and junior Chad Millard (6'8" Jr.) to grab some rebounds.

Millard has more of an outside game, though. Creighton hopes to get something from transfer guard/forward Justin Carter (6'4" Jr.). Though slightly undersized, Carter is known for inside game and will certainly be able to contribute against many of the smaller lineups that some Valley teams put on the floor.

Creighton certainly isn't a lock to win the title (see: Drake, 2007-08) but surely looks to have the best combination of talent, experience and coaching to take the crown.