Rebounding costs Braves as Illinois State sweeps season series

62	61

Sometimes great games are spoiled by disappointing outcomes. This home loss has extra bitterness since it came against a longtime nemesis.

Jackie Carmichael scored on a second putback opportunity to give Illinois State a 62-61 lead with 49 seconds to play in the game. The Redbirds (17-8, 8-6 MVC) erased a 10-point halftime deficit and won for the first time in eight tries in the Jim Les era at Carver Arena.

Bradley (12-12, 7-7 MVC) had two opportunities to regain the lead in the waning moments, but a contested layup by junior guard Sam Maniscalco and a long two-pointer by sophomore forward Taylor Brown didn't fall.

Not only was it a devastating home loss against the hated Redbirds, but this was also a pivotal game in the MVC standings. Now Illinois State holds the tiebreaker against the Braves and pushes Bradley deeper into the muddled middle of the Valley.

Make no mistake about it, even through the television you could feel the atmosphere of another classic Bradley-ISU rivalry game. Bradley, as well as most of the arena, wore black for the first time in history. But just as the previous seven games had finished, the team in white won in Peoria.

The environment seemed to aid a fast start by the Braves, who got out to a 7-0 lead and prompted an early timeout by Illinois State coach Tim Jankovich. The Redbirds kept the game close for most of the half, but a 15-9 run helped Bradley go into halftime leading 35-25.

The teams traded runs to start the second half as Illinois State closed to within two at 37-35 with 17:34 left. But the Braves answered by extending the lead to 12 points (51-39) on a short shot by Brown at the 12:11 mark.

As it has plagued Bradley the entire season, the inability to finish a game came back to haunt the home squad again. The Braves were frozen on 54 points for almost six minutes (9:15 to 3:18), not able to score for seven consecutive possessions.

Consider that Illinois State shot just 39.3 percent for the game (24 of 61) and star guard Osiris Eldridge had a really poor performance (seven points, 3-of-12 shooting, one rebound). But the Redbirds stayed close by crushing Bradley on the glass again, 41 to 32 and that included 17 on the offensive end.

But this should be expected with the matchup problems that Illinois State presents. Dinma Odiakosa, Austin Hill and Carmichael are all big bruisers that the Braves cannot guard effectively.

Junior center Will Egolf did his best, but he shouldn't have to be counted upon to rebound against guys who have 10-20 pounds on him. On the other side of the spectrum, senior center Sam Singh has the size but lacks the foot speed to keep up with the more athletic bigs from Illinois State.

And even though the Redbirds led 18-7 in second chance points, the play of Maniscalco almost bailed out the Braves again. The junior has transformed this conference season from an important starter on his team to one of the more clutch players in the entire league.

For the game, Maniscalco finished with 17 points, four rebounds, two assists and one turnover in 37 minutes of action. For as great as he was (including two shots either tied or gave Bradley the lead in the final two minutes), he will likely look to his missed layup with 20 seconds left as one that got away. Hopefully he doesn't that too hard, as the Braves don't even have a chance to win without him.

Brown might feel similarly, as the final taste in his mouth was a missed shot that he can easily knock down. Yet he did nearly have another double-double, scoring 13 points and grabbing 9 rebounds.

Maybe the lack of depth is really starting to catch up with the Braves. During the second half timeouts, the team looked visibly gassed. For as energetic and tenacious this team usually is during the first 20 minutes of games, it can look just as visibly lethargic during segments of second halves.

Junior guard Andrew Warren disappeared again for long stretches after such a great game at Evansville on Saturday. To his credit, he sparked the run to end the first half, scoring all nine of his points in less than a three minute stretch. But Warren then went 0-3 in latter 20 minutes and never really got into the flow of the offense. For such a talented player, he just seems to get lost in the mix at times and needs to take more charge.

Back to the bench

Sophomore center Anthony Thompson, who was coming off one of his best games in a Bradley uniform, didn't see the floor again tonight. The reason seems obvious: If Egolf and Singh can't play exceptionally well against the Illinois State beef, how will the lanky Thompson fare any better?

That said, maybe he could have blocked a few shots or at least altered them. Nobody would argue that Thompson is Hakeem Olajuwon, but why not give the kid a few minutes to see how he can stack up? If nothing else, it provides Bradley with a few extra fouls to put the poor free-throw shooting big men from Illinois State on the line.

Strengthening schedule

This game ended a stretch of seven winnable games for the Braves. They did manage to go 5-2, which helped them get back into the conference race. But now the finish is arguably as difficult as the start of conference play.

Bradley has one game against each of the top three teams in the conference (vs. No. 18 Northern Iowa on Saturday, vs. Wichita State on 2/24 and at Creighton on 2/27). Possibly the most important of all will be a road game in Terre Haute, Ind., against Indiana State. The Sycamores are now just one game behind Bradley in the standings and may be fighting with the Braves to stay out of the play-in game.

But that's how crazy this season has been in the Valley. Only three games separate second place from ninth place, so nothing is really decided yet. Bradley lost by two points at Northern Iowa in mid January, so it certainly would not be a shock if the Braves pulled the upset.

Bradley blows out Evansville 83-63

83	63

Bradley completely dominated Evansville this afternoon and won by 20 points on road. The Braves got contributions from up and down the roster during this impressive performance.

Expect a full recap tomorrow on bradleybasketball.blogspot.com.

Egolf's late baskets lead Braves to 67-65 victory

65	67

Fans have been watching a reoccurring plot at home all season: Bradley plays a really solid first half but lets the lead slip away in the second 20 minutes. Luckily for players, coaches and fans, this game finished with a better ending as Bradley found a way to secure a big home victory against Drake, 67-65.

Sophomore center Will Egolf grabbed an offensive rebound and tossed in a fall away shot attempt that broke a 65-65 tie with 1.8 seconds left in the game. "I saw the rim for about a second," Egolf said during the post game radio show.

And though he didn't have a huge stat line (eight points, five rebounds), Egolf was a critical component in the Bradley (11-11, 6-6 MVC) victory.

With the Braves leading 63-62, head coach Jim Les called a timeout with 59.6 seconds remaining. Bradley would eventually get a shot for junior guard Sam Maniscalco, who had been the carrying the Braves the last eight minutes of the game. Maniscalco missed a 3-pointer from the top to the key but Egolf used his long, athletic reach to tip in the miss and extend the lead to three.

Drake's Josh Young slashed to the basket on the next possession and found an open Adam Templeton for a 3-pointer to tie the game with 16 seconds to go. Maniscalco tried a long shot from just inside the arc but it rattled out again. But Egolf was in the right place again and threw in what most would call a "lucky" shot to win it.

Strangely enough, even though Drake (11-13, 6-6 MVC) had three timeouts remaining and 1.8 seconds left, the Bulldogs elected not to call a timeout and missed a long heave at the buzzer.

Even though Maniscalco missed those two late opportunities, he was a true leader on the court the entire game, pacing all scorers with 21 points. One of his favorite offensive moves, the turnaround jump shot after driving into the lane, was really on display. He finished the game playing 38 minutes, making 9-of-14 from the field with three rebounds, six assists and three turnovers.

But it wasn't just Maniscalco's offense that was so critical to the Braves' victory. After Ryan Wedel lit up Bradley for 15 points in the first half, Maniscalco was switched over to guarding Wedel for the majority of the second half. The result: Wedel had zero points and didn't look like the same player.

To cap it all off, Maniscalco became the first Brave since Phillip Gilbert to reach the 1,000 point club in his junior year.

His play was a big reason why, even though Bradley shot 55 percent in the first half, only led by seven points going into the break. When Wedel disappeared from the Drake offense, there was Josh Young. One of better players in the conference during the past three seasons, Young's combination of shooting and slashing to the goal caught the Bulldogs up in the game.

Bradley had an opportunity extend a seven point lead on five separate possessions with the score 54-47 and just under 12 minutes remaining. Young took charge, nailing two 3-pointers and scoring 12 of Drake's next 14 points.

The Braves seemed to have a "bend, don't break" style the entire second half, never pulling away but also never letting Drake take the lead either.

Freshman guard Dyricus Simms-Edwards turned in another dynamite performance off of the bench, logging seven points, three rebounds, two assists, two steals and one turnover in 17 minutes. His energy always seems to resonate throughout the whole team whenever he's out on the court - something a box score simply can't tell you.

Senior guard Chris Roberts appeared to gain some confidence after a few shaky performances as of late. He had nine points (3-of-3 from beyond the arc) and could have had more if it weren't for him missing four easy layups. For as explosive of a player as he can be, it's truly baffling how much Roberts struggles to finish near the basket. Give him credit though, he hit a couple big shots when Bradley really needed them and hopefully will build on a good game.

The tenacity from sophomore forward Taylor Brown was back as he nearly had another double-double (14 points, eight rebounds). Even though he's still developing, it's hard to argue that Brown has the talent to be a force in this league for the next two seasons.

With so many positives, like 6th year senior center Sam Singh grabbing nine rebounds off the bench, the only downside had to be the game from junior guard Andrew Warren. His shooting touch has been really shaky, making less than 50 percent of his shots in the last seven games (21-of-60). A lack of confidence has appeared to affect his decision making too, with four questionable turnovers tonight.

Even in Warren's case, who has been a focal point of opposing team's defensive game planning, he managed to come up with a couple important steals. He has such a likable demeanor off the court that it'd be tough not to root for him to snap out of this funk.

Importance of this game

Looking at this game from a bigger perspective, Bradley now holds the tiebreaker over Drake, which could be critical for seeding purposes in the conference tournament. This was the only game in the Valley tonight but tomorrow could create an even more muddled mess.

With Illinois State on the road (where it really struggles) and Missouri State playing at the suddenly vulnerable SIU Arena, the night could end with a five-way tie for fourth place at 6-6. Bradley would be just a game out of third place while also being in danger of being part of the play-in round.

Look for a post sometime after tomorrow's games that publishes my first edition of the tiebreakers for the MVC standings.

Don't be the first

The Braves have until Saturday to prepare for a game at winless Evansville. Though the Purple Aces (6-15, 0-11 MVC) are short on experience and talent, no games are ever a gimme in the Valley. They have given multiple MVC teams a good game at home (lost to Southern Illinois 65-57, to Drake 72-65 and to Indiana State 63-56).

Bradley must get this game if it hopes to rise above the murky middle of the conference sludge.

Illinois State takes first rivalry game easily, 66-47

47	66

Most games have useful building points. But there isn't a positive spin today - Bradley got embarrassed by rival Illinois State, 66-47.

Dinma Odiakosa abused the Braves in the post en route to a career high 25 points to go along with 12 rebounds. The Redbirds' star guard Osiris Eldridge didn't do a ton (13 points on just 5-of-14 shooting) but decisive advantage in rebounding more than made up for his off game.

For the game, ISU (15-7, 6-5 MVC) had a 50-28 rebounding margin. That helped the Redbirds dominate in second chance points (24-2) and points in the paint (34-10) as well.

And for everything the Redbirds did right, Bradley (10-11, 5-6 MVC) seemed to do just as much wrong. In the first half, the Braves shot okay (9-of-21, 42.9 percent) but committed numerous lazy and sloppy turnovers. In the second 20 minutes, not as many possessions were given away. But then the shooting went dramatically south.

At the official timeout (11:28 mark), Bradley had just three points and a nine point halftime deficit had ballooned to 19. The final statistics in the second half were ugly: 5-of-28 shooting (17.9 percent) and 1-of-11 from 3-point range (9.1 percent).

Junior guard Andrew Warren was the only member of the Braves to reach double figures. But, his 11 points came on 3-of-12 shooting and he snared just one rebound. Senior guard Chris Roberts was invisible (3 points, 4 rebounds) and both sophomore forward Taylor Brown and junior guard Sam Maniscalco weren't at their best either, scoring eight and nine points respectively.

But maybe most importantly was the play of sophomore center Will Egolf. For how well he had been playing lately, this was certainly a game to forget for the young man from Alaska. Egolf was overmatched inside against Odiakosa which got him into foul trouble.

As a result, Egolf's final line didn't look good: 13 minutes, two points, 0-for-1 from the floor, two rebounds and four fouls. With the lack of nearly any other post presence, Egolf needs to be on seemingly every night for Bradley to have a shot at winning. For such a young player, and really for any player for that matter, it's an unreasonable expectation.

The Braves need, but never seem to have, a bruiser inside like Odiakosa. Maybe some can argue that these players are hard to come by, but other teams in the Missouri Valley Conference have found them. Southern Illinois had Randal Falker, Wichita State has JT Durley, Creighton has Kenny Lawson and also got great seasons from Anthony Tolliver.

So, unless the entire Bradley team commits to rebounding like it did against Creighton, the Braves are handled easily by powerful post players. Players like sophomore Anthony Thompson can't even get minutes because they'd be tossed around in the post.

Maybe the silver lining is the common concept in sports - "it's just one game". If so, Bradley needs to rebound (literally and figuratively) against Drake and Evansville this week. These are two teams that it should beat if Bradley can find its confidence and forget such a disappointing loss to a rival.

The true colors really shine through as a season goes on. Bradley isn't as good as it looks in some victories and certainly isn't as bad as it looks in losses, especially this one. The Braves are just an average team that will continue to have its ups and downs throughout the remainder of conference play.

Side note: Sophomore guard Eddren McCain returned to action after missing the last two games with a hand injury. He played just five minutes and had one rebound.

Creighton beats the Braves again

73	68

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.