Bradley & Drake Win Titles
(St. Louis, MO) – This may have been the most impressive championship Sunday in recent memory. Bradley and Drake each claimed multi-team event titles. Along the way, the Braves and Bulldogs put together important, at-large noticing victories.
Bradley and Drake can each be described terms like ‘unselfish’, ‘team-oriented’ and ‘winners’. On these two championship Sunday winning teams, nobody cares who scores and who wins the accolades.
Bradley – Myrtle Beach – Championship Sunday
The Braves defeated Middle Tennessee 81-60 and Christian Davis was named the MVP of the Myrtle Beach Invitational. After netting a career-high 21-points during Thursday’s first round game, added 19 points Sunday.
Darius Hannah recorded a double-double with 16 points and 13 rebounds. His thunder dunk was a momentum changing play. Hannah also blocked three shots.
Head coach Brian Wardle says his team is very ‘together’.
“We’re a very unselfish group,” said Wardle. “We’re connected in the locker room and connected on the floor. No one cares who gets the spotlight. These tournaments build character and can build up your team.”
Deen and Hannah were named to the tournament’s all-tournament team.
Bradley (5-1) has been playing without sophomore Demarion Burch and Wardle says he expects the 6’4 guard to be available this coming week.
Drake – Charleston Classic – Championship Sunday
Drake defeated two ‘power conference’ teams including their championship Sunday victory over Vanderbilt. The Bulldogs are the Valley’s only undefeated team (6-0) and have held three straight opponents to season-low scoring outputs.
The Shriners Children’s Charleston Classic MVP is Drake’s Bennett Stirtz. Sunday, he recorded his first-ever double-double. The junior guard ran the Bulldog offense with amazing efficiency. Stirtz scored 16 points and added eleven assists.
With Stirtz directing traffic, the Bulldogs made a season-high .537 of their shots and the team handed out 17 assists.
Three other Bulldogs reached double figures, including Cam Manyawu who produced his own 18-point, eleven-rebound double-double. Mitch Mascari (16) and Daniel Abreu (15) provided big weekend contributions.
Two ‘power conference’ victories in one weekend is March Madness kinds of stuff. Drake’s defense been extremely impressive. Manyawu blocked three shots during Sunday’s win.
Stirtz and Mascari each averaged 18 points-per-game during the Charleston Classic.
Drake coach Ben McCollum earned his 400th career win after gaining 394 at Northwest Missouri State.
McCollum told Drake Sports Media, that his team was very excited.
“They deserve to celebrate,” said McCollum. “When you’ve won championships you realize that it’s the journey that is really neat. I think sometimes you can’t continue to improve and continue to do even more and that’s what we’re trying to continue to do more.”
Valley teams are climbing in the computer rankings. Drake has moved to 81 in the KenPom rankings and 95 at BarTorvik.com. Bradley is 87 at KenPom.com and rated 91st by Bart Torvik. While the Valley ranks eleventh overall by Ken Pomeroy, Bart Torvik has the league tenth.
Championship Sunday was a special one for Drake and Bradley and for the Missouri Valley Conference.
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This was amazing.
Give the Myrtle Beach Invitational title to @BradleyUMBB! 80-69 is the final over Conference USA's Middle Tennessee. Christian Davis with 19 points. Deen with 15-4-5. @ValleyHoops soaring right now.
Well, @DariusHannah3 with a #ThunderDunk.
A couple of big opportunities in the post for Atlason, but not his strong suit and @BradleyUMBB come up empty. 13 point lead is now 5. Four Braves in double figures. @DariusHannah3 with a double-double.
