MTE Championship Update

Bradley Gives MVC Its Second Title

(St. Louis, MO) – A Missouri Valley Conference team claimed another MTE championship. Bradley (5-0) claimed the SoCal Challenge title with a gritty, four-point win over UTEP. Indiana State put itself in position to claim a title later this week. Missouri State claimed the Paradise Jam title on Tuesday.

MTE Championship – Braves and Sycamores

Bradley is the SoCal Challenge champion and the undefeated Braves are 5-0 for the first time since the Jim Les era. The Braves have played five teams with a combined record of 21-2 against teams not called Bradley. Brian Wardle’s team has given three different teams their only loss of the season.

Wednesday it was UTEP’s chance to be dealt its first loss. Bradley’s suffocating defense held the Miners to a .368 shooting performance and walled off the three-point line (.235) on the way to a 63-59 victory.

Connor Hickman (16) and Malevy Leons (13) led the Bradley offense while Christian Davis (9) buried four clutch free throws in crunch time.

Indiana State won its second straight game at the Ball Dawgs Classic. The Sycamores reached the 90-point mark for the fourth time in five games while defeating Pepperdine 90-82. They’ll shoot for a sweep of the Las Vegas-based MTE on Friday.

Six Sycamores (4-1) scored ten or more points. Guard Isaiah Swope led the way with 21 points and three steals. Robbie Avila scored 18 and grabbed eight rebounds. Josh Schertz’s team made .592 from the field and .435 from long distance.

MTE Winning Records

Southern Illinois crushed New Mexico State and finished the Cancun Challenge with a 2-1 record. The Salukis (4-1) and Drake each took two of three in their MTEs. SIU overwhelmed the Lobos 81-54. ‘Floor Burn U’ held their opponents to a .319 shooting percentage and did not allow a three point basket.

Xavier Johnson continued his outstanding start with 18 points and seven assists. Troy D’Amico (13), Jovan Stulic (13) and freshman Kennard Davis (12) were double-digit scorers. Davis added a team-high six rebounds.

Note: Former Saluki Lance Jones created Wednesday’s #SCTop10 with an 80-foot half-time, buzzer beating basket.

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LANCE JONES BEATS THE HALFTIME BUZZER FROM THE OTHER END OF THE COURT FOR @BoilerBall 😱 pic.twitter.com/5aFQ4X65fQ

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) November 22, 2023

MTE Struggles

Northern Iowa went from leading No. 14 North Carolina at half-time losing the game by 22 points. The Tarheels scored 56 second half points while making 69% of their second stanza three-point tries.

UNI’s (1-3) struggles continue as Bowen Born’s shooting slump continues. The Panthers’ star guard missed one game with an injury (and is playing hurt) and is completing just .286 of his shots and he’s three for sixteen from deep. Born and the Panthers face Texas Tech today at 11:00 a.m. in the second round of the Battle 4 Atlantis.

Illinois State played its worst game of the year during a 74-49 loss to Wright State. After an outstanding opening round win over Long Beach State, the Redbirds (3-3) finished 1 and 2 in the Gulf Coast Classic.

Murray State lost another close game. The Racers dropped a 67-57 decision to Appalachian State. Steve Prohm’s team (2-3) has dropped three straight including both games at the Fort Myers Tip-Off with Wednesday’s being the most lopsided. They dropped their first MTE game in overtime.

MTE Championship Pedigree

Bradley and Missouri State each captured an MTE championship and Indiana State has a realistic shot at one on Friday. Valley teams are 14-8 in MTE play. UNI plays the Valley’s only Thanksgiving Day game, but Friday the schedule is heavy again.

Illinois Chicago, Belmont and Evansville begin MTE play while Indiana State and Northern Iowa continue theirs.

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