The Bradley Braves made a point in the AP Top 25 poll, then made an even bigger point on the Curb Event Center floor Tuesday in a key Missouri Valley Conference battle. Bradley opened the second half with a 21-11 run and never looked back in a dominating,

Bradley University is one of three college basketball teams with a shot to win the Missouri Valley Conference. Indiana State is not. The Braves defeated

PEORIA — When Illinois State coach Ryan Pedon examines the Redbirds’ closest Missouri Valley Conference rival he sees “a golden age of Bradley basketball.”

The Indiana State men's basketball team was dismantled Wednesday night by the Missouri Valley Conference-leading Bradley Braves 118-65 at Carver Arena.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Christian Davis’ 19 points and 10 rebounds helped Bradley defeat Belmont 89-77 on Tuesday night. Jaquan Johnson scored 17 points and added three steals for the Braves (17-3, 8-1 Missouri Valley Conference). Darius Hannah, Zek Montgomery and Duke Deen added 12 points apiece.

Deen's 3-pointer from the right wing with 2.4 seconds left thrust a cold-blooded dagger through the upset-minded UIC team and gave the Braves a 61-60 comeback win at Credit Union 1 Arena. That kept Bradley in sole possession of the Missouri Valley Conference lead.

The Braves also came to play defensively, holding the Sycamores 31 percent from the field and 29 percent from the three-point line. Wardle and his team gave a lot of credit to the scout team for preparing the Braves for the dribble handoff and pocket passing actions that Indiana State runs to generate offense.

Indiana State lost a New Year’s Day heartbreaker at home to Bradley, and now the Sycamores get a rematch on the Braves’ home court.

MURRAY, Ky. — Duke Deen’s 18 points helped Bradley defeat Murray State 74-61 on Saturday night.

First-year coach Pat Kelsey has turned things around for the Cardinals. Plus, Miami is a mess, mid-major spotlight and this weekend’s games to watch.

The first game of this season’s I-74 rivalry is this weekend. League-leading Bradley hosts Illinois State in Missouri Valley play Saturday. The Braves (17-3, 8-1 in MVC) have won the last five meetings with ISU (12-8,

Johnathan Lawson had 25 points in Little Rock's 62-51 win against Western Illinois on Thursday night. Lawson shot 9 of 19 from the field, including 4 for 7 from 3-point range, and went 3 for 3 from the line for the Trojans (12-7,