The Bradley Braves celebrate after defeating Belmont on Saturday to extend their current winning streak to eight games. (Photo courtesy: Bradley Athletics)
Jason Barnes
Staff Writer
Northern Iowa head coach Ben Jacobson became the Missouri Valley Conference’s all-time winningest coach in league games when his Panthers defeated Southern Illinois, 61-57, on Saturday. Jacobson now has 188 conference wins, surpassing Henry Iba, who had 187 at Oklahoma State.
Missouri Valley Conference Wins (Conf. Only)
188 — Ben Jacobson (UNI)
187 — Henry Iba (Oklahoma State)
182 — Dana Altman (Creighton)
163 — Eddie Hickey (CU/SLU)
155 — Barry Hinson (MOST/SIU)
The Bradley Braves continue to shine on a national scale. On Saturday, the Braves hit 18 three-pointers in a win over Belmont and extended its current winning streak to eight games in front of a season-high home crowd of 6,521. That large number of fans coming out to see them had the Bradley players as hyped as anything they did on the court during the game.
“We have the best crowd in the Valley, bar none,” junior guard Christian Davis told the Peoria Journal-Star. “We’re gonna show up for them if they’re gonna keep showing out for us. We just appreciate them for supporting us.”
The 18 treys in a game matches a league season-best (Southern Illinois had 18 in its win against Saint Louis on December 2), and the total was only one shy of the all-time league mark of 19 made threes in an MVC game set by Indiana State in a win over Murray State last season.
Weekly Honors
Player of the Week: Robbie Avila, Indiana State
Avila powered the Sycamore offense to a 2-0 week in the MVC. The 6-10 center averaged 22.0 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game last week. For the week, he finished 16-for-27 (59.3%) from the field, including shooting five-for-10 from deep and converting on seven-of-eight from the free throw line.
Against Missouri State, Avila recorded a double-double with 24 points and 10 rebounds, shooting nine-for-15 from the field with three triples, and he recorded a team-high four assists. At Murray State, Avila led the offense with 20 points on seven-for-12 shooting from the floor, knocking down two-of-three from behind the arc and going perfect at the free throw line, four-for-four. He added seven rebounds and a game-high five assists.
Newcomer of the Week: Nick Ellington, Murray State
Ellington led the Racers in two games last week by averaging 23.0 points per game. The St. Louis native and Eastern Illinois transfer shot 77 percent (21-of-27), while grabbing 17 rebounds (8.5 rpg). He added four assists and six blocked shots. He scored a career0high last Wednesday with 29 points in the win against Illinois-Chicago. His double-double vs. Indiana State was his third of the season.
Freshman of the Week: Cooper Schwieger, Valparaiso
Schwieger averaged 15.5 points and 9.5 rebounds per game over two contests this week. He posted a double-double of 12 points and 10 rebounds in Wednesday at Evansville before turning in a 19-point, nine-rebound effort to lift Valpo to a come-from-behind win over Illinois-Chicago on Saturday. Schwieger’s 19 points marked his highest total in league play this year, while he recorded eight or more rebounds for the fifth straight game, finishing one rebound shy of his third straight double-double. Schwieger went nine-for-nine at the free throw line against the Flames, extending his streak to 15 straight made free throws.
MISSOURI VALLEY CONFERENCE MEN’S BASKETBALL STANDINGS
| SCHOOL | MVC | PCT. | STREAK | ALL | PCT. | L10 | STREAK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drake | 7-1 | .875 | W4 | 16-3 | .842 | 8-2 | W4 |
| Indiana State | 7-1 | .875 | W3 | 16-3 | .842 | 8-2 | W3 |
| Bradley | 6-2 | .750 | W6 | 14-5 | .737 | 8-2 | W8 |
| Northern Iowa | 5-3 | .625 | W4 | 11-8 | .579 | 8-2 | W4 |
| Murray State | 5-3 | .625 | L1 | 8-11 | .421 | 5-5 | L1 |
| Southern Illinois | 4-4 | .500 | L3 | 12-7 | .632 | 6-4 | L3 |
| Belmont | 4-4 | .500 | L3 | 11-8 | .579 | 5-5 | L3 |
| Illinois State | 3-5 | .375 | W1 | 9-10 | .474 | 3-7 | W1 |
| Evansville | 2-6 | .250 | L1 | 11-8 | .579 | 4-6 | L1 |
| Missouri State | 2-6 | .250 | L2 | 10-9 | .526 | 4-6 | L2 |
| Valparaiso | 2-6 | .250 | W1 | 6-13 | .316 | 2-8 | W1 |
| Illinois-Chicago | 1-7 | .125 | L4 | 8-11 | .421 | 2-8 | L4 |
Tuesday, January 23, 2024
| Away | Home | Time | Location | Links |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Belmont |  Illinois State | 7:00 PM | Normal, Ill. (Conf.) | TV: ESPN+ |
 Evansville |  Northern Iowa | 7:00 PM | Cedar Falls, Iowa (Conf.) |
Wednesday, January 24, 2024
| Away | Home | Time | Location | Links | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Murray State |  Bradley | 6:00 PM | Peoria, Ill. (Conf.) | TV: CBS Sports Network | |
 Indiana State |  Illinois-Chicago | 7:00 PM | Chicago, IL (Conf.) | TV: ESPN+ | |
 Valparaiso |  Southern Illinois | 7:00 PM | Carbondale, IL (Conf.) | ||
 Drake |  Missouri State | 7:00 PM | Springfield, MO (Conf.) | TV: ESPN+ |
Saturday, January 27, 2024
| Away | Home | Time | Location | Links |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southern Illinois | Murray State | 1:00 PM | Murray, KY (Conf.) | TV: NBC Sports Chicago/Bally Sports |
| Illinois State | Evansville | 1:00 PM | Evansville, IN (Conf.) | TV: ESPN+ |
| Missouri State | Valparaiso | 3:00 PM | Valparaiso, IN (Conf.) | TV: ESPN+ |
| Illinois-Chicago | Belmont | 4:00 PM | Nashville, TN (Conf.) | |
| Northern Iowa | Drake | 5:00 PM | Des Moines, Iowa (Conf.) | |
| Bradley | Indiana State | 5:00 PM | Terre Haute, IN (Conf.) | TV: ESPN2/ESPNU |