PEORIA, Ill. — Bradley University surged past Northern Iowa with a decisive 73-56 victory on Sunday, clinching second place in the Missouri Valley Conference with both teams fighting for positioning as the regular season nears its conclusion.
Zek Montgomery led the charge for the Braves, contributing 13 points while shooting efficiently, hitting 5 of 10 attempts and 2 of 3 from beyond the arc. His contribution was critical in securing the win for Bradley (24-7, 15-5 MVC). Alongside him, Darius Hannah made a notable impact with 11 points, shooting an impressive 4 for 5, and bolstered the team’s defense by pulling down six rebounds. Ahmet Jonovic was solid underneath, adding 10 points and eight rebounds while shooting 4 of 7 from the field.
Leading Northern Iowa (20-11, 14-6 MVC) in scoring, Ben Schwieger matched his counterpart with 11 points. Max Weisbrod also added 11 points, while Tytan Anderson contributed nine. Despite their efforts, the Panthers couldn’t reclaim the lead after Bradley took control towards the end of the first half.
Bradley seized the initiative with just under four minutes left in the first half and carried a 45-36 lead into halftime, thanks to Jaquan Johnson, who was instrumental in the early stages of the game, scoring eight points. The Bradley Braves solidified their lead with a 13-0 run later in the game, widening the gap significantly to put the game out of reach for Northern Iowa. In the second half, Montgomery continued to impress, adding 11 more points to seal the victory.
With this win, Bradley secured the second spot and Northern Iowa claimed third in the Missouri Valley Conference standings as the regular season concludes. Both teams are set for a first-round bye and are slated to play on Friday when the conference tournament gets underway. Fans can look forward to the excitement of Arch Madness beginning Thursday in St. Louis.
