'Attack mode': How Bradley basketball proved the UIC Flames were no match

PEORIA — The Bradley Braves felt they gave away a game at Belmont this week.

Well they unleashed their rage and disappointment from that loss and paid it forward — or maybe played it forward — at the expense of University of Illinios Chicago on Saturday.

The Braves destroyed the Flames, leading by as many as 41 points on the way to a 79-45 victory in a Missouri Valley Conference game before 4,890 at Carver Arena.

Box score: UIC at Bradley | Standings: Missouri Valley Conference

"I like how we came out, a little chip on our shoulder from the (Belmont) game, our guys were frustrated that we gave that one away," Bradley coach Brian Wardle said. "We could have played better and lost a close one on the road.

"So they came out and defensively really locked into the game plan. We guarded with a lot of discipline. Played for each other on offense, the ball was shared. It was fun and the crowd was awesome."

That crowd sent them off to the new year with a standing ovation in the game's final minute. By then Bradley's 15th straight home win was a done deal.

"Rienk Mast came out really aggressive and you could see we finished better around the rim, it was a point of emphasis after Belmont," Wardle said. "Ja'Shon Henry finished, Malevy Leons finished, Rienk finished.

"I just liked our mentality, and we were in attack mode."

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All from that Bradley frontcourt.

How one-sided was it? Mast had a double-double — at halftime. His 11 points and 10 rebounds nearly matched UIC's entire first-half point output as the Braves cruised to the locker room up 39-13.

Mast finished with 13 points and a career-high 17 rebounds.

"After that Belmont loss, we knew we had to move on and make sure we don't lose two in a row," Mast said. "Our first-half defense we hold them to 13 points? That makes the game a whole lot easier. Then you get stops, you can run … 39-13 in the first half (shaking his head).

"That's pretty good. It comes mostly from defense and transition offense."

Henry pitched in with 13 points, and wing Zek Montgomery added 11.

"We talked as a team and we felt we didn't execute well (in the Belmont loss)," Henry said. "We watched film and learned from it.

"(Hypothetically) What would we do if we had to face ourselves? It would be all about defense and rebounding. We must be a tough team to scout against. We just play hard and we play together."

No place like home

The Braves raced to their 15th consecutive home win, tied for the 10th longest in their program history.

The longest home win streak at Carver Arena in Bradley's history is 27 (Feb. 6, 1993 to Jan. 19, 1995). Bradley has won nine straight home games against MVC opponents. The Braves' last loss at home was a buzzer-beater to Missouri State in a 71-69 decision on Jan. 5, 2022.

"It starts in practice, we had a good week," Henry said. "Our whole team was locked in and ready to go. We're confident in this building and our fans were ready and we responded."

The dowsing of the Flames

Bradley held a 14-6 lead at the midway point of the first half. At that point, neither team had made a 3.

UIC was shooting 23.1% from the field and 0 of 6 from 3. Bradley shooting 53.8% from the field and 0 of 3 from 3-point range.

UIC went 4:47 without scoring until Filip Skobalj put in a free throw.

The Braves took off with a pair of layups from Mast for an 18-7 lead with 8:44 left. BU point guard Duke Deen nailed a 3 from the left corner and it opened a 21-7 lead at 7:19. The floodgates opened, with Zek Montgomery, Mast, and Connor Hickman all nailing 3s on consecutive possessions 84 seconds apart late in the first half.

That fueled a 22-6 Bradley run over 7:29 to build a 36-13 lead with 1:54 left in the half.

By halftime, UIC was 4-of-28 shooting from the field and 0-of-12 from 3-point range. It didn't get any better, as the Flames finished 1-of-18 from 3-point distance for the game.

Bradley had more made field goals (17) than UIC had total points in the first half (13).

Montgomery hit a pair of jumpers around a 3 from Deen and the Braves extended their lead to 47-19 at the under-16 break in the second half.

The Braves poured it on, getting a pair of 3s from Deen for a 77-36 lead with 4:18 left.

By the time the game wound down to the 1:49 mark, the Braves had Connor Linke, Goanar Biliew, Christian Davis and walk-ons Cade Hardtke and Sam Hennessy on the floor.

In the huddle

• Bradley coach Brian Wardle, on where the team is at as the calendar changes to 2023, and with the addition of 7-foot-1 center Ahmet Jonovic: "I like where we're at, 10-5, 3-1, we'd like to have one or two more wins. But going into 2023 with a healthy team and adding Ahmet, we have a lot of room to grow better."

• Wardle, on his team holding UIC to 1 of 18 from 3-point range: "I told our guys at halftime the only way a team gets back in the game when they trail that big, is by shooting 3s. We wanted to take away the 3-point line in the second half and I thought we did that."

• BU center Rienk Mast: "We are very connected on defense. It shows every game. Our defense is strong."

Bravely Speaking

Bradley is 10-5 overall, 3-1 in the Missouri Valley Conference. … UIC slips to 9-6 (1-3). … Bradley center Rienk Mast's double-double was the 15th of his career, moving him into a tie for 17th on the program's all-time list. … The Braves wore their throwback script uniforms for the second time. … Bradley is 7-2 all-time against UIC and 6-0 in the series at home. … Bradley guard Duke Deen had a team-high 14 points and hit 4 of 5 from 3-point range. … BU guard Ville Tahvanainen had 11 points and four rebounds. … BU forward Malevy Leons added four more blocked shots to his Valley-best total. … UIC guard Jace Carter had a game-high 17 points with seven rebounds. ... Flames guard Toby Okani had eight rebounds. ... The Braves next play at Murray State on Wednesday, then return home to host Valparaiso on Saturday.

Dave Eminian is the Journal Star sports columnist, and covers Bradley men's basketball, the Rivermen and Chiefs. He writes the Cleve In The Eve sports column for pjstar.com. He can be reached at 686-3206 or deminian@pjstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @icetimecleve.

FINAL: Bradley 79, UIC 45

The walk-ons are in!

2:52 p.m: Cade Hartke and Sam Hennessy both check into the game with under two minutes to play.

Duke is feeling it

2:48 p.m.: Duke Deen hits a pair of 3s on consecutive trips, running back down the floor to scream excitedly at the fans as Bradley's lead swells to 77-36 with 4:18 left.

Answering a UIC run

2:39 p.m.: Bradley had a little dip in energy level during which UIC ran off a 13-8 advantage to close to within 55-32 with 9:31 left.

But Bradley guard Ville Tahvanainen drove to the rim for a highlight-reel worthy layup, then 33 seconds later hit a 3 from the left corner to push back out to a 62-34 lead with 7:28 left.

Taking a pause

2:24 p.m.: The Braves took a 51-24 lead to a timeout with 12:20 left. Rienk Mast had 13 points and 13 rebounds at that stage, and Zek Montgomery joined him with 10 points.

UIC guard Jace Carter had 11 of his team's 24 points.

Zek Montgomery pitches in

2:14 p.m.: Bradley wing Zek Montgomery hits a pair of jumpers around a 3 from Duke Deen and the Braves extend their lead to 47-19 at the under-16 break in the second half.

HALFTIME: Bradley 39, UIC 13

1:52 p.m.: So UIC heads to halftime with 13 points. Thirteen. Flames are 4 of 28 from the field (14.3%) and 0 of 12 from 3-point range.

Bradley has more made field goals (17) than UIC has total points in the first half. BU 17 of 30 from the field (56.7%) and 4 of 12 from 3.

Rienk Mast has a double-double at halftime, with 11 points and 10 rebounds.

The 3s are falling

1:49 p.m.: The 3s are falling now for Bradley, four of them in the final minutes of the half.

Zek Montgomery, Rienk Mast, Connor Hickman all hit from long range on consecutive possessions 84 seconds apart late in first half.

Bradley on a 22-6 run over 7:29 to build a 36-13 lead with 1:54 left in the half.

Bradley steps on the gas

1:33 p.m.: At the midway point of the first half, no one has made a 3.

UIC shooting 23.1% from the field and 0 of 6 from 3.

Bradley shooting 53.8% from the field and 0 of 3 from 3-point range.

UIC went 4:47 without scoring until Filip Skobalj put in a free throw.

The Braves answered that with a pair of layups from Rienk Mast for an 18-7 lead with 8:44 left.

BU point guard Duke Deen then nailed a 2 from the left corner and it opened a 21-7 lead at 7:19.

Building a lead

1:24 p.m.: Rienk Mast hook from the block for 8-4 at 14:10 left.

Ja'Shon Henry turnaround in from 10 feet for 10-6 at 13:34 left.

BU forward Darius Hannah blocks a shot from 6-10 Cameron Fens, then hits a turnaround jumper at other end for 12-6 lead with 12:44 left.

A UIC turnover followed, and Hannah went to the free throw line when he was fouled while soaring for a dunk. He missed both free throws.

But BU guard Pop Weathers stole the ball seconds later and raced two-thirds of the floor for a layup bid, which rimmed out, but Ville Tahvanainen trailed the play and put it in for a 14-6 lead with 11:50 left.

Starting lineups

12:47 p.m.: Bradley sticks with its starting group, guards Connor Hickman and Duke Deen, forwards Malevy Leons, Rienk Mast and Zek Montgomery.

UIC counters with guards Jace Carter, Christian Jones, Toby Okani and Tre Anderson, plus forward Filip Skobalj.

Other Bradley basketball stories

• Bikes, socks and video games: Holiday memories from the Bradley basketball team

• Transfers in and out: Bradley has an open roster spot. Here's how the Braves will fill it

• Christian Davis: How Bradley needed this young wing, and how he delivered

• Darius Hannah: Bradley Braves man in the middle has found a basketball family

This article originally appeared on Journal Star: 'Attack mode': How Bradley Braves proved UIC Flames were no match