MEN’S BASKETBALL CARRIES MOMENTUM TO BRADLEY

PEORIA, Ill. – Coming off its third Power Five win in the last two years, the Radford men's basketball team will carry some momentum to Carver Arena in Peoria, Ill., on Friday night for a 7 p.m., ET contest with Bradley.

Radford held Northwestern to 33.3 percent shooting from the floor and 14.3 percent from behind the arc in a 67-56 win on Tuesday night. The Highlanders closed off the first half on a 27-5 run and held the Wildcats to just 17 points.

The game was highlighted by Carlik Jones' 20 points and seven assists – both led all players. With his 20^th point, Jones became the 32^nd player in school history to record 1,000 career points. He's shooting 50.8 percent from the floor (32-of-64) and 53.0 percent from 3-point land (9-for-17) this season. He sits fourth among all players in the Big South with his 50-plus field goal percentage. The Cincinnati, Ohio native ranks 19^th in the country with 22.3 points per game.

Offensively, Radford is averaging 72.8 points per game and shooting 43.8 percent as a team. On the other end of the floor the Highlander defense is only allowing 59.5 points per game, which ranks first in the league. Radford is also winning on the glass with a +9.8-rebounding margin against opponents and has not lost a rebounding battle in the four games played this season.

Devine Eke has been a major influence on the boards leading the team with 6.5 rebounds per game, while Leroy Butts IV is right behind him averaging 5.8. Travis Fields, Jr., found his stroke against Northwestern knocking down three 3-pointers and tallying 15 points. He's second on the team with 11.8 points per game.

Bradley has won three straight after dropping its season opener against St. Joseph's, 86-81. During their winning streak, the Braves have had a +18.3 scoring margin against their opponents that includes IUPUI, UIC and Norfolk State – all played in Carver Arena.

The Braves posted a 20-15 record last year but won three straight in the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament to claim the automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament. Bradley gave second-seeded Michigan State all it could handle in the first round of the Big Dance.

Three of the five starters and six lettermen are returning from that team including Elijah Childs, who is one rebound away from averaging a double-double. The junior has 14.5 points and 9.0 rebounds per game. He's not the only player the Braves have that Is close to averaging a double-double. Senior Koch Bar leads the team with 9.8 rebounds per game and is averaging 10.8 points per outing.

Friday marks the first time the Highlanders and Braves will meet on the hard wood.

The game can be seen on ESPN3, a digital network that streams thousands of live events annually. The network can be viewed on the ESPN app and via the "Watch" tab on ESPN.com. It is accessible on computers, smartphones, tablets and streaming devices through the ESPN App.

Fans can also listen to the game live online through Stretch Internet or radio outlets, WRAD 101.7 FM and WVRU 89.9 FM.

FOLLOW RADFORD MEN'S BASKETBALL
To follow the Radford men's basketball team, visit RadfordAthletics.com, follow @RadfordMBB on Twitter, 'radfordmbb' Instagram or Radford Men's Basketball on Facebook.

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