Wofford (2-1) @ Bradley (1-1)
Carver Arena
Peoria, IL 6:05 CT
Las Vegas Invitational
The Bradley Braves will open the 2009 Las Vegas Invitational in Carver Arena when they play host to a surprising Wofford. The Terriers opened the season at Pittsburgh, where they played the Panthers to the wire in a 60-63 loss. Then, the Terriers returned home where they played host to the Bulldogs from Georgia and the mighty SEC. Well, the Terriers got the best of the Bulldogs on this afternoon as the shocked college basketball with a three point win of their own, 60-57. Finally, with a wave of momentum, the Terriers clobbered Savannah State by 42 point in a 81-39 drumming. This team is hot, and they are looking to continue building their resume when they travel to Peoria to take on the Braves.
Bradley will enter the game with a 1-1 record under their belt, including a recent win over Idaho State 74-69. This win, however, was one of those win-losses, as senior Dodie Dunson, who was tied for lead scorer with 16 (all in the first half), broke two bones in his forearm while driving to the basket with 12:28 remaining in the game. Dunson was the third leading scorer for the Braves last season, and they were hoping to have some big numbers from him this season. With Dunson out, and the Terriers being as hot as they are right now, I would not be surprised if this one was close or even a loss for the Redbirds.
Drake (1-3) vs. Central Florida (3-1)
Ocean Center
Daytona Beach, Florida 2:30 PM CST
Glenn Wilkes Classic
A tough loss by the Bulldogs yesterday in the second of their three games in Daytona as part of the Glenn Wilkes Classic. Bulldogs got off to a quick start and held a 6-point halftime lead. Yet again, a Valley team fails to hold on to a halftime lead. They let “Humpty” Hitchens score 17, all in the second half, on the way to a 63-59 win for the Zips. Ryan Wedel continues to be a bright spot for the Bulldogs offensively as he contributed 14 points to lead the team.
The Bulldogs take on a Central Florida team also coming off a loss. They have marched through the Glenn Wilkes Classic without a blemish until they faced Niagara. They took care of business at home against Howard. Down the road from Orlando in Daytona they defeated Auburn before losing to Niagara. The Knights have a team where any one of five guys could lead the team in scoring. On Friday it was forward A.J. Taylor with 19.
Important games for both teams before heading home. This game will determine how long the plane or bus ride home will be. The Bulldogs will have to keep their eyes from gazing into the crowd to see if Michael Jordan is there watching. They’ll be playing against son Marcus and his Nike shoes which was cause for controversy earlier in the season.
– Panon
Eastern Michigan (2-1) @ Missouri State (3-0)
Springfield, MO 8:05 CT
Hispanic College Fund Classic
It looks like Weems did it again for the Bears. Leading the way with a career high 23 points, Kyle Weems was able to drive the Missouri State Bears to a decisive 72-55 win in the second round of the Hispanic College Fund Classic over The Citadel. They will participate in their final game of the tournament tonight when they take on the Eagles of Eastern Michigan.
Coming off a victory of their own over Maryland-Eastern Shore, the Eagles have been playing some decent basketball lately, and mostly with the same core of five men. The Eagles have five players on their team with an average of 30+ minutes in their first three games. One of the Eagles piling up minutes is forward Brandon Bowdry, who is currently averaging a double double. If the Bears can shut Brandon down and use a good press, they should be able to handle these Eagles without a problem.
– Paul Liberty