Kukobat's late dunk helps Eastern Illinois to 73-66 win
PEORIA, Ill. -- Rade Kukobat completed a 3-point play off a dunk in the final minute to give Eastern Illinois just enough cushion to hold off Bradley 73-66 on Thursday night for its third straight win.
Bradley had closed to 64-62 following two Darrell Brown free throws with 1:03 left before Kukobat slammed home the dunk. Brown hit a jump shot to trail 67-64 with 45 seconds left. Shareef Smith and Josiah Wallace made six free throws down the stretch to clinch the win.
Mack Smith nailed 6 of 9 from behind the arc to total 20 points with Wallace adding 14 points. Shareef Smith and Ben Harvey added 12 points apiece for the Panthers (6-5).
Eastern Illinois drained 13 of 24 from distance (54 percent) while holding the Braves to 5 of 17 (29 percent) from long range.
Bradley took a 36-33 lead into the break. A Harvey 3-pointer gave the Panthers a 40-38 lead less than three minutes into the second half. The teams swapped the lead until Mack Smith nailed two treys to start Eastern Illinois on an 8-0 run for a 58-48 advantage midway through the second half. The Braves never regained the lead.
Koch Bar had 13 points and Brown 12 for Bradley (7-4).
Game Information
- Referees:
- Gene Grimshaw
- Bobby Daw
- Mike O'Neill
2024-25 Ohio Valley Conference Standings
| Team | CONF | GB | OVR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Morehead State | 7-1 | - | 12-7 |
| Little Rock | 5-2 | 1.5 | 11-7 |
| SIU Edwardsville | 5-3 | 2 | 12-7 |
| Southeast Missouri State | 5-3 | 2 | 10-9 |
| UT Martin | 5-4 | 2.5 | 9-11 |
| Tennessee Tech | 4-4 | 3 | 9-10 |
| Tennessee State | 4-5 | 3.5 | 8-12 |
| Southern Indiana | 3-5 | 4 | 8-10 |
| Lindenwood | 3-5 | 4 | 8-11 |
| Western Illinois | 2-6 | 5 | 8-11 |
| Eastern Illinois | 1-6 | 5.5 | 5-13 |
2024-25 Missouri Valley Conference Standings
| Team | CONF | GB | OVR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bradley | 8-1 | - | 17-3 |
| Drake | 6-2 | 1.5 | 16-2 |
| Belmont | 6-3 | 2 | 14-6 |
| Northern Iowa | 6-3 | 2 | 12-8 |
| UIC | 5-3 | 2.5 | 12-6 |
| Murray State | 4-4 | 3.5 | 10-9 |
| Illinois State | 4-5 | 4 | 12-8 |
| Valparaiso | 3-5 | 4.5 | 10-9 |
| Southern Illinois | 3-5 | 4.5 | 8-11 |
| Evansville | 3-5 | 4.5 | 6-13 |
| Indiana State | 3-6 | 5 | 9-11 |
| Missouri State | 0-9 | 8 | 7-13 |
Men's College Basketball News
