Missouri Valley Tournament 2012: Illinois State Falls Short, Creighton Wins Title In Overtime

Illinois State Vs. Creighton Score: Bluejays Hold Off Redbirds In Overtime To Win MVC Championship

The Illinois State Redbirds held a one-point lead at halftime, and took the top-seeded Creighton Bluejays to overtime during Sunday's MVC Tournament Championship Game. They couldn't complete what would have been a bubble-busting upset for one unlucky major conference team, however, falling 17-13 in OT for a final score of 83-79.

Illinois State was down as many as 11 points, but a big rally to close the first half gave them the lead. The two teams went back and forth over the next 20 minutes, trading the lead nine times. Nic Moore tied the game for the Redbirds at 66-66 on a layup with just six seconds left in regulation. Antoine Young missed what would have been the game-winning jumper for the Bluejays, and Gregory Echenique missed the tip-in off the rebound to send the game into overtime.

Creighton dominated after intermission, going up by nine points on a 13-4 run out of the gate. The Redbirds clawed back, however, pulling within three points on a Jon Ekey three-pointer with 12 seconds on the clock. Out of options, Illinois State fouled Young who made the front end of his two free throws to seal the win and the NCAA Tournament bid for the Bluejays.

Doug McDermott led the way for Creighton with 33 points on 12-for-18 shooting. Young scored eight of his 14 points in overtime, going 8-for-14 from the free throw line. Moore paced the Redbirds with 20 points. Jackie Carmichael picked up nine rebounds to go along with his 17 points. He couldn't fully make up the difference in a 36-29 advantage for the Bluejays on the boards.

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Illinois State Vs. Creighton Score: Redbirds On Way To An Upset At Halftime Of MVC Championship

The Illinois State Redbirds weren't supposed to challenge the Creighton Bluejays too much in the MVC championship game on Sunday afternoon, but they're doing their best to earn a guaranteed berth to the NCAA Tournament. The Redbirds trailed 27-16 with less than seven minutes left in the first half, but went on a big run to take a 31-30 halftime lead.

The Redbirds are led by junior guard Tyler Brown, who had eight points and a key three-pointer with nine seconds left in the half that gave Illinois State the halftime lead. Jackie Carmichael contributed seven points and five rebounds in the first half.

As far as the Bluejays are concerned, sophomore standout Doug McDermott had a great first half with 12 points and three rebounds, but his teammates weren't enough help in the first half. Grant Gibbs scored six points and grabbed seven rebounds, though, so at least he's doing his part.

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Missouri Valley Tournament 2012 Championship, Creighton Vs. Illinois State: Game Time, TV Schedule And More

On Saturday, the Illinois State Redbirds pulled off a surprising upset of the Wichita State Shockers in the semifinals of Arch Madness. Bubble teams will be biting their nails on Sunday, when that Illinois State team takes on the Creighton Bluejays in the final of the Missouri Valley Conference tournament. Creighton and WSU are already at-large locks for the NCAA tournament, so a Redbirds win will take away a spot from a bubble team.

Creighton comfortably defeated Illinois State in both of their regular season games, and they scored 102 points on the Redbirds in their meeting in Omaha. The Jays are coming off a fantastic team performance in the semifinal, where they hung 99 points on an Evansville Aces squad that gave them problems earlier in the year. Creighton are heavy favorites to win on Sunday, but Wichita State were just as heavy favorites to defeat Illinois State in the semifinal.

Game Date/Time: Sunday, March 4th, 2:00 p.m. ET

Venue: Scottrade Center, St. Louis, Missouri

TV: CBS

Missouri Valley Tournament 2012: Bracket And Schedule For Day 4's Final

Wichita State's shocking loss in the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament semifinals to Illinois State on Saturday opens the door for Creighton to win the conference's automatic bid to the 2012 NCAA Tournament with a win in the MVC Tournament final on Sunday. And teams on the NCAA Tournament bubble will be hoping the Bluejays close the door on the Redbirds' chances.

That's because while Creighton is likely going to be dancing no matter what the Bluejays do on Sunday, there is no chance that Illinois State makes it to the third weekend in March without a win in the MVC Tournament final. If Creighton, which thumped Evansville 99-71 in its semifinal, falls to the Redbirds, Illinois State will likely become the first "bid thief" of 2012.

Here is the schedule for Sunday. The full Missouri Valley Conference Tournament bracket can be found here.

Schedule

No. 2 Creighton vs. No. 4 Illinois State - 1:05 p.m. ET, CBS Sports

Evansville Vs. Creighton Final Score: Bluejays Handle Aces Easily, Reach MVC Final

The No. 25 Creighton Bluejays made a statement in the Missouri Valley Conference tournament semifinals, pulverizing the third-seeded Evansville Aces — a team against whom the Bluejays struggled mightily during the regular season — and setting up a championship matchup with Indiana State on Sunday.

The Bluejays, in winning 99-71, proved they are far more than the Doug McDermott show. Though the presumptive MVC Player of the Year was good in this one — 14 points, nine rebounds — he took only four shots from the field, doing his damage instead from the free throw line, where he went 8-10. Four of his teammates scored in double-digits, including a 20-9 performance from center Gregory Echenique.

The Aces beat the Bluejays and lost in overtime in their two regular season meetings, and played a solid game offensively; they scored 71 points in 40 minutes, for pete's sake. They did, however, pull down an embarrassing 15 total rebounds, while the Bluejays had 39 of their own. That's no way to pull an upset.

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Evansville Vs. Creighton Score: Blue Jays Dominating Aces At Halftime

The No. 24 Creighton Bluejays smell blood in the water after watching the Missouri Valley Conference's top seed, the No. 14 Wichita St. Shockers, fall in the other semifinal of the conference tournament. Now the Blue Jays, the conference's second seed, have become the clear-cut favorites for the MVC's automatic NCAA tournament bid, and they're playing like it, leading the third-seeded Evansville Aces 49-30 at halftime.

The Aces have actually contained Creighton's All-American candidate, Doug McDermott. He's scored eight points on 2-3 shooting and grabbed six rebounds, but hasn't been the dominant force he normally is. Instead, the Bluejays have gotten a huge spark from Josh Jones, who hit all three deep shots he's taken off the bench, scoring nine points to tie for the game's leading scorer with his teammate, Gregory Echenique. The Bluejays are 8-11 from deep, a torrid pace that, if it continues, means the Aces won't have a shot to come back.

The Aces have also been dominated on the boards, grabbing just five rebounds all half. They're being led in scoring by guard Troy Taylor with six points.

Wichita State Vs. Illinois State Final Score: Shockers Upset In MVC Tournament Semifinals

The No. 1 seed Wichita State Shockers were upset on Saturday in the semifinals of the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament. The Redbirds of Illinois State pulled off the 65-64 upset at Arch Madness, sending the No. 14-ranked team in the country home early. The Shockers have already locked up an at-large berth, but Illinois State is still fighting for its tournament life and an automatic berth to the dance.

With Selection Sunday a week away, read more here on SB Nation's bracketology projections.

ISU pulled off the upset with their work on the defensive end, holding the Shockers to just 35 percent from the floor and forcing 14 turnovers. On the offensive end it was Tyler Brown, who went off for 25 points, including a pair of free-throws with seven seconds left that clinched the win. Along with Brown, Jackie Carmichael posted a double-double, working the paint to grab 11 boards and add 12 points.

The Shockers had a chance to win it but a Garrett Stutz shot at the buzzer was on line but short, hitting the front of the rim and sending Tim Jankovich's club through to the semifinals. Illinois State will now face the winner of the Evansville vs. Creighton game in tomorrow's MVC title game at 1:00 pm on CBS.

MVC Tournament 2012 Semifinals, Evansville Vs. Creighton: Game Time, TV Schedule And More

While the Creighton Bluejays are favorites on a neutral floor on Saturday, they won't be too happy to see the Evansville Aces in the Missouri Valley Conference tournament semifinal. The Aces have given them all kinds of trouble this season, beating them in Evansville and pushing them to overtime in Omaha.

Somewhat surprisingly, Evansville's small and quick lineup has contained Creighton's star forward Doug McDermott in both of their games. McDermott has been solid in both contests against the Aces, but was held below his scoring and rebounding averages on both occasions. In the Jays' win in Omaha, they needed a 59 percent shooting performance from behind the arc and 13 free throws from Antoine Young to beat the Aces by one point, as Colt Ryan went off for an incredible 43 points.

If their previous contests are any indication, the Arch Madness semifinal between Creighton and Evansville is going to be a fantastic one. Creighton probably do not need to win to get into the NCAA tournament, but they are not a stone-cold lock at the moment. The Ivy League, Ohio Valley Conference and West Coast Conference are far from settled, and if the best teams from those conferences don't win auto-bids, the bubble gets bigger. The Jays should probably make sure to leave no doubt for the selection committee.

Game Date/Time: Saturday, March 3, 5:00 p.m. ET

Venue: Scottrade Center, St. Louis, Missouri

TV: ESPN3, FSN-MW, IN, KC, CSN-CHI

Missouri Valley Tournament 2012: Bracket And Schedule For Day 3's Semifinals

The Wichita State Shockers and the Creighton Bluejays are likely already in the NCAA tournament, but they can solidify their standing as at-large teams and improve their seeding considerably with wins on Saturday. The top two teams in the Missouri Valley Conference won in the tournament quarterfinals on Friday, though they did it in completely different circumstances.

Wichita State defeated Indiana State convincingly, while Creighton struggled with Drake. Both teams will be up against better teams in the semifinals, and if regular season results are any indication, both games should be reasonably close.

Creighton face the Evansville Aces, who beat the Missouri State Bears to make the semifinals. Creighton lost away to Evansville in the regular season and just barely held on for an overtime win over the Aces in Omaha. Wichita State faces the Illinois State Redbirds, who they beat twice in the regular season. However, the Redbirds lost by just three points in Wichita.

Here is the schedule for Saturday. A full bracket can be found here.

Schedule (Games on ESPN3, FSN-MW, IN, KC, CSN-CHI)

No. 1 Wichita State vs. No. 4 Illinois State - 2:35 p.m. ET

No. 2 Creighton vs. No. 3 Evansville - 5:00 p.m. ET

2012 MVC Tournament Semifinals, Wichita State Vs. Illinois State: Game Time, TV Schedule And More

The 2012 Missouri Valley Conference Tournament rolls on Saturday and St. Louis will witness the two semifinal matches before a champion is crowned on Sunday. One of the two semifinals will pit the Wichita St. Shockers against the Illinois St. Redbirds.

The Shockers were the No. 1 seed entering the tournament and are hoping to reach the finals to cap off a winning season. The Redbirds were the No. 4 seed coming into this week's MVC tournament. Both of the top seeds on this half of the bracket had little trouble dispatching their opponents to advance. Wichita State topped Indiana State on Friday, while Illinois State defeated Northern Iowa.

Saturday's semifinal game between the Shockers and the Redbirds begins at 2:35 p.m. and will be televised on the MVC TV Network.

For all news and information regarding college hoops, please visit SB Nation's dedicated NCAA basketball hub.

Evansville Vs. Missouri State Final Score: Aces Into Missouri Valley Semifinal

For the third time this season, the Evansville Aces have downed the Missouri State Bears. Though the two teams both finished the regular season with 9-9 records in the Missouri Valley Conference, Evansville has had the Bears' number this season and Friday night's game was no different. They never pulled away completely, but had a comfortable cushion on Missouri State for the majority of the match as they went on to win 72-64.

Missouri State struggled from the floor and was significantly outrebounded during the game. Evansville spread the ball around well, while the Bears relied too much on Kyle Weems. Weems led all scorers with 23 points, but none of the other Bears starters scored more than seven points.

Kenneth Harris led the Aces with 20 points, while 6'0" Troy Taylor was able to grab 13 rebounds while also dishing out five assists. Evansville moves on to face Creighton in the semifinals, and if their earlier games are any indication, that should make for a fantastic matchup. The Aces pushed the Jays to overtime in Omaha and defeated them at home in Evansville in the regular season.

Evansville Vs. Missouri State Score: Aces Lead At Halftime 43-34

The Evansville Aces have defeated the Missouri State Bears in both of their Missouri Valley Conference meetings this season, including their meeting in the last regular season game of the year. Things aren't going any better for the Bears on Friday night in the Missouri Valley tournament quarterfinals, as Evansville leads by nine points at halftime. The Aces are shooting the ball well and getting to the free throw line, helping them to a 43-34 lead at the break.

Kenneth Harris had a great half for Evansville, tallying 12 points, four rebounds, two assists and two steals. Troy Taylor is doing a great job getting to the free throw line, and he's 5-6 from the charity stripe. Bears forward Kyle Weems has been the game's best performer, but he's not getting a ton of help from his teammates on the offensive end or on the boards. He has 14 points and five of his team's nine rebounds.

Creighton Vs. Drake Final Score: Bluejays Advance To Semifinals With 68-61 Win

The Creighton Bluejays entered the Missouri Valley Conference championship tournament as the No. 2 seed. They seemed like the easy favorite against the seventh-seeded Drake Bulldogs, but found themselves struggling to stay ahead for much of the game. In the end, they managed to defeat their rivals and advance to Saturday's semifinals by a final score of 68-61.

Creighton held just a slim 35-34 lead after the first half. They managed to stretch out the lead a bit in the second half, at one point leading by 11 points. The Bulldogs battled back and came to within five with a minute left in the game. Creighton managed to hold on for the win, however, now moving on to face the winner of the game between the Evansville Aces and the Missouri St. Bears.

Creighton guard Doug McDermott easily led all scorers in the game with 26 points, just missing out on a double-double by grabbing nine rebounds.

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Creighton Vs. Drake Score: Bluejays Hold Slim 35-34 Lead At Halftime

Arch Madness is heating up, as the Missouri Valley Conference is holding its annual tournament in St. Louis. The quarterfinal matchup pitting the Drake Bulldogs against the Creighton Bluejays is underway on Friday evening, and the game has been fought tooth and nail through the first half of play. Entering halftime, Creighton holds a slim one-point lead.

The Bluejays hold the 35-34 lead in part thanks to Antoine Young, who leads all scorers with 12 points. Doug McDermott has put up nine points and three rebounds for Creighton. On the Drake side, Ben Simons is leading Bulldogs scorers with nine points.

Creighton entered the conference tournament as the No. 2 seed, receiving the first-round bye and automatic quarterfinals berth. Drake entered as the No. 7 seed and defeated the Bradley Braves on Thursday night to advance past round one.

The winner of this game will advance to the semifinals on Saturday to face the winner of the game between the Evansville Aces and the Missouri St. Bears.

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Illinois State Vs. Northern Iowa Final Score: Redbirds Fly Into Semifinals With 54-42 Win

Jackie Carmichael scored a game-high 16 points as Illinois State put away Northern Iowa to advance to the semifinal round of the MVC Tournament, 54-42. The Redbirds headed into the half facing a four-point deficit, but came on strong in the second half, outscoring Northern Iowa by a margin to secure the win. The game was a battle of 9-9 MVC teams, part of a logjam in the middle of the standings that included five teams with a .500 conference record.

Carmichael finished with a double-double, adding 15 rebounds to go along with his 16 points. He was the only Illinois State player in double-figures.

Johnny Moran led the way for Northern Iowa in the loss, scoring a team-high 13 points. Jake Koch added nine points on an inefficient 3-of-11 shooting.

The road doesn't get any easier for Illinois State, as they take on No. 15 Wichita State in the MVC Tournament semifinals on Saturday at 1:35 p.m. Wichita State secured the No. 1 seed in the tournament and easily won its quarterfinal matchup.

2012 MVC Basketball Tournament, Evansville Vs. Missouri State: Game Time, TV Schedule And More

The 2012 MVC basketball tournament continues on Friday with four pretty important games as the conference looks to decide which team will get an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament. One of the four games in Day 2 of the tournament will feature the Evansville Aces taking on the Missouri State Bears in the nightcap, scheduled to tip-off at 9:25 ET.

Both teams finished the conference season with identical 9-9 records while their overall records stayed similar as each team won just one more game than they lost during the regular season. Evansville swept the season series, but considering both games were decided in overtime, Friday's game should be close.

The Aces can likely expect quite a bit out of junior wing Colt Ryan if his success during the regular season was any indication. The 6-foot-5 junior averaged 20.5 points and 4.3 rebounds while shooting an impressive 43 percent from beyond the arc. Missouri State was led this season by senior forward Kyle Weems with team-high averages of 15.4 points and 7.1 rebounds per game, but his efficiency left a bit to be desired as he shot just 41 percent from the field.

The winning team will advance to the tournament's semifinals to play the winner between Friday's game featuring the Drake Bulldogs and Creighton Blue Jays.

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Wichita State Vs. Indiana State Final Score: Shockers Cruise, 72-48, Over Sycamores

The fact that the Indiana State Sycamores held serve in the second half of Friday's 2012 Mountain Valley Conference Tournament game against the No. 15 Wichita State Shockers is an accomplishment in itself. The Sycamores were outscored just 32-29, after falling behind 40-19 at half. Still, a loss is a loss, and the former home of Larry Bird is now officially done playing for the season.

No player reached double-digits for the Sycamores. Dwayne Lathan and R.J. Mahurin both scored nine points, but they went 3-for-8 and 2-for-7 from the floor to get there, respectively. For the game, Indiana State shot just 26.9 overall, and 22.7 percent from beyond the 3-point arc.

Toure' Murry had 14 points to lead the Shockers, 12 of which came in the first half. Joe Ragland also picked up 14 points, shooting 6-for-8 for the game and picking up five assists. Garrett Stutz was on his way to a monster day on the boards, with 10 rebounds in the first half. He finished with a somewhat more modest 12 total. Wichita State was able to clear its bench in the closing minutes of the game, with 13 players seeing some type of action.

Wichita State will play the winner of the Friday's afternoon game between Illinois State and Northern Iowa during the third round of the tournament on Saturday.

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Wichita State Vs. Indiana State Score: Shockers Dominating At Half, Up 40-19 Over Sycamores

The No. 15 Wichita State Shockers are dominating the Indiana State Sycamores at halftime of Friday's first-round Mountain Valley Conference Tournament game. The Sycamores have been dominated in practically every facet of the game. For the half, they are shooting just 16 percent and have been out-rebounded 22-9.

The Shockers, meanwhile, are shooting 58.1 percent, led by 12 points by Toure' Murry on 5-for-8 from the floor. Seven-foot center Garrett Stutz already has 10 rebounds to go along with six points. The only thing keeping the game from being a bigger blowout is free throw shooting. The Sycamores went 8-for-9 from the charity stripe for the half, compared to just 2-for-4 for the Shockers.

Things look dire for Indiana State at the moment. If they can get hot from beyond the arc (3-for-13 for the half), and continue to get to the free throw they may have a shot to claw back into the game.

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MVC Basketball Tournament, Creighton Vs. Drake: Game Time, TV Schedule And More

The Creighton Bluejays finished their regular season clinging to a spot in the Top 25 rankings, but they have a new test in front of them this weekend as they begin their foray into the 2012 MVC Tournament. The second-seeded Blue Jays will play the Drake Bulldogs at 7:05 as they attempt to advance to the semifinals and further secure a spot in the NCAA Tournament.

Friday night's game will be aired live on ESPN3 and it's probably going to be worth tuning into as the Bluejays attempt to show they're the real deal, despite dropping three straight games in February to sully their 25-5 record. Creighton is led by Doug McDermott, the first sophomore to earn MVC player of the year honors after averaging 23.1 points and 8.1 rebounds per game this season.

Drake, the tournament's seven seed, advanced to Friday night's game with a 65-49 victory over Bradley on Thursday night. Sophomore guard Rayvonte Rice scored 18 points in the game to lead all scorers.

The winner of the game between Drake and Creighton will advance to the semifinals to play the winner of the Friday night's match-up between the Evansville Aces and Missouri State Bears.

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MVC Basketball Tournament 2012, Illinois State Vs. Northern Iowa: Game Time, TV Schedule And More

The 2012 Missouri Valley Basketball Tournament will hold its quarterfinal matchups on Friday. The opening round on Thursday saw the Drake Bulldogs and Indiana St. Sycamores advance, while the Southern Illinois Salukis and the Bradley Braves went home early.

On Friday, two of the teams receiving first-round byes will face off against one another. The fourth-seeded Illinois St. Redbirds will face the No. 5 seed, the Northern Iowa Panthers. This game figures to be a close one, as the two teams feature nearly identical regular-season records. Illinois State was 18-9 in the regular season, while Northern Iowa was 19-12. Both teams managed a 9-9 record in MVC conference play this season.

Friday's game between these two teams will tip off at 3:35 p.m. ET and will be televised on the MVC TV network. You can find the full MVC Tournament schedule by clicking right here.

For all news and information regarding college hoops, please visit SB Nation's dedicated NCAA basketball hub.

Missouri Valley Basketball Tournament 2012, Wichita State Vs. Indiana State: Game Time, TV Schedule And More

The 2012 Missouri Valley Basketball Tournament kicked off on Thursday at the Scottsdale Center in St. Louis. The 10-team tournament to determine the champion of the MVC conference saw the Indiana St. Sycamores and the Drake Bulldogs both advance to the quarterfinals. Eighth seed Indiana State defeated the ninth-seeded Southern Illinois Salukis and earned the right to face No. 1 seed Wichita St. Shockers on Friday.

Wichita State received a first-round bye and will be a tough opponent for Indiana State. Indiana State finished their season with an 8-10 record in the MVC, with an overall record of 17-13. Wichita State had a much easier time in 2011-12, wrapping up the regular season with a 26-4 overall record, going 16-2 in conference play.

Thursday's game will tip off at 1:05 p.m. ET and will be televised on the MVC TV network. You can find the full MVC Tournament schedule by clicking right here.

For all news and information regarding college hoops, please visit SB Nation's dedicated NCAA basketball hub.

Missouri Valley Tournament 2012: Bracket And Schedule For Day 2 Includes 4 Games

The 2012 Missouri Valley Conference Tournament got underway on Thursday evening with a pair of games, but the real MVC action will begin on Friday afternoon. Four games are scheduled to be played to begin the weekend, as the conference looks to determine who will get its automatic NCAA Tournament bid.

The first game on Friday will feature top-seeded Wichita State, ranked as the No. 15 team in the nation. The Shockers will take on the Indiana State Sycamores in a game scheduled to be played at 1:05 p.m. ET. The winner of that game will then play the winner of the following game, a tilt featuring the Illinois State Redbirds and Northern Iowa Panthers.

On the other side of the bracket, the No. 25 Creighton Blue Jays will try to defeat the Drake Bulldogs in a 2-7 matchup. The nightcap will feature the Evansville Aces and Missouri State Bears in a game scheduled for 9:35 p.m. ET.

Wichita State and Creighton are obviously the tournament favorites as they both brought Top 25 rankings into the tournament, but "Arch Madness" is a lot like March Madness -- anything can happen.

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Missouri Valley Tournament 2012 Bracket Update: Drake, Indiana State Advance

In the first games of the Missouri Valley Conference tournament, the Drake Bulldogs and the Indiana St. Sycamores beat up on the lower-seeded Bradley Braves and Southern Illinois Salukis, respectively, and advanced to the second round to take on two of the top seeds in one of the deepest conferences in the country. The Bulldogs, the No. 7 seed, will play the Creighton Blue Jays, and the Sycamores will play the top seed, the Wichita St. Shockers.

Friday's slate of games include all eight of the remaining participants -- the other two games are the No. 4-seed Illinois St. Redbirds against the No. 5-seed Northern Iowa Panthers and the No. 3-seed Evansville Aces against the No. 6-seed Missouri St Bears.

The Shockers and the Sycamores kick off the games at 1:05 p.m. ET, followed directly by the 4-5 matchup. The Blue Jays and Bulldogs play in the evening at 7:05 p.m. before the final game of the night between Evansville and Missouri State.

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Drake Vs. Bradley Final Score: Bulldogs Handle Braves, 65-49

The Bradley Braves, 2-14 in the MIssouri Valley Conference in the regular season, were trying to pull the upset on the Drake Bulldogs in the opening round of the conference tournament, but their upset bid was really over before it ever got started. Drake scored the first 12 points of the ballgame and never trailed, winning 65-49. They'll advance to play the second-seeded Creighton Blue Jays in the second round.

Drake guard Rayvonte Rice led all scorers with 18 points to go along with five rebounds, and forward Ben Simons added 16. The Bulldogs didn't play their best game -- they shot 45.5 percent from the field but only 30.8 percent from three-point range -- but had just too much talent for the overmatched Braves.

Bradley got a combined 30 points from guards Walt Lemon and Dyricus Simms-Edwards, but they struggled to find any consistency on offense from anywhere on the floor. They shot 34 percent from the field, just 20 percent from deep -- three-point shooting is the tried-and-true recipe for an upset -- and turned the ball over 13 times to just eight assists. They finish their season 7-25 and 2-16 in the conference.

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Indiana State Vs. Southern Illinois Final Score: Sycamores Win, 66-51

Game One of the 2012 Missouri Valley Conference Tournament is in the books, with the No. 8-seed Indiana St. Sycamores defeating the No.9-seed Southern Illinois Salukis 66-51 at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Missouri on Thursday night.

Indiana State (18-13, 8-10 MVC) will take on the top-seeded Wichita St. Shockers (26-4, 16-2 MVC) on Friday.

The Sycamores led by seven at the half before pulling away midway through the second half. Sophomore guard Jake Odum led all scorers with 17 points, adding eight rebounds and four steals, while guard Dwayne Lathan added 15 points and five rebounds. Senior center Myles Walker added 12 points of the bench on five-of-11 shooting. As a team, the Sycamores were 25-of-50 from the floor.

For the Salukis, senior forward Mamado Seck played all 40 minutes and had a team-high 14 points to go along with his game-high 11 rebounds, which included six on the offensive glass. Junior guard Kendal Brown-Surles had 12 points and guard Justin Bocot added 10 to round out the Salukis in double digits.

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2012 MVC Tournament, Drake Vs. Bradley: Game Time, TV Schedule And More

In the second game of Thursday's opening round of the 2012 Missouri Valley Conference Tournament, the Drake Bulldogs will try to stave off an upset attempt by the Bradley Braves in St. Louis.

Drake was part of the big logjam in the middle of the MVC, finish at an even .500 in conference play. After a somewhat complicated series of tiebreakers, though, the Bulldogs were given the No. 7 seed in the MVC Tournament and forced to play in the first-round -- essentially a play-in game.

Drake's first-round opponent, Bradley, was the MVC's favorite punching bag this season, finishing with just two conference wins and an overall record of 7-24. The Braves haven't won since Feb. 8 and finished a whopping 14 games off the pace of MVC regular season champion Wichita State in the final standings.

The winner of Thursday's matchup moves on to face No. 2 seed Creighton on Friday in the second round of the MVC Tournament.

Location: Scottrade Center - St. Louis, MO

Time: 9:35 p.m. EST

TV: FSN-MW, IN, KC, CSN-CHI

Odds: Drake by 7.5

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MVC Tournament 2012, Indiana State Vs. Southern Illinois: Game Time, TV Schedule And More

The Missouri Valley Conference Tournament kicks off Thursday when the 8-seed Indiana St. Sycamores take on the 9-seed Southern Illinois Salukis for the right to play the top-seeded Wichita St. Shockers.

Indiana State finished one game behind the five-way tie for third-place in the MVC, resulting in a play-in game matchup with Southern Illinois on Thursday. After a rough start to the conference schedule, the Sycamores began to hit their stride, though a loss to last-place Bradley looms large and kept them from a first-round bye in this weekend's tournament. It's an uphill battle for Indiana State, and it all begins on Wednesday in St. Louis.

Southern Illinois was never in the MVC race, finishing the season with a 5-13 conference record and an 8-22 mark overall. The wins have been few and far between, and the Salukis haven't notched a victory since Feb. 4, when they beat Evansville at home. It's been a rough road all year, resulting in a ninth-place finish in a conference that was quite balanced, all things considered.

The teams split their regular season matchups, each winning at home.

Location: Scottrade Center - St. Louis, MO

Time: 7:05 p.m. EST

TV: FSN-MW, IN, KC, CSN-CHI

Odds: Indiana State by 5.5

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Missouri Valley Tournament Preview: Can Anybody Shock Wichita State?

Everything you need to know about the Missouri Valley Conference tournament, which starts Thursday in St. Louis.

Missouri Valley Tournament 2012 Bracket And Schedule Day 1

'Arch Madness' is descending upon Missouri for the 2012 Missouri Valley Tournament, to be played starting Thursday at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis.