Game 6 - #2 Bradley 90, #7 Valparaiso 84 2 overtimes
Friday, March 6, 2026
MVC Tournament Notes — This marked the sixth straight year the No. 2 seed has advanced to the semifinal round. No. 2 seeds improved to 90-31 in the MVC Tournament.No. 7 seeds are 26-48 all-time in the MVC Tournament. This was the 21st overtime game in MVC Tournament history — the first since the first round of 2024 Tourney when UIC beat Southern Illinois, 84-82, in double overtime.
Bradley Notes — The Braves, winning their second straight game, improved to 21-11 while advancing to the semifinal round of the MVC Tournament for the fourth straight year…Bradley improved its MVC Tournament record to 44-42 including a 24-15 mark in the quarterfinal round and a 3-0 record against Valparaiso. Despite two overtimes, BU made just four 3-pointers, just one shy of their season low…they did, however, score 48 points in the paint…the 19 forced turnovers is the third most this season for the Braves…Bradley is now 4-1 in games that go into overtime.
Braves Player Plaudits — Senior center Ahmet Jonovic scored Bradley’s first two buckets of the game, establishing an inside presence early for BU. He finished with 18 points, reaching double figures for the ninth time this season…it’s his second time as Bradley’s scoring leader….he also tied a career high with four assists. Sophomore guard Jaquan Johnson also finished with 18 points, despite going just 5-for19 from the field…he did add seven boards, just one shy of his career best. Freshman guard Montana Wheeler scored 15 points off the bench, reaching double digits for the 10th time this season. Graduate guard Alex Huibregtse had just two first-half points, but finished with 15, and a career-high four steals. Senior forward AJ Smith added 12 points to go with a team-high nine rebounds.
Valparaiso Notes— The Beacons fell to 18-15. Valparaiso’s MVC Tournament record is now 8-9.The Beacons move to 2-2 in overtime games this year including their first double overtime outing.
Beacon Player Plaudits — Freshman forward JT Pettigrew almost posted a triple-double totaling career highs with 24 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists for his sixth double-double of the year, and fourth in MVC play. Pettigrew also made a season-high 11 free throw conversions. Graduate guard Brody Whitaker produced a season-high 25 points and five rebounds. Whitaker also tied a career high with five three-point baskets. Sophomore guard Justus McNair had 12 points, including three 3-pointers. After tallying 18 points in the MVC tournament opener, freshman guard Rakim Chaney was limited to just two points on 1-of-7 shooting.
First Half Recap — There were four lead changes and four ties resulting in a 31-31 tie. The largest lead by either team was four points. Bradley made five of its last six shots to end the first half. Both teams were a combined 4-16 shooting beyond the three-point arc with Bradley only making one of nine three-point shots. Alex Huibregtse, who leads the MVC in three-point field goal percentage,had just two points while missing both 3-point attempts.McNair came off the bench for Valparaiso making three straight baskets in 73-second span to allow Beacons to tie the game at 25-25.
Second Half Recap — There were five ties and two lead changes in the second half. Two free throws by Wheeler gave Bradley its biggest lead at 51-46 with 8:28 left. Trailing 64-58, Valparaiso went on 6-0 run aided by three-point baskets from Whitaker (56 seconds) and McNair (23 seconds) to tie the game. Bradley’s Johnson had a chance to win the game but misfired on a running jumper in the paint.
1st Overtime — Huibregste scored five points in last 73 seconds of the period, allowing Bradley to tie game at 73-73 following his three pointer with 25 seconds. Valparaiso had two chances to win but missed a layup by Whitaker with 3 seconds and a rebound shot before the buzzer by Servilus. Pettigrew scored five points for Valparaiso in overtime – all at the free throw line.
2nd Overtime - With the score tied at 75-75, Bradley went on 8-1 run aided by three points from Jonovic and Smith to grab an 83-76 advantage with 1:07 left. Two free throws by Whitaker with 46.5 seconds pulled Valparaiso within 85-80 but the Braves sealed the win making six free throws in the final 46.5 seconds. Valparaiso made only 3 of 10 shots in the second overtime