PEORIA, Ill. (Interstat) — Illinois-Chicago used a dominant first half and efficient shooting to defeat Bradley 85-70 in a Missouri Valley Conference men’s basketball game Saturday at Carver Arena.

The Flames built a 39-28 halftime lead behind sharp perimeter shooting and never relented, connecting on 50% from the field and 50% from 3-point range for the game. Elijah Crawford led Illinois-Chicago with 26 points, while Josiah Hammons added 18. The Braves, despite 11 points from Ahmet Jonovic, could not overcome a cold shooting night from beyond the arc, making just 6 of 22 attempts.

Illinois-Chicago improved to 11-10 overall. Bradley fell to 14-8. An announced crowd of 6,209 attended.