PEORIA, Ill. (Interstat) — Two teams on the NCAA tournament bubble look to bolster their resumes Wednesday when the Dayton Flyers visit the Bradley Braves in a non-conference men’s basketball clash at Carver Arena.

Dayton (23-10), which enters as a 1.5-point favorite, seeks to rebound from a 70-62 road loss at VCU on Sunday. The Flyers had won seven of eight prior to that defeat. Bradley (21-12) looks to snap a two-game skid, most recently a 73-69 home loss to Northern Iowa on March 7.

The matchup features a compelling duel between versatile forwards. Dayton’s Amael L’Etang has been a consistent force, averaging 14.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.9 blocks over his last nine games. His recent performances include a 26-point, 3-block outing against Saint Louis and a 17-point, 10-rebound, 5-assist near triple-double against Duquesne.

Bradley will counter with AJ Smith, who is coming off a 10-point, 3-assist effort against Northern Iowa. Smith has shown scoring punch, tallying 17 points in a double-overtime loss at Illinois-Chicago and 14 points in a win over Murray State this month.

The Flyers’ recent success has been built on defense, holding opponents to 66.3 points per game during their 7-1 stretch. They will be tested by a Braves squad averaging 78.4 points at home this season. Bradley’s resilience is evident in its three overtime games since late January, winning two of them.

Dayton’s balance will be key; in Sunday’s loss, Keonte Jones added nine rebounds and Jordan Derkack contributed 10 rebounds and four assists alongside L’Etang’s 12 points and three blocks. Bradley will need secondary scoring behind Smith, with players like Timoty van der Knaap (12 points vs. UNI) and Corey Thomas (11 points vs. UNI) providing support.

With an over/under set at 140, the game could hinge on whether Dayton’s defensive discipline can contain Bradley’s home-court offensive rhythm. The result will carry significant weight for both teams as Selection Sunday approaches.