Sam Maniscalco scored 21 points and Will Egolf had a double-double as Bradley nearly coughed up a 15-point lead but held on to edge Southern Illinois 57-55 on Wednesday night.
Egolf had 15 points and 11 rebounds for the Braves (9-9, 4-4 Missouri Valley), who put together their first two-game winning streak since Nov. 28 and Dec. 2.
Tony Freeman led the Salukis (10-7, 3-5) with 15 points. Anthony Booker had 14 points and 11 rebounds, while Carlton Fay added 14 points.
Bradley rocketed to a 15-0 lead as the Salukis missed their first eight shots. But Southern Illinois responded, trimming the deficit to 21-18 with 5:11 left in the first half.
Fay and Kendal Brown-Surles combined for seven consecutive points to give Southern Illinois its first lead at 55-54 with 2:31 to go. But Maniscalco hit three free throws in the final minute to rescue Bradley.
