ST. LOUIS - Bradley junior guard Sam Maniscalco (Chicago, Ill./St. Patrick H.S.) has been named the Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Week for the second time in three weeks, after leading the Braves to a pair of victories last week.

In victories Tuesday versus Drake and Saturday at Evansville, Maniscalco averaged 18.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.5 steals per game.  The 6-foot point guard shot 67.7 percent from the field and 57.1 percent from 3-point range in the two victories while becoming the 43rd member of Bradley's 1,000-Point Club.

In Tuesday's 67-65 victory versus Drake at Carver Arena, Maniscalco scored a game-high 21 points and dished out a game-high six assists.  He eclipsed 1,000 career points by draining a 3-pointer with 1:19 remaining in the first half to put the Braves in the lead, 37-35, then buried another triple with three seconds remaining to cap an 8-0 Bradley run and give the Braves a 42-35 lead at intermission.  Maniscalco followed with 15 points, three rebounds and three steals in Saturday's 83-63 road win at Evansville, pushing his career total to 1,029 career points.

In addition to making 4-of-7 long-range attempts in the two games last week, Maniscalco made 10-of-14 field goal attempts from inside the 3-point arc, increasing his 2-point field goal percentage in conference play to a league-best 71.0 percent.

Maniscalco, who also won the award Jan. 25, becomes the first Bradley player to win The Valley's Player-of-the-Week award twice in the same season since Jeremy Crouch also won twice during the 2007-08 campaign.  He is the first Brave to cop the award twice during the conference portion of the season since Marcellus Sommerville and Patrick O'Bryant both took the award twice during the final two months of the 2005-06 season.

Bradley (12-11, 7-6 MVC) will open a pivotal 2-game home stand Tuesday night by hosting Interstate 74 Rival Illinois State (16-8, 7-6 MVC) in a 7:05 p.m. contest at Carver Arena.  The two rivals are part of a three-way tie for third place in The Valley standings.  Declared Bradley's first-ever "Blackout," the Braves will be trying to make amends for a 66-47 loss Jan. 30 at Illinois State.  Fans are encouraged to wear black Tuesday night and Bradley will enhance the effect by distributing black Bradley Basketball t-shirts to everyone in attendance.  The Braves will follow Tuesday night's rivalry showdown by hosting Valley-leading #18 Northern Iowa (21-2, 12-1 MVC) in a 1:05 p.m. contest at Carver Arena.