PEORIA, Ill. – Bradley's bench combined for 53 points paced by freshman Nyjah White, who collected her first career double-double with games highs of 14 points, 13 rebounds and five assists, as the Braves posted a convincing 88-44 victory over Lincoln (Mo.) University Wednesday at Renaissance Coliseum.
The victory gave Bradley its first 2-0 start to a season since 2013-14 season and the Braves started a season with consecutive home victories for the first time since 2008-09.
A balanced offensive attack, which featured eight Bradley players with seven or more points, coupled with a solid defensive effort helped the Braves to the lopsided victory. Bradley held Lincoln to 21.9 percent shooting for the third lowest field goal percentage by an opponent in school history.
White scored four of her game-high 14 points in the closing minutes of the first quarter and fellow freshman Gabi Haack added six points during a two-minute stretch as the pair highlighted 12-2 run which gave Bradley a 24-10 advantage 10 minutes into the contest.
The Braves extended the lead to as many as 22 points in the second quarter, holding a 35-13 lead after an Anneke Schlueter pull-up midway through the period. Bradley led 41-23 at the half and put the game out of reach in the opening moments of the third quarter.
Lincoln cut the deficit to 17 (43-26) in the first minute of the third quarter, but junior Vanessa Markert had a layup, block, and two rebounds in a 40-second span to help Bradley quickly push the lead to 23 at 49-23 with 7:41 left in the frame. Markert followed up a Lincoln hoop with one of her own to open a decisive 16-0 run by the Braves.
Six different Bradley players scored during the run, highlighted by a three-point play by White, who had six points, four rebounds and one assist during a near three-minute span, as the Braves extended the lead to 65-28.
Bradley held Lincoln to just four points over the final 7:30 of the third quarter and just eight points during a 15-plus minute span between the third and fourth periods to cruise to the 88-44 victory.
Markert joined White in double figures with 10 points in just 15 minutes and she also had four blocks. Sophomore Chelsea Brackmann had an efficient night off the bench, adding eight points on 4-for-4 shooting in just nine minutes, while freshman Emily Marsh chipped in with eight points on 4-for-5 shooting and six boards in 15 minute off the bench.
Bradley's height advantage helped the Braves to 54 points in the paint and a commanding 56-35 rebounding edge which translated into a 29-9 edge in second chance points. The BU post players (Brackmann, Markert, March and White) combined for 40 points on 16-for-23 shooting to go with 27 rebounds, six assists, seven blocks and two steals.
After a 2-0 start to the season, Bradley will open a season-long four-game road swing Saturday with a 2 p.m. at Big Ten Conference foe Illinois.