PEORIA, Ill. -- Senior Dena Williams nearly had a double-double at halftime and fellow senior Genny Mueller finished tied for game-high honors with 17 points as the duo helped led the Bradley women's basketball team to a 70-60 victory against Southern Illinois Saturday in Missouri Valley Conference action at Robertson Memorial Field House.

Bradley (13-8 overall, 6-6 MVC) raised over $8,000 for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation as part of the team's annual Hoops for the Cure event. The biggest part of the fundraising effort was the Coaches Challenge, where head coach Paula Buscher and 50 individuals pledged more than $800 per Bradley three-pointer. The Braves made 7-of-17 from long range to raise nearly $6,000 on the day.

Williams posted her second consecutive double-double with 15 points and a career-high 17 rebounds to go along with two assists, two blocks and one steal. Mueller hit 3-of-6 three-pointers and added team highs of 17 points and three assists in the win as Bradley won its second consecutive game to improve to 13-8 overall, 6-6 in the Valley. Sophomore Erika Nelson scored in double figures for the third time in the last four outings, adding 10 points on 4-of-5 shooting and a team-best three steals.

The Braves raced out to an early double-digit lead but went cold from the field, failing to score for a nearly five minute stretch midway through the first half. Southern Illinois trailed by three points, 26-23, with 4:37 to play before Bradley closed the half on a 10-2 run to take a 36-25 lead at the break. Williams had eight points and nine boards at the half, while Mueller scored 10 of her 17 in the first 20 minutes of play.

Bradley extended the lead to as many as 22 points midway through the second half. The Braves held a 67-48 lead with 4:33 to play, before the Salukis closed out the game with a 12-3 run, but couldn't cut the deficit to under 10 points as Bradley won 70-60.

Williams, who broke her previous career high of 16 rebounds, moved up two spots on Bradley's career rebounding list into second place. She passed Karin Nicholls and Carrie Coffman for second place all time and now has 741 career boards. With six games remaining in the regular season, Williams 48 rebounds to break Val Wancket's career mark. Her 17 rebounds tied for the 10th best rebounding total in school history and tied for the eighth best total in Robertson Field House history.

Mueller hit 3-of-6 three-point attempts on the day and tied Southern Illinois' Danette Jones for game high honors with 17 points. The Braves hauled down 16 offensive rebounds and punished the Salukis on the glass, outrebounding SIU 40-28 and owning a 19-9 edge in second chance points.

Southern Illinois (3-19 overall, 1-12 MVC) shot 46.4 percent in the second half and finished shooting 42.6 percent for the game. Jones hit 6-of-11 shots, including 3-of-7 from beyond the three-point arc to finish with 17 points. India Bruster came off the bench to hit 6-of-8 shots as she posted 12 points.

Bradley returns to action Thursday at Indiana State at 6:05 p.m. (CST).