PEORIA, Ill. ? Five Bradley players scored in double figures, including junior Monica Rogers (Forsyth, Ill./St. Teresa/Hampton) who finished with 11 points and 13 rebounds in her debut, to help the Bradley women's basketball team to a 69-62 victory over visiting Illinois-Chicago Saturday at Robertson Memorial Field House.

Bradley (1-2 overall) led from start to finish and held a 23-point advantage in the first half, before Illinois-Chicago rallied to cut the Braves lead to as little as three points in the closing minutes of the contest. BU used a late 6-1 spurt to put away the Flames.

Bradley led 4-3 in the early going, when Rogers sparked a 34-13 BU run with six points, seven rebounds and one assist to help the Braves to a 38-25 lead with just under two minutes to play in the first half. Jessica Miller, UIC's leading scorer, would catch fire to end the half, scoring the final six points of the period to help the Flames cut the Bradley lead to 38-21 at the break.

Illinois-Chicago (1-2 overall) was held to 25.9 percent shooting in the first half, but heated up in the final 20 minutes. The Flames shot 46.9 percent in the second half and forced 12 second-half Bradley turnovers to help spur the comeback. Bradley maintained its double-digit lead at 59-48 with 6:26 to play when UIC made it's last push.

The Braves would go 0-for-3 from the field with three turnovers on their next seven possessions, while UIC would score on six of its next seven possessions during an 11-3 Flames run which cut Bradley's advantage to just three points (62-59) with 2:10 to go.

Sophomore Jenny Van Kirk's (Waconia, Minn./Waconia) jumper with 1:49 on the clock ended the UIC run. Rogers split a pair of free throws with 1:06 to play and Van Kirk came away with a steal on the Flames next possession to help seal the game. Senior Rachel Merriman (Peoria, Ill./Notre Dame/Illinois Central) made a pair of free throws with 48 seconds left to push Bradley's lead back to eight points at 67-59 as BU picked up its first victory of the season with a 69-62 win. The Braves defense held UIC to 1-for-4 shooting with one turnover over the final two minutes.

Rogers had a big impact for the Braves, finishing with 11 points on 5-of-7 shooting, and snaring a team-best 13 rebounds in just 20 minutes of play off the bench. Merriman nearly added a double-double, adding 11 points and career-best nine assists. Van Kirk and freshman Raisa Taylor (Decatur, Ill./Eisenhower) each scored 11 points on 4-of-8 shooting off the bench. Senior Devyn Flanagan (Riverton, Ill./Riverton) was also in double fires with 10 points, while junior Megan Klingler (Lawrence, Kan./Lawrence/Coffeyville) hit 4-of-5 shots and finished with eight points and nine boards in her first career start.

The Braves shot 46.6 percent from the field and outrebounded Illinois-Chicago 43-39. Bradley held a 38-32 edge in points in the paint against the taller Flames and the Braves reserves combined for 33 points, with Rogers, Taylor and Van Kirk each scoring 11 off the bench.

UIC shot 37.3 percent from the field and connected on 2-of-13 three-point attempts. The Flames also struggled from the free throw line, hitting just 57.1 percent (16-for-28), including 9-of-17 in the second half. Jessica Miller led all players with 20 points, while Briana Hinkle also finished in double figures with 12 points.

Bradley returns to action Tuesday in the opening round of the Carrs/Safeway Great Alaska Shootout. The Braves face Santa Clara at 11 p.m. (CST) in Anchorage, Alaska.