FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. -- Freshman Michelle Lund (Sioux City, Iowa/Bishop Heelan) scored 10 of her team-best 13 points in the second half and junior guard Skye Johnson (Olympia Fields, Ill./Marian Catholic) blocked a last-second three-point attempt to help Bradley to a 59-56 win against UC Riverside in the championship game of the NAU Thanksgiving Classic Saturday. Lund was named tournament MVP, while Johnson also earned a spot on the all-tournament team.

The Braves (5-1 overall) led by as many as nine point in the first half and were in front most of the contest. Bradley held a 42-36 advantage with just under 12 minutes remaining when the Highlanders (2-3 overall) held the Braves scoreless for a five and a half minute stretch. UC Riverside scored the next 11 points to grab a 46-42 lead. Freshman MacKenzie Westcott (Williamsburg, Iowa/Williamsburg) ended BU's drought with a basket with 6:14 left, but Jessie Schumuckal gave the Highlanders their biggest lead of the contest with a three-pointer to push UC Riverside's lead to 50-44 with just under six minutes to play.

Lund scored five consecutive points and found Skye Johnson for an open basket to give the Braves a 53-52 lead with just over two minutes to play. UC Riverside later took a 56-55 advantage with 1:31 remaining when Kemie Nkele made two of three free throws. Westcott put the Braves in front for good with a driving layup with just over 30 seconds left on the clock and got a block on the defensive end. Johnson made a pair of free throws after a Highlanders foul to push the BU lead to 59-56 and Johnson blocked the potential game-tying shot at the buzzer when she rejected Seyram Gbewonyo's three-point attempt from the top of the key to help seal the win.

Bradley dominated the glass, outrebounding UC Riverside 42-28, including a 21-10 edge in rebounding in the second half. Lund scored 10 points in the second half en route to a team-best 13 points. She also added five rebounds, four assists and three steals. The tournament MVP, Lund averaged 12.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 2.0 steals per game while shooting 54.5 percent (6-for-11) from beyond the three-point arc in the two games.

Johnson finished with 10 points, seven boards, two assists, two blocks and one steal to lock up a spot on the all-tournament team. Westcott and sophomore Sonya Harris (Riverdale, Ill./Thornton) each added 10 points off the bench, helping BU's reserves outscore the UC Riverside bench 26-10.

Roney Friend led UC Riverside with 16 points on 7-for-11 shooting. Three-time first-team All-Big West Conference performer and 2006-07 Big West Player of the Year Kemie Nkele entered the game averaging 21.5 points and nearly seven rebounds per contest, but was held to 11 points and four boards. Gbewonyo added 14 points to help lead the Highlanders.

The Braves improved to 5-1 on the year, marking the best start since opening the 2001-02 season with a 9-0 record and the tournament title is the first for the Braves since winning the Dead River Classic during the 2001-02 campaign. Bradley also improved to 4-0 all-time in the state of Arizona. BU won the Sun Devil Classic in Tempe, Ariz., during the 1996-97 season in the program's only other trip to the Grand Canyon State.

The Braves return to action Saturday when BU faces Illinois at 1:30 p.m. at the United Center in Chicago. Bradley Athletics will be sponsoring a bus trip to the game against the Illini. Reservations must be made by Monday, Dec. 1. For more information please call (309) 677-3617.