Box Score CHICAGO, Ill. - Bradley had a four-game win streak snapped as host Illinois-Chicago used an 18-2 second-half run to take control of a two-point game and down the Braves 74-65 Tuesday at the UIC Pavilion. Junior Latasha Hollingshed (Bellwood, Ill./St. Joseph/Illinois Central) led Bradley with 18 points on 8-of-11 shooting.
The Braves (7-4 overall) trailed 12-4 when freshman Kelsey Budd (Prairie du Sac, Wis./Sauk Prairie) scored nine points to highlight a 14-3 BU run which put Bradley in front 18-15. Budd opened the run with a layup and capped the four-and-a-half minute spurt with a three-pointer. UIC (5-5 overall) capitalized on 11 Bradley turnovers in the opening 20 minutes, however, and held a 34-32 lead at the half.
Bradley scored just six points in the first seven and a half minutes of the second half allowing the Flames to extend the lead to 44-38. The Braves pulled to within two points (50-48) with 9:23 to play on a Lauren Niemiera (Orland Park, Ill./Marist) free throw, but a three-point play by Kiara Strickland, helped spark an 18-2 UIC run.
Four consecutive BU turnovers resulted in four straight UIC baskets to fuel the Flames' run and push the lead to 68-50 with 2:16 left on the clock. Bradley managed to cut the deficit under 10 points on a Katie Yohn (Elgin, Ill./St. Edward) three-pointer with 37.3 seconds left, but it was too little too late as UIC ended a three-game losing streak with the 74-65 victory.
The Flames forced 23 BU turnovers and turned that into a 23-10 advantage in points off turnovers, which included a 15-4 edge in the second half. Bradley controlled the boards, outrebounding UIC 41-34; but the Flames committed just 11 turnovers and made 18-of-24 free throws (including 14-of-19 in the second half) to end BU's four-game win streak against Horizon League opponents.
Hollingshed was the only Bradley player to score in double figures, finishing with 18 points on 8-of-11 shooting. Yohn, Budd and Niemiera each finished with nine points to help pace the Braves offensively. Senior Raisa Taylor (Decatur, Ill./Eisenhower) scored all six of her points in the second half to pass Amy Peters for 18th on BU's career scoring list.
Shameia Green led UIC in scoring with 21 points in 36 minutes of play, while Cree Nix added a season-best 20 points. Briana Hinkle added 14 points, eight assists and five steals.
Bradley returns to action Thursday, Dec. 30 when the Braves open Missouri Valley Conference play with a 7:05 p.m. game at I-74 rival Illinois State.
