Box Score PEORIA, Ill. - Junior Leah Kassing (Mt. Sterling, Ill./Brown County) matched a career high with 16 points and pulled down a career-best 12 rebounds to lead four Bradley players in double figures, but Drake rallied from a 15-point second half deficit to top the Braves 67-65 Thursday at Renaissance Coliseum.
The Braves (11-12 overall, 4-8 MVC) made 7-of-9 shots to open the second half and used a 13-3 run to build a 43-35 lead early in the second half. Bradley later extended the lead to 15 points (54-39) after a pair of steals and breakaway layups by senior Raisa Taylor (Decatur, Ill./Eisenhower) and sophomore Katie Yohn (Elgin, Ill./St. Edward) opened an 11-2 run, which also included five consecutive points from junior MacKenzie Westcott (Williamsburg, Iowa/Williamsburg).
The Bulldogs (12-11 overall, 6-6 MVC) clawed back into it with a 10-2 run, capped by a three-pointer by Amber Wollschlager to pull within seven points (56-49) with five and a half minutes to play. Bradley stopped the run with a Yohn three-point play and a pair of free throws by Kassing kept BU's advantage at double digits (61-51) with just under four minutes remaining.
Drake's Kayla Pearson, who finished with a career-best 16 points, made back-to-back baskets and a pair of three-point plays by the Valley's leading scorer Kristin Turk during a 15-1 Bulldog run quickly erased the Bradley lead and gave DU a 66-62 lead with 26 seconds on the clock.
Yohn answered with an NBA-range three-pointer with 14.8 ticks left to pull the Braves within one (66-65), but that would be Bradley's final basket of the game.
Turk split a pair of free throws with 13.7 seconds to make the margin two points (67-65) and Bradley's attempt at the buzzer was blocked by Stephanie Running as the Bulldogs rallied from a halftime deficit for the first time this season. Turk entered the game averaging a league-best 20.2 points per game, but was held to just four points in the first half. She got to the line eight times in the second half, however, and scored 12 of her 16 points in the second stanza.
Drake scored the first nine points of the game, but Bradley answered with a 9-0 run of its own and the Braves closed the first half with an 8-4 spurt to hold a 27-26 lead at the break. Kassing helped highlight the opening half with eight points and eight rebounds in the first 20 minutes of play and finished with 16 points on 7-of-13 shooting to go along with a game and career-high 12 boards off the bench.
Yohn added 12 points, while Taylor and Westcott each scored 10 to finish in double figures to help lead the Braves. Taylor snagged 10 rebounds to go along with six assists for her second straight double-double. Taylor (1,025 career points) moved into 14th on Bradley's career scoring list, passing Carol Baresch (1,018 career points) and needs eight points to move up two more spots into 12th place.
Turk and Pearson paced four Drake players in double figures with 16 points each. Rachael Hackbarth added 15 points and a team-best seven rebounds, while Wollschlager hit a pair of three-pointers in the final five and a half minutes to finish with 10 points.
Bradley returns to action Saturday, playing a 2:05 p.m. game against Creighton at Renaissance Coliseum in the team's annual Pink Zone game. Fans are encouraged to wear pink to the game with the first 1,000 fans will receive a free pink t-shirts and the first 200 kids 12 and under receiving a Bradley pink basketball. Tickets for the team's annual Pink Zone Reception which will be held at noon in the Braves Club Room are available through the Braves Club Office at (309) 677-2667.
