Box Score WICHITA, Kan. - Junior MacKenzie Westcott (Williamburg, Iowa/Williamsburg) scored 17 second-half points and finished with a career-high 24 to help fuel a second-half rally attempt by Bradley, but Wichita State shot 55.6 percent from the field and held off the Braves 81-74 Sunday afternoon at Charles Koch Arena.
The Shockers led by as many as 12 points in the opening half and held a 39-30 lead at the break after Bradley (11-11 overall, 4-7 MVC) managed to shoot just 33.3 percent in the first half.
Wichita State (11-11 overall, 5-6 MVC) held a 66-56 advantage when junior Hanna Muegge (Hopkins, Minn./Hopkins) ended a 12-2 Shocker run with a four-point play and Westcott followed with a pair of free throws with 6:30 to play as the Braves pulled within four points (66-62).
A Westcott three-pointer with just under four minutes remaining once again put the margin at four points (71-67) and senior Raisa Taylor (Decatur, Ill./Eisenhower) made a pair of free throws after a defensive stop to cut the deficit to two points (71-69) with 3:25 remaining.
Bradley made two more defensive stops and Taylor split a pair of free throws to pull the Braves within one (71-70) with 2:23 on the clock, but Wichita State's Morgan Boyd answered with her fourth three-pointer of the contest to push the margin back to four points (74-70).
The WSU lead stood at four points (76-72) with one minute left after a put-back basket by freshman Alyson Spinas-Valainis (Davenport, Iowa/Assumption), but it would be the final Bradley hoop of the day. Chynna Turner knocked down a high-arching shot from the elbow with the shot clock winding down to put the Shocker lead at 78-72 and the Braves came up empty on their next two possessions as Wichita State held on for the 81-74 victory.
Westcott made a career-high 12 free throws and finished 12-of-15 from the line en route to her career-best 24 points. She also had seven rebounds, two blocks and made 2-of-4 from beyond the arc in the loss. Taylor added 13 points and tied for game-high honors with eight rebounds, while sophomore Katie Yohn (Elgin, Ill./St. Edward) had 11 points and matched a career-high with eight boards.
The Braves were able to hang with the hot-shooting Shockers despite shooting 37 percent from the field, thanks in part to an 80.6 percent shooting effort at the free throw line. Bradley made 29-of-36 from the charity stripe with the 29 free throws tying for the 10th best total in school history and third most in a Missouri Valley Conference game in program history.
Wichita State had five players score in double figures, led by Boyd's 19 points off the bench. Haleigh Lankster added 15 points and Jessica Diamond finished with 14 points and eight assists to help pace the Shockers.
Bradley returns to action Thursday when the Braves welcome Drake to Renaissance Coliseum for a 7:05 p.m. game.
