Box Score PEORIA, Ill. - Junior MacKenzie Westcott (Williamsburg, Iowa/Williamsburg) scored a game-high 16 points and also collected four steals, but I-74 rival Illinois State held off Bradley's rally attempts in the second half to top the Braves 71-63 Thursday night at Renaissance Coliseum.
Westcott scored 13 of her 16 points in the first half, hitting 5-of-7 shots to open the game, but Illinois State shot 51.9 percent from the field and connected on 3-of-4 three-point attempts to build a 10-point lead at the break (37-27).
The Redbirds opened the second half with a 7-2 spurt capped by a Katie Broadway three-pointer to extend the lead to 44-29 in the opening minutes of the period. With Bradley trailing 46-33, freshman Kelly Frings (Milwaukee, Wis./Pius XI) hit the first of her three second-half three-pointers to spark a 9-2 BU spurt to pull the Braves within six points (48-42).
Senior Raisa Taylor (Decatur, Ill./Eisenhower) had a three-point play and later capped the Bradley (13-15 overall, 6-11 MVC) run with a driving layup. Illinois State's (20-8 overall, 12-5 MVC) Candace Sykes helped the Redbirds answer with back-to-back jumpers as the Redbirds pushed the lead back to double digits at 55-42 midway through the period.
Trailing 68-54 with 1:27 to play, Bradley made one last push. Freshman Kelsey Budd (Prairie du Sac, Wis./Sauk Prairie) hit a runner in the lane to spark a 6-1 BU spurt and capped the run with a put-back basket to cut the Redbird advantage to 69-60 with 32.3 seconds. The Braves came up empty on their next possession, however, and a Frings three-pointer with 10 seconds to play was BU's final basket of the game as Illinois State picked up its 20th win of the year with a 71-63 road win.
Westcott was 5-of-9 from the field and finished with 16 points, five rebounds, two blocks and four steals in 28 minutes. Taylor was the only other Bradley player in double figures, collecting 13 points, three assists and two steals. Sophomore Katie Yohn (Elgin, Ill./St. Edward) dished out five assists to go along with six points and four steals in the loss.
Broadway led Illinois State in scoring with 14 points and Hannah Spanich added 10 points and three blocks off the bench to highlight the victory for the Redbirds. Bradley held ISU to 44 percent shooting in the second half, but Illinois State outrebounded BU 38-35 and limited the Braves to 39.4 percent shooting from the field for the night.
The Bradley women's basketball team will host Indiana State Saturday at 2:05 p.m. at Renaissance Coliseum in the final home game of the 2010-11 season. Senior Raisa Taylor will be recognized in a pre-game ceremony. Saturday's game will be military day with military and their family receiving $4 admission with a valid ID.
