MACOMB, Ill. -- Bradley led most of the game, but Western Illinois used a 14-5 run over the final three minutes to pull away and top the Braves 92-81 Friday at Western Hall.  Sophomore Kelsey Budd (Prairie du Sac, Wis./Sauk Prairie) scored a game-high 24 points on 9-of-12 shooting and had six steals to pace BU, which finished the non-conference schedule with a 6-5 record.

Bradley led 71-68 with five minutes to play, but a three-point play by Charnelle Reed sparked an 8-0 Western Illinois (6-5 overall) spurt which gave the Leathernecks their first two possession lead of the night at 76-71 with four minutes left. The Braves pulled within two points, but WIU later stretched the advantage to six points (82-76) with 2:23 remaining. 

After a BU miss, a Michelle Maher three-pointer as the shot clock expired pushed the Leathernecks advantage to 85-76 with 1:32 to play and Western Illinois followed another defensive stop with a fastbreak layup to go ahead 87-76.  The Leathernecks went on to take the game 92-81 to improve to 5-0 at home on the year and snap Bradley's three-game win streak in the series.

Budd scored nine consecutive points for Bradley in the opening half and scored 20 points on 8-of-10 shooting in the opening stanza.  She helped the Braves collect 11 steals on 13 first-half Western Illinois turnovers, coming up with five of her career-high six steals in the first 20 minutes.  Bradley led by as many as seven in the first half, but needed the final four points of the period to take a 42-38 lead into the break after Western Illinois pulled even late in the period.

The Leathernecks shot 51.3 percent from the field in the second half and committed just four second-half turnovers.  The Leathernecks also connected on 11 three-pointers, including six in the second half and outrebounded BU 41-38 in the victory.

Budd led all players with 24 points on 9-of-12 shooting and collected a career-high six steals.  Shronda Butts (Des Moines, Iowa/East) scored 13 of her 17 points in the second half to help lead Bradley's offensive efforts.  Junior Catie O'Leary (Janesville, Wis./Parker/Wisconsin) had 13 points and senior Katie Yohn (Elgin, Ill./St. Edward) scored 12 points to pass Eileen Yerkes for 11th on Bradley's all-time scoring list.

The loss snapped Bradley's seven-game win streak against in-state non-conference opponents and also ended a four-game BU win streak in non-conference games against in-state non-Valley foes.

Western Illinois had four players score in double figures, led by Maher's 24 points and six assists.  Saule Kontautaite added 20 points and four assists, while Ashley Luke had 10 points, 12 rebounds and six assists.  Reed joined the trio in double figures, scoring six of her 14 points in the second half.

Bradley has two weeks off from competition, before opening Missouri Valley Conference play Friday, Jan. 4 at Indiana State.