SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Junior Michelle Young (Woodbury, Minn./Woodbury) scored a team-high 15 points to lead six Bradley players in double figures, but three Braves fouled out in the closing seconds and Missouri State held on for a 78-72 victory Sunday afternoon at JQH Arena.

Missouri State (12-10 overall, 7-4 MVC) led for most of the game and led by as many as 10 points in the first half, before Bradley (5-17 overall, 2-9 MVC) outscored the Bears 27-18 over the final 11 minutes of period and went in the half trailing 34-33.

The Braves opened the second half strong and took a 38-37 lead in the early going on a Young shot in the lane.  Bradley led 41-40 with 16 minutes to play after a pair of Kelly Frings (Milwaukee, Wis./Pius XI) free throws, but Missouri State answered with an 11-1 run to go up 51-42 with 12:40 to play and the Bears led 55-44 with 11 minutes on the clock.

With six minutes to play a Bry Snow free throw gave Missouri State its largest lead of the game (65-53) and Bradley trailed 69-58 nearing the four-minute mark when the Braves started to make a push.

Senior Kelsey Budd (Prairie du Sac, Wis./Sauk Prairie) hit a three-pointer to start a 7-0 spurt and senior Catie O'Leary (Janesville, Wis./Parker/Wisconsin) had a bucket at the three-minute mark.  After another defensive stop, senior Alyson Spinas-Valainis (Davenport, Iowa/Assumption) had a put-back basket with 1:43 remaining to trim the Missouri State lead to 69-65. 

Bry Snow hit a shot in the lane to end the Bradley run and twin sister Tyonna Snow had a steal and fastbreak layup to push the MSU advantage back to eight (73-65) with just over one minute left.  Three Braves fouled out in the final minute of the game, however, and the Bears made five-of-eight free throw attempts in the final 30 seconds to seal the 78-72 victory.

Young finished with 15 points in 27 minutes of action, while Spinas-Valainis tallied 13 points, nine rebounds, three blocks and three steals off the bench.  Budd dished out seven assists to go with her 11 points and two steals before fouling out.  O'Leary also had 11 points and three steals, while Frings fouled out of the contest with 10 points and six boards.  Sophomore Fantasia Vine (Wheaton, Ill./Wheaton North) was also in double figures with 10 points. 

The Snow sisters combined for 46 of Missouri State's 78 points, with Bry Snow making 12-of-19 from the field and scoring a game-high 29 points.  Tyonna Snow added 17 points.  Missouri State shot 58 percent from the field in the second half and outrebounded the Braves 43-31. 

Bradley opens a season-long, three-game home stand Saturday with a 2 p.m. game against Loyola at Renaissance Coliseum.