Bradley BRAD 6-12 (2-5 MVC)

Missouri State MSU 8-10 (4-3 MVC)

Bradley BRAD

6-12 (2-5 MVC)

Final

Jan. 22, 2017

Missouri State MSU

8-10 (4-3 MVC)

Score By Periods
Team	1	2	3	4	OT 1	F
Bradley BRAD	21	13	14	18	9	75
Missouri State MSU	19	15	20	12	7	73

Box Score

Bob Hunt - Photographer

Bench Helps Spark Braves To 75-73 Overtime Win At Missouri State

Game Recap: Women's Basketball | 1/22/2017 5:05:00 PM

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Three Bradley players scored 15 points or more off the bench, led by sophomore Vanessa Markert's (Mt. Sterling, Ill./Brown County) 17 points, as the Bradley reserves combined for 47 to help spark the Braves to a 75-73 overtime victory Sunday afternoon at JQH Arena.

Bradley (6-12 overall, 2-5 MVC) got off to a strong start, making 11-of-16 (69 percent) from the field and led 28-23 with seven minutes left in the second quarter. With freshman Chelsea Brackmann (New Berlin, Wis./Eisenhower) limited to two first-half minutes because of foul trouble, Markert scored 10 points on 5-of-7 shooting in the first half.

Missouri State (8-10 overall, 4-3 MVC) managed to pull even at 34-34 at halftime as the Bears held Bradley to 3-for-11 shooting in the final seven minutes of the second.

Freshman Alona Johnson (Milwaukee, Wis./Riverside) scored the first points of the third quarter, but Missouri State answered with a 14-0 run which gave the Bears a 48-36 lead with just under five minutes to play in the period.

The next 16 Bradley points came from reserves with junior Danielle Brewer (Coatesville, Ind.) starting a run with a three-pointer. Markert, who assisted the Brewer three, hit a three-pointer of her own on the next trip and Johnson followed a Missouri State hoop with one of her two three-pointers in the contest. The Braves managed to pull within six (54-48) heading to the fourth.

Brewer knocked down another three-pointer to open the scoring in the fourth to pull Bradley within three points (54-51) and it was a two points MSU lead at 56-54 with 6:44 on the clock as Braves outscored the Bears 18-8 over a near eight-and-a-half minute span.

Missouri State had pushed the lead back to five points when senior Leti Lerma (Muscatine, Iowa/Muscainte) found Brackmann in the lane for a layup and Johnson hit a runner to pull the Braves within one at 63-62 closing in on the two minute mark. Johnson had a steal and split a pair of free throws with 1:13 to play in regulation to tie it at 63-63.

Bradley got a defensive stop and Lerma gave the Braves their first lead since the second quarter with a pair of free throws with 39 seconds on the clock.

The Bradley lead was 66-63 with just under 10 seconds remaining after Brewer split a pair of free throws. Missouri State's Liza Fruendt helped send the game to overtime, however, nailing a three-pointer from the right wing with three seconds remaining to once again knot the score at 66-66.

Markert had a block on the first MSU possession of the overtime period and Lerma gave Bradley a 69-66 advantage with a three-point play. Johnson, who had a career-high 15 points, later split a pair of free throws to make it a two-possession game at 70-66.

Missouri State went scoreless for the first 3:22 of the overtime period, but it was still just a three-point Bradley lead at 71-68 heading into the final 20 seconds. Bradley made a 4-of-6 free throws down the stretch, extending the lead to five points (75-70) before another desperation Fruendt three-pointer with 0.2 seconds left provided the final margin (75-73).

"This is an important win for us, especially after dropping a close one Friday night," first-year head Andrea Gorski said. "I'm really proud of the team for coming together, with the bench providing a big boost."

Markert matched a career-best with 17 points off the bench on 7-of-13 shooting and also tallied four blocks in 34 minutes. Brewer added 15 points of her own, while Johnson finished with a career-high 15 points to go with five assists and three steals. The trio combined for all 47 of Bradley's points off the bench on 15-for-29 shooting.

In addition, Lerma grabbed 13 rebounds to go with her eight points and passed Sonya Harris for sixth in career rebounding at Bradley.

Audrey Buckley paced four Missouri State players in double figures with 19 points and 14 boards.

Bradley will open a four-game home stand Friday with a 7 p.m. game against Southern Illinois at Renaissance Coliseum.

Print Friendly Version