Cleveland State CSU 8-3

Bradley BRAD 5-5

Cleveland State CSU

8-3

Final

Dec. 19, 2017

Bradley BRAD

5-5

Score By Periods
Team	1	2	3	4	F
Cleveland State CSU	23	13	16	15	67
Bradley BRAD	22	6	16	21	65

Box Score

Rally Falls Short In 67-65 Loss To Cleveland State

Box Score

Game Recap: Women's Basketball | 12/19/2017 2:36:00 PM

PEORIA, Ill. – The second largest stand-alone single-game crowd in program history nearly witnessed a 14-point comeback by Bradley Women's Basketball, but Cleveland State made 5-of-6 free throws in the final minute to hold on for a 67-65 victory over the Braves Tuesday at Renaissance Coliseum.

Bradley's sixth annual Field Trip Day game presented by Prairie Farms drew the largest crowd in the history of the event with 2,500 area school children making up the bulk of the 3,096 fans who attended the contest. The crowd ranks as the largest stand-alone crowd for the Braves at Renaissance Coliseum and the second largest single-game crowd in program history behind 3,128 fans for a Jan. 6, 2002 contest against Illinois State.

The Braves (5-5 overall) made their first five shots from the field and held a five-point lead (12-7) five minutes into the game on a Shunseere Kent three-pointer. Cleveland State (8-3 overall) had a 9-2 run late in the first quarter and held a 23-22 advantage at the end of the opening period.

After a high scoring first quarter, both teams struggled offensively in the second. Bradley, which was 8-for-10 shooting in the opening 10 minutes, cooled off to 2-for-15 (13.3 percent) in the second quarter and the Braves held the Vikings to 35.7 percent shooting in the frame. Cleveland State took advantage of the BU offensive struggles to extend the lead to as many as 11 points before a Gabi Haack three-pointer in the closing seconds trimmed the Cleveland State halftime lead to 36-28.

Bradley Women's Basketball head coach recaps today's 67-65 loss to Cleveland State on Field Trip Day at Renaissance Coliseum. pic.twitter.com/RJphpflzQP
— Bradley WBB (@BradleyWBB) December 19, 2017

Cleveland State pushed the lead to 42-28 early in the third quarter on a four-point play by Khayla Livingston and hoop by Ashanti Abshaw. Trailing 51-39 with under two minutes to play in the third quarter, Haack knocked down her second three-pointer of the game and junior Vanessa Markert followed a Viking free throw with a put-back basket as Bradley pulled within eight points at 52-44 heading to the fourth. Markert, who scored a season-best 24 points on 10-for-14 shooting, scored seven points in the final four minutes of the third quarter.

Livingston opened the fourth just like the third, hitting one of her six three-pointers, to once again push the Cleveland State lead to double digits at 55-44 with 9:24 to play. Bradley would mount a rally attempt behind 11 fourth-quarter points by Markert. She had back-to-back hoops and scored six points during a 2:15 span to highlight a 7-0 Bradley spurt which pulled Bradley within two at 55-51 with just under seven minutes left.

Markert added four more points after a Cleveland State basket as the Braves trailed by just two (57-55) with 4:25 on the clock as she scored 10 of BU's 11 points. Another Livingston three-pointer snapped what was an 11-2 Bradley run and a fastbreak layup by Absaw pushed the Viking advantage back to seven at 62-55 with just under three minutes left.

Kent split a pair of free throws with 2:32 left and Markert did the same at the 1:33 mark to cut the deficit to five (62-57). After a defensive stop, Haack made a pair of free throws for the Braves to make in a three-point game at 62-59 with 1:03 left. Senior Danielle Brewer came up with a steal in the backcourt and was fouled on the next play, but split a pair of free throws as Bradley trailed 62-60 with one minute left.

It was a two-possession game again at 64-60 after a pair of Livingston free throws with 46 seconds left, only to have Bradley cut it to one (64-63) on an Anneke Schlueter three-pointer from the corner with 36 seconds remaining. Two more Abshaw free throws with 11 seconds on the clock pushed the Vikings lead to 66-63, however.

Kent hit a pull-up jumper from the elbow with six seconds left, once again trimming the deficit to one (66-65). Livingston, who scored a game-high 30 points for Cleveland State, split a pair of free throws after a Bradley foul to give her squad a two-point cushion at 67-65 and a desperation heave by the Braves fell short as CSU snapped BU's four-game home win streak with the victory.

Markert was 10-for-14 from the field and finished with 24 points, eight rebounds and two blocks to lead Bradley, while Kent added 15 points for the Braves. Haack notched eight points, seven boards, two assists and a block off the bench.

Bradley will have an eight-day break before closing out the non-conference portion of the schedule Thursday, Dec. 28 with a 7 p.m. home game against defending Summit League champion Western Illinois at Renaissance Coliseum.

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