PEORIA, Ill. -- Freshman Lasha Petree turned in an efficient outing, collecting a game-high 21 points in just 13 minutes in addition to tallying four rebounds, two blocks and three steals to help Bradley cruise to an 83-40 victory over visiting Rockhurst Sunday afternoon at Renaissance Coliseum.
All 15 Braves played at least six minutes and 13 Bradley players scored in the victory as BU shot 53.7 percent from the field in the win to improve to 2-0 on the young season. Petree, who was named MVC Newcomer of the Week after a 24-point performance in the season opener, followed it up with a game-high 21 points off the bench on 6-of-10 shooting and was the only player to score in double figures in the contest.
Bradley wasted little time taking control of the game, opening the tilt with a 10-2 run. Junior Chelsea Brackmann had four points and six rebounds in the first five and a half minutes to highlight the opening run. Brackmann would finish with eight points and a game-high 11 rebounds to help the Braves to a 41-30 rebounding advantage.
Petree scored eight of her 21 points in the opening quarter, helping Bradley open a 19-6 lead 10 minutes into the game. She opened the scoring in the second quarter with one of her three three-pointers on the day and would help the Braves open the period with a 16-2 run to build a 35-8 edge. The lead ballooned to as many as 29 points in the first half, with BU taking a 45-19 lead into the locker room.
Bradley held Rockhurst to just two points in the final 6:20 of the third quarter and used an 18-2 spurt during that stretch to blow the game open. Petree scored eight consecutive points for the Braves during a two-minute stretch to highlight the run which put the game out of reach.
Five Braves scored eight or more points, with the sophomore duo of Nyjah White and Gabi Haack each collecting nine points. White dished out four assists and came away with a pair of steals in 21 minutes. Haack hit a pair of three-pointers and played a team-high 22 minutes. Freshman Aannah Interrante was a perfect 3-for-3 from the field in her first action of the season and scored eight points in her eight minutes on the floor.
Bradley held Rockhurst to 26.3 percent shooting, which included 21.4 percent in the first half.
The Braves return to action Friday, taking on 2017-18 WNIT participant Delaware at 1:30 p.m. (CST) on the opening day of the Florida Atlantic Thanksgiving Tournament in Boca Raton, Fla. Bradley will face either Lafayette or tournament-host Florida Atlantic Saturday afternoon.