Bradley BRAD 12-16, 6-11

UNI UNI 15-12, 11-5

Bradley BRAD

12-16, 6-11

Final

Feb. 25, 2018

UNI UNI

15-12, 11-5

Score By Periods
Team	1	2	3	4	F
Bradley BRAD	14	6	20	10	50
UNI UNI	19	9	14	21	63

Box Score

Duane Zehr

Women's Basketball Falls At UNI 63-50

Box Score

Game Recap: Women's Basketball | 2/25/2018 5:10:00 PM

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa – Junior Vanessa Markert and freshman Nyjah White combined for 18 of Bradley's final 23 points and helped spark a third-quarter run, but Northern Iowa held off the Braves for a 63-50 victory Sunday afternoon at the McLeod Center.

Markert scored 12 of her game-high 16 points in the second half and also collected five rebounds on the day, while White had eight of her 10 points in the second half to go with seven boards.

Defense highlighted the day with both teams shooting under 35 percent from the field. Bradley (12-16 overall, 6-11 MVC) committed 13 turnovers, however, compared to just six for Northern Iowa (15-12 overall, 11-5 MVC) and the Panthers were 23-of-32 (71.9 percent) from the free throw line vs. 12-of-22 (54.5 percent) for the Braves.

"I thought our energy was much better the second half," said Bradley head coach Andrea Gorski. "We have to get better at playing a little smarter. Our defense was pretty darn good. We bailed them out with some fouls late in the shot clock though and that really hurt us."

Both teams shot 50 percent of better in the opening quarter and UNI held a 19-14 advantage 10 minutes into the contest. Points were at a premium in the second quarter, however, with the teams combining for just 15 points in the period as the Panthers led 25-20 at the half.

Bradley's offensive struggles carried over to the early moments of the third quarter, with the Braves going 2-for-19 from the field between the second quarter and the first 6:30 of the third. Northern Iowa took advantage to extend its lead to 37-25 with just under six minutes to play in the period before Bradley would heat up.

The Braves held Northern Iowa to just one field goal over the final 5:45 of the third, outscoring UNI 15-5 to close the period trailing 42-40. The Bradley spurt started with a pair of Jailynn Lawson free throws at the 5:30 mark and a White layup with 3:16 opened a stretch in which the Braves would make 6-of-7 from the field to close the third.

Junior Shunseere Kent followed a Northern Iowa basket with a pull-up jumper and freshman Gabi Haack knocked down a three-pointer after a UNI free throw to pull Bradley within six (40-34) with 2:21 left in the third frame. White added a layup to cut the UNI lead to four and later assisted a Markert jumper. A put-back basket by White on a Markert miss to beat the buzzer at the end of third pulled the Braves within two at 42-40.

Markert opened the fourth quarter with another basket to tie the game for the first time since the midway point of the first quarter at 42-42, but Northern Iowa answered with back-to-back Mikaela Morgan baskets and a pair of Kennedy Kirkpatrick free throws pushed the UNI lead six (48-42) closing in on eight minutes to play.

Another Markert hoop stopped the run and Bradley was still within striking distance at 50-46 midway through the fourth after a White jumper. The final Bradley basket of the game came with 4:17 to play as a Markert jumper in the lane made it a six-point UNI lead (54-48). A pair of Markert free throws were the only Bradley points in the last four minutes, however, and Northern Iowa pulled away down the stretch for the 63-50 victory.

Markert's 16 points was her fifth consecutive game of 15 or more points to give her the longest streak of 15+-point games by a Brave since fellow Mt. Sterling, Ill., native Leah Kassing's senior year in 2011-12.

Morgan paced three Northern Iowa players in double figures with 16 points, while Kikpatrick and Megan Maahs each added 14 points.

Bradley closes out the regular season schedule Saturday with a 2 p.m. home game against I-74 rival Illinois State at Renaissance Coliseum. The winner of the game between the Braves and Redbirds will earn the #6 seed in the upcoming MVC Tournament, which will be held March 8-11 in Moline, Ill.

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