Northern Iowa UNI 8-6, 1-1 MVC

Bradley BRAD 10-3, 0-2 MVC

Northern Iowa UNI

8-6, 1-1 MVC

Final

Jan. 06, 2019

Bradley BRAD

10-3, 0-2 MVC

Score By Periods
Team	1	2	3	4	OT 1	F
Northern Iowa UNI	17	10	26	13	15	81
Bradley BRAD	14	13	11	28	12	78

Box Score

Duane Zehr

Braves Fall Short In OT Setback To UNI

Box Score

Game Recap: Women's Basketball | 1/6/2019 5:35:00 PM

PEORIA, Ill. -- Junior Chelsea Brackmann had 22 points and tied the school record for rebounds in a game (24), helping Bradley rally from 18 points down early in the fourth to force overtime, but Northern Iowa was able to hold off the Braves as the Panthers escaped with an 81-78 victory Sunday afternoon at Renaissance Coliseum.

Brackmann and sophomore Gabi Haack helped fuel Bradley's late rally with duo combining for 29 points during the second half and overtime period. Haack scored 15 in the second half and finished with 17 points, while Brackmann collected just the third 20-20 effort in Bradley history as she tied the school record for rebounds in a game (24) originally set by Tammy Hirstein on Feb. 25, 1984 against Indiana State. The last 20-20 game by a Brave was Shelli Braud (32 points & 20 rebounds) at Northern Iowa on Jan. 17, 1988.

In fact, Brackmann's rebound total is the second highest in the country this season and tied for the fifth-best single effort in MVC history. The last Valley player with 24 or more rebounds in a game was Stephany Neptune of Southern Illinois (28) against Murray State on Dec. 19, 2009.

"I think we found some things here today," said Bradley head coach Andrea Gorski. "We have a lot of pieces, but we know we have to play with energy all the time and can't have lulls like we did in that third quarter. Ellie (Spelhaug), Tatum (Koenig) and Shun (Kent) gave us big boosts off the bench and Chelsea (Brackmann) had a monster game."

The first overtime game in Renaissance Coliseum history (119th game) certainly had some dramatic moments. Northern Iowa (8-6 overall, 1-1 MVC) rattled off 10 consecutive points midway through the third quarter and closed the period with 18-4 surge to take a 53-38 lead into the fourth.

A Mikaela Morgan three-pointer on the first possession of the fourth gave UNI (8-6 overall, 1-1 MVC) its largest lead of the contest at 56-38 and the lead was still 18 after a pair of Ellie Howell free throws with 8:37 left in regulation before Bradley would make its push.

A put back basket by Brackmann sparked a 10-0 Bradley (10-3 overall, 0-2 MVC) run and she assisted a Haack three-pointer on the next BU trip down the floor. Haack found Shunseere Kent for a fastbreak hoop and freshman Ellie Spelhaug knocked down a three from the wing as Bradley pulled within eight (58-50) with 6:19 left in the quarter.

After UNI was able to push the lead back to double digits with a pair of free throws, Haack hit another three-pointer and then assisted a Brackmann basket in the lane to pull the Braves within five (60-55) closing in on five minutes in the period. The Panthers lead was seven (66-59) with 1:37 left in the fourth when Haack rattled in her third three-pointer of the afternoon to make it a two-possession game (66-62) with 1:27 on the clock.

Spelhaug came up with a steal and another put back basket by Brackmann cut the UNI advantage to just two points (66-64) nearing the one-minute mark. The Braves got a stop on the ensuing UNI possession and Brackmann was fouled after grabbing another offensive board with 15.5 seconds. She made both free throws to knot the score for the first time since early in the third quarter (66-66).

Northern Iowa still had a chance to win the contest in regulation, however, only to have Brackmann block a potential game-winning shot at the buzzer.

The score was knotted at 71-71 after two minutes of the overtime period before UNI would go ahead for good. A pair of Bradley fouls led to four Panther free throws as UNI went in front 75-71. A Kent three-pointer after a pair of Bradley offensive rebounds kept the Braves within striking distance at 75-74 with two minutes left.

UNI's Kali Rucker hit a shot in the lane and a pair of free throws by Howell made it a five-point cushion (79-74) for the Panthers, who at one point made 18 consecutive free throws.

Bradley didn't go quietly though, with a driving layup by freshman Tatum Koenig with 25.6 seconds left cutting the deficit to three at 79-76.

Howell split a pair of free throws with 18.9 seconds left to push the advantage back to four (80-76) to leave the door open for BU. Koenig found Brackmann inside for the hoop with 8.5 seconds left to pull BU within two again (80-78).

Bradley was forced to foul Rucker with 5.1 ticks on the clock and she split the free throws to once again make it a three-point lead (81-78).

Out of timeouts, the Braves quickly pushed the ball up the floor to Haack. She appeared to tie the game at 81-81 when she buried an NBA-range three-pointer, but the basket was waved off after an official review determined the shot came just after the final horn.

Haack moved into a tie for 10th in career three-pointers at Bradley, hitting her 106th career triple to match Devyn Flanagan's career total. Kent joined Brackmann and Haack in double figures with a season-high 11 points off the bench.

Morgan paced four Northern Iowa players in double figures with 18 points. Rucker turned in a double-double of her own with 11 points, 10 rebounds and a game-high seven assists.

Bradley will face Evansville in its MVC road opener Friday in a 6 p.m. contest in Evansville, Ind.

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