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76
Valparaiso VALPO 6-22, 2-14 MVC
87
Winner Bradley BRAD 19-7, 9-6 MVC
Valparaiso VALPO
6-22, 2-14 MVC
76
Final
87
Bradley BRAD
19-7, 9-6 MVC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Valparaiso VALPO 24 23 15 14 76
Bradley BRAD 23 21 20 23 87
Petree

Braves Power By Valparaiso 87-76

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Game Recap: Women's Basketball |
PEORIA, Ill. -- Bradley had three players score 20 points in the same game for the first time in 20 years and the Braves scored the final nine points of the contest to pull away down the stretch for an 87-76 victory over Valparaiso Thursday night at Renaissance Coliseum.
 
Junior Chelsea Brackmann scored 17 of her career-high 25 points in the second half and also grabbed 13 rebounds for her 14th double-double of the year to pace four Bradley (19-7 overall, 9-6 MVC) players in double figures.  Sophomore Gabi Haack added 22 points and eight boards of her own, while freshman Lasha Petree chipped in with 21 points for her sixth 20-point outing of the season as the Braves had three players score 20 points in the same game for the first time since Dec. 4, 1998 (vs. Western Illinois). 
 
Bradley remained in a tie with I-74 rival Illinois State for fourth in the Valley standings at 9-6 with the Redbirds earning a 65-52 victory over Loyola Thursday night.  The Braves have 19 wins for the first time since closing the 2008-09 season with a school-record 21 victories.  In addition, Bradley picked up its ninth MVC victory of the year (most since 2009-10 - 12-6) to assure at least a top-six finish in the league standings. 

 
Valparaiso (6-22 overall, 2-14 MVC) got off to a hot start, connecting on 4-of-7 three-pointers in the first quarter and the Crusaders were 8-for-16 from beyond the arc in the first half.  Bradley kept pace by getting to the free throw line with the Braves going a perfect 11-for-11 from the charity stripe in the opening 20 minutes.  Valparaiso led by as many as nine points midway through the second, but Bradley pulled within three at 47-44 at the break.
 
The Valpo advantage was seven nearing the seven-minute mark of the third period when Haack sparked an 8-0 Bradley run with one of her three three-pointers on the night.  Brackmann got free on the inside for a layup and capped the spurt with a three-point play on a putback basket as the Braves went in front 54-43 with 5:34 left in the frame. 
 
A seven-point spurt later in the period, which was capped by another Brackmann three-point play gave Bradley a 64-58 lead with just under one minute to play in the third.
 
Valparaiso hung around, however, and eventually took a 70-68 lead on an Addison Stoller breakaway layup and three-point play.  The biggest Bradley run of the night, this time a 10-1 spurt, put the Braves back in front 78-71 closing in on five minutes left.  Senior Shunseere Kent scored six of her season-high 14 points during the run.
 
The Crusaders answered with their 13th three-pointer of the evening as an Allison Schofield triple cut the Bradley advantage to 78-74 with just under four minutes on the clock.  A pair of Grace Hales free throws after a Bradley turnover at the three-minute mark pulled Valpo within two (78-76).
 
Bradley didn't allow another point down the stretch, however, forcing Valparaiso into 0-for-6 shooting with one turnover in the final three minutes. 
 
Brackmann got the final run started with a free throw and had a breakaway layup after a Haack steal.  A Valpo miss was followed by a Haack basket and Petree later added a pair of free throws as the lead ballooned to nine at 85-76.  The Braves added two more free throws down the stretch to earn the 87-76 victory.
 
Bradley made its first 14 free throws and finished 27-of-31 (87 percent) from the line with Brackmann leading the charge at the charity stripe by making 11-of-12. 
 
Haack is the first Bradley player with 400 or points in a season since 2013-14 (Michelle Young), pushing her season total to 408.  Petree now owns the third-best season point total for a Bradley freshman (351 points) and is the highest scoring freshman on The Hilltop since Judy Burns had 489 points as a frosh in 1981-82. 
 
Brackmann's 13 rebounds gives her a conference-best 289 boards, which is fifth among Bradley season marks.  She is now eighth in career rebounds at Bradley with 685, 15 short of becoming the first player in school history to reach 700 rebounds as a junior. 
 
Valparaiso had five players score in double figures, paced by Hales with 18 points in 39 minutes. 
 
Riding a five-game home win streak, the Braves will try to match the school record for home victories in a season (12) when Bradley hosts Loyola in a 2 p.m. contest Saturday at Renaissance Coliseum.  Seniors Shunseere Kent and Vanessa Markert will be recognized prior to the matchup with the Ramblers, which will close out the regular-season home schedule. 
 
 

 

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Players Mentioned

Chelsea Brackmann

#5 Chelsea Brackmann

F
6' 1"
Junior
Gabi Haack

#3 Gabi Haack

G
5' 10"
Sophomore
Shunseere Kent

#24 Shunseere Kent

G
5' 7"
Senior
Vanessa Markert

#44 Vanessa Markert

F
6' 2"
Senior
Lasha Petree

#11 Lasha Petree

G
6' 0"
Freshman

Players Mentioned

Chelsea Brackmann

#5 Chelsea Brackmann

6' 1"
Junior
F
Gabi Haack

#3 Gabi Haack

5' 10"
Sophomore
G
Shunseere Kent

#24 Shunseere Kent

5' 7"
Senior
G
Vanessa Markert

#44 Vanessa Markert

6' 2"
Senior
F
Lasha Petree

#11 Lasha Petree

6' 0"
Freshman
G