Bradley BRAD 20-8 (10-7)

UNI UNI 19-10 (12-5)

Bradley BRAD

20-8 (10-7)

Final

Mar. 07, 2019

UNI UNI

19-10 (12-5)

Score By Periods
Team	1	2	3	4	F
Bradley BRAD	11	16	11	19	57
UNI UNI	22	12	10	17	61

Box Score

Duane Zehr

UNI Hangs On To Edge Bradley 61-57

Game Recap: Women's Basketball | 3/7/2019 10:21:00 PM

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa – Freshman Tatum Koenig hit her third three-pointer of the fourth quarter to give Bradley a 57-56 lead with 1:33 to play, but Northern Iowa scored the final five points of the contest to edge the Braves 61-57 Friday at the McLeod Center.

The loss kept Bradley (20-8 overall, 10-7 MVC) tied with I-74 rival Illinois State for fourth in the Missouri Valley Conference standings and the Braves will face the Redbirds next Friday in the MVC Tournament quarterfinals (2:30 p.m.) as either the #4 of #5 seed. Northern Iowa (19-10 overall, 12-5 MVC) locked up third in the Valley standings with the victory.

Sophomore Gabi Haack paced four Bradley players in double figures with 15 points, while junior Chelsea Brackmann turned in her 16^th double-double of the year with 10 points and 10 boards.

Koenig, who finished with 11 points, and senior Vanessa Markert helped highlight Bradley's fourth quarter rally attempt with the pair combining for all 19 of BU's points in the period.

Northern Iowa led 44-38 at the end of the third and scored the first four points of the fourth to build a 10-point advantage (48-38) less than three minutes into the final stanza. Brackmann was whistled for four fouls all within the first 2:39 of the fourth and had to sit for the bulk of the period.

With the MVC's leading rebounder in foul trouble, Markert took over in the post for the Braves and teamed with Koenig to help fuel a comeback. Koenig buried a three-pointer from the corner closing in on the seven-minute mark to spark a 9-2 Bradley run. She followed up a Northern Iowa turnover with another three-pointer, this time from the wing, to cut the Panther lead to four.

A Taylor Hagen layup pushed the UNI lead back to six, only to have Markert split a pair of free throws on the next Bradley possession. Another Panther turnover was followed by a Markert three-point play which pulled the Braves within two at 50-48 with 4:22 left.

The teams kept trading baskets until a pair of Markert free throws made it a two-point game in favor or UNI (56-54) with 2:16 on the clock. A UNI miss on the next trip down the floor helped lead to Koenig's third three-pointer of the night as she gave the Braves its only lead of the evening at 57-56 with 1:32 to go.

Northern Iowa collected 15 offensive rebounds on the night and the biggest one of the night arguably came on the ensuing Panther possession. Mikaela Morgan hit a jumper after a Karli Rucker miss to once again put UNI in front 58-57 closing in one minute to play.

Bradley came up empty on its final three possessions in the closing minute and Northern Iowa went 3-for-4 from the free throw line in the final 10 seconds to hold on for the 61-57 victory.

Koenig scored nine points in the fourth and Markert added 10 points, three rebounds and one assist in the final period to help lead the Bradley rally. The pair were a perfect 6-for-6 from the field in the final 10 minutes with each going 3-for-3.

Bradley shot 38 percent from the field and held UNI to 34.9 percent shooting. The Panthers had just six turnovers, however, and connected on 8-of-29 three-point attempts. Rucker led UNI in scoring with 15 points and was one of three Panthers in double figures. Morgan added 12 points and Hagen turned in a double-double (11 points & 10 rebounds).

The Braves close out the regular-season schedule Saturday with a 2 p.m. contest at 23^rd-ranked Drake, which wrapped up at least a share of the Valley title Thursday with a home win over Illinois State.

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