PEORIA, Ill. -- Sophomore Lasha Petree helped key a 15-2 second-quarter run with seven points, four blocks, a rebound and one assist, finishing with a game-high 24 points to help Bradley Women's Basketball to an 82-51 victory over Evansville Friday at Renaissance Coliseum in the Missouri Valley Conference opener for both teams.
Bradley (10-2 overall, 1-0 MVC) extended its home win streak to 11 games, one short of matching the longest home win streak in program history, in addition to winning a conference opener at home for the first time since the 1996-97 campaign.
Petree's game-high 24 points pushed her career scoring total over 600 as she became just the sixth player in program history to reach 600 career points in 42 games or less. The last to do so was Tammy Van Oppen (41 games) during that same 1996-97 campaign as a senior after she transferred from South Florida.
Knocking down 10 three-pointers on the night, Bradley shot 51 percent from the field overall, including 62 percent from inside the arc. The Braves held Evansville (3-9 overall, 0-1 MVC) to just 25 percent shooting in the second half and 32 percent overall as BU matched a Renaissance Coliseum record with a season-best nine blocked shots to go with 12 steals.
All 11 Braves that saw action in the contest scored with seven Bradley players collecting six or more points. Petree was the only Brave to reach double figures, however, scoring 15 of her game-high 24 points between the second and third quarters.
Bradley got off to a big of a sluggish start, turning the ball over four times in the first 5:12 of the contest. Trailing 11-9 with 4:24 to play in the opening period, the Braves held Evansville to just one basket the remainder of the frame and led 15-13 after the opening 10 minutes of action.
The BU advantage was 22-18 closing in on seven minutes when Petree helped key the run which pushed the lead to double digits. Senior Chelsea Brackmann, who finished with seven points, eight rebounds, three assists and four steals, started the spurt with a three-point play. Petree had a breakaway layup after a defensive stop and freshman Mahri Petree split a pair of free throws after she came up with a steal to make it a 28-18 lead.
Lasha Petree had a steal and breakaway layup nearing the six-minute mark. Evansville ended a near three-minute drought with a basket to cut the BU lead to 10 (30-20), only to have Lasha Petree answer with a three-pointer on the other end. After getting a block and rebound on the next UE possession, Lasha assisted a fastbreak layup by her sister Mahri. Junior Emily Marsh capped the run with a layup after a Mahri Petree steal as Bradley's lead ballooned to 37-20 closing on three minutes to play in the half.
Owning a 45-28 halftime lead, Bradley put the game out of reach with an 11-0 run to open the third quarter. Junior Nyjah White had back-to-back hoops to open the period and Lasha added one of her own. Evansville split a pair of free throws before Lasha added another bucket. A three-pointer by sophomore Tatum Koenig with 5:43 left in the third made it a 56-29 lead.
Bradley held Evansville to 1-for-10 shooting in the third and outscored the Aces 20-5 in the period, stretching the lead to 65-33 heading to the fourth. The Braves shot 53 percent in the fourth quarter, cruising to the 82-51 victory.
Koenig dished out six assists to go with her eight points as all five Bradley starters scored at least seven in the victory. Marhri Petree and fellow freshman Veronika Roberts tied for game-high honors with nine rebounds each to help the Braves to a 43-34 rebounding advantage.
Bradley's 31-point victory was the largest margin of victory for the Braves in a conference opener dating back to the 1994-95 season when BU opened league play with an 87-48 home victory against Northern Iowa.
Freshman Abby Feit was the only Evansville player to score in double figures, finishing with 18 points and eight rebounds.
Bradley hosts Indiana State Sunday in a 2 p.m. game at Renaissance Coliseum, with the Braves holding a free youth clinic for children (K-8th) immediately following the contest.