DES MOINES, Iowa – Bradley Women's Basketball rebounded from a cold-shooting start, rallying from a 20-point first-half deficit to take a lead early in the fourth before three-time defending Missouri Valley Conference regular-season champion Drake used a late run to pull away in the closing minutes and top the Braves 85-72 Thursday at the Knapp Center.
Playing without 2018-19 First-Team All-MVC performer Chelsea Brackmann due to illness, Bradley (19-5 overall, 10-3 MVC) scrapped its way back into the game by hitting 10 three-pointers and committing just 11 turnovers. Drake (19-7 overall, 11-3 MVC) went to the free throw line 34 times, making 29, and took advantage of Brackmann's absence to outrebound the Braves 51-32.
The loss dropped Bradley into third in the MVC standings, a half-game back of second-place Drake.
Sophomore Lasha Petree opened the scoring for the Braves with a three-pointer in the opening minutes as she became the third player in Missouri Valley Conference history to hit 60 three-pointers and collect 40 or more blocks in a season. Drake held Bradley to 3-of-16 shooting in the first quarter, however, and led 19-8 at the end of the opening period.
A late surge in the second quarter helped the Braves cut what was a 20-point deficit to 14 on back-to-back three-pointers by junior
Gabi Haack. Sophomore
Tatum Koenig added her second of four three-pointers on the night in the final minute of the period as Bradley trailed 43-27 at the half.
Drake's lead was 53-34 when a 10-0 Bradley run cut the deficit to single digits. Haack sparked the run with a corner three and junior Nyjah White had a driving layup. A three-point play by Petree was followed by a steal and breakaway layup by Koenig as the Braves pulled to within nine at 53-44 nearing the midway point of the third quarter.
Bradley scored the final four points of the third quarter on a Petree hoop and a pair of free throws by Ryan Wilkins to trail 64-55 at the end of the third. The Braves carried that momentum over to the fourth, scoring the first 10 points of the period. Back-to-back three's by Mahri Petree and Koenig opened the spurt, which also included another basket from Mahri Petree along with a White hoop as Bradley took a 65-64 lead with 7:53 to play.
Drake was able to answer with a Monica Burich basket to go back in front and the Bulldogs' lead was three after a pair of Becca Hittner free throws closing in on the six-minute mark. White split a pair of free throws and the score was knotted at 68-68 after a pair of Lasha free throws nearing the midway point of the frame.
Junior Emily Marsh blocked a layup attempt with Drake leading 69-68 and Koenig went the length of the floor for a driving layup after corralling the rebound to once again give the Braves the lead, a 70-69 advantage with just under four minutes to play.
Drake's Kierra Collier went on a personal 6-0 run to give Drake a six-point cushion (76-70) with 2:34 left, only to have Lasha Petree answer with a pull-up jumper to make it a four-point game (76-72). A Bradley foul and technical led to a seven-point Drake possession as the Bulldog lead ballooned back to double digits (83-72) with 90 seconds to play. Bradley came up empty on its final five possessions down the stretch as Drake scored the final nine points of the night to close out the 85-72 victory.
Lasha Petree finished with a team-high 20 points to go with five rebounds, four steals and career-high six assists. Koenig, who was 6-for-6 from the field in the season's first meeting with Drake, was 7-for-11 Thursday and scored 18 points. Haack added 14 points the setback. After shooting 19 percent in the first quarter and 28 percent in the first half, the Braves shot 40 percent in the final 20 minutes, while holding Drake to just 32 percent shooting in the second half of play.
Hittner led Drake with 24 points and 12 rebounds, while Sara Rhine added a double-double of her own with 17 points and 12 boards. Collier scored 10 of her 22 points in the fourth quarter to help the Bulldogs to the victory.
Bradley closes out a two-game road swing Saturday with a 2 p.m. game at Northern Iowa.