SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Senior Gabi Haack scored a game-high 24 points on 7-of-11 shooting and became the sixth player in program history to reach 1,500 career points, but #20/25 Missouri State used a big third quarter to break open a tie game as Bradley dropped the series finale to the Bears 75-62 Saturday afternoon at JQH Arena.
Bradley (12-10 overall, 8-7 MVC) played the league leading Lady Bears (15-2 overall, 11-0 MVC) even through the first 20 minutes with the teams trading baskets most of the first two quarters. The first half featured nine ties and 16 lead changes with the teams knotted at 37-37 at the half.
The Braves got off to a strong start, scoring on three of their first five possessions of the game to jump out to a 6-2 lead. The lead see-sawed back and forth throughout the first and second quarters with Bradley eventually pulling even at 37-37 on a Tete Danso free throw just before the break.
Missouri State broke the game open with an 11-0 run to start the third quarter as the Bears held Bradley scoreless for the first 6:32 of the period. The Braves scored just seven points in the third, getting their first field goal of the quarter with 1:47 to play and trailed 54-44 heading to the fourth quarter.
Haack scored Bradley's first eight points of the fourth quarter, but Missouri State was able to push its lead to 15 in the opening minutes of the period and the Braves never cut the deficit under 11 down the stretch as the Bears closed out the 75-62 victory to sweep the regular-season series.
Haack led all scorers with a game-high 24 points on 7-for-11 shooting as she scored her 1,500th-career point in the setback in addition to breaking to the top 10 in MVC history in career made three-pointers. She is now tied for eighth in league history with 262 career triples. Junior Lasha Petree joined her in double figures with 13 points, passing Genny Mueller for 11th on Bradley's all-time scoring list.
Four Missouri State players scored in double figures, paced by Brice Calip's 17 points. Sydney Wilson added 13 points and Abby Hipp had a double-double (12 points & 10 rebounds), while Jasmine Franklin scored 10 points to go with her nine rebounds. The Bears outrebounded Bradley 43-18, which included a 24 to six advantage on the glass in the second half.
Bradley will close out the regular-season schedule with a three-game home stand, opening the stretch Thursday with a 6 p.m. contest against I-74 rival Illinois State at Renaissance Coliseum.