Evansville Evans 7-14,1-9 MVC

Bradley BRAD 4-16,1-10 MVC

Evansville Evans

7-14,1-9 MVC

Final

Feb. 06, 2022

Bradley BRAD

4-16,1-10 MVC

Score By Periods
Team	1	2	3	4	F
Evansville Evans	23	11	19	14	67
Bradley BRAD	28	12	22	15	77

Box Score

Josh Schwam

Starting Combo Sparks Win vs Evansville

Bradley's five starters combined for 74 points in the 77-67 win against the Purple Aces

Photo Gallery

Game Recap: Women's Basketball | 2/6/2022 5:01:00 PM | Bobby Parker, Sr. Associate AD for Communications and Event & Facility Operations

PEORIA, IL – Bradley has been searching for the winning combination in its starting lineup, leading the nation with 14 different combinations this season. The Braves found the winning lineup Sunday as Bradley's starting five combined for 74 points in a 77-67 Missouri Valley Conference women's basketball victory against visiting Evansville (7-14, 1-9 MVC) at Renaissance Coliseum.

On a day filled with career-best efforts, senior guard Tatum Koenig led the Braves (4-16, 1-10 MVC) with 23 points to match her career scoring high. Koenig sank 16-of-17 free throw attempts, both career bests, and dished out a season-best eight assists. Freshman guard Caroline Waite added 22 points, two on a #SCTop10 nominee, off-handed shot from the left wing to beat the shot clock in the third quarter, and the 5-foot-4 guard snared a career-best six rebounds in her 40 minutes. Freshman wing Abbie Draper added a career-best 14 points and junior forward Sierra Morrow equaled her career-best with 12 points.

For the record, Caroline Waite is RIGHT-HANDED #SCTop10 pic.twitter.com/xgAhtb1xwH
— Bradley WBB (@BradleyWBB) February 6, 2022

But while the quartet carried the scoring load, the only bench player to score for the Braves, sophomore forward Tete Danso (three points), may have provided the critical difference by matching her career-high with 11 rebounds and blocking two shots, helping the Braves win the battle of the boards, 43-31, while limiting the Purple Aces to just five second-chance points.

Abby Feit led Evansville with 25 points and eight rebounds. Je'Naiya Davis added 13 points and A'Niah Griffin chipped in 11 points off the bench to complete the game's double digit scoring.

Davis scored seven points in the game's first 3:12, helping the Purple Aces jump out to a quick, 11-4 lead. Feit pushed the advantage back to seven, 13-6, on a layup with 6:02 left in the first quarter, but the Braves broke out of a deep scoring slump over the final 5:40 of the period. Waite buried a 3-pointer with 5:40 left in the period to ignite a 24-10 outburst and a 28-23 lead after the opening 10 minutes.

Bradley extended its lead to nine twice during the second quarter, but saw Evansville reclaim the lead, 48-46, on a Griffin basket with 5:18 left in the third quarter.

Draper pulled the Braves into a 49-49 tie on a free throw line jumper with 3:55 left in the third quarter, starting a 10-0 surge to put Bradley in control. Koenig split two free throws with 3:23 left in the period for a 50-49 lead the Braves would not surrender.

Bradley shot 45.1 percent (23-51) from the field and converted a season-high 25 free throws in 29 attempts (.862) to help avenge the 74-73 loss Jan. 7 at Evansville, when the Braves made just 19-of-33 (.576) charity attempts. Evansville shot just 30.6 percent (19-62) from the field, but stayed in the game by sinking 24-of-26 free throw attempts.

Bradley will be on the road for four of its next six games, beginning with The Valley's Chicagoland swing next week – Thursday night at Valparaiso and Saturday afternoon at Loyola Chicago. The Braves will return home to host league-leading Southern Illinois Feb. 18 at Renaissance Coliseum.

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