Drake DRA 6-14,5-5 MVC

Bradley BRAD 14-7,7-3 MVC

Drake DRA

6-14,5-5 MVC

Final

Jan. 29, 2026

Bradley BRAD

14-7,7-3 MVC

Score By Periods
Team	1	2	3	4	F
Drake DRA	12	26	16	25	79
Bradley BRAD	20	24	16	25	85

Box Score

Bradley WBB Wins 10th Straight at Home with 85–79 Victory Over Drake

Game Recap: Women's Basketball | 1/30/2026 9:30:00 AM | Ben Kinealy

Peoria, Ill. – Bradley Women's Basketball won their 10th straight home game for the first time since the 2019-20 season, defeating the Drake Bulldogs 85-79 on Thursday night.

Jumping Ahead Early

Bradley jumped out to an early lead on a Maya Foz layup and Kaylen Nelson three-pointer. Both teams went back and forth for the remainder of the quarter, as the Braves held the lead but couldn't extend it past six. However, a late steal by Caitlin Washington gave Micah Cooper a fastbreak layup with one second on the clock to give Bradley a 20-12 lead entering the second quarter. Drake came out firing in the second quarter, scoring 14 of the first 21 points to cut the deficit to one. They eventually tied the game, but Bradley responded quickly with a Mya Wardle deep ball to regain momentum. The Braves hit three three-pointers in the final three minutes to extend their lead to six heading into halftime.

Standout Performances for Bradley

Nelson turned in a historic performance, scoring the most points against Drake in program history with 32 while adding five rebounds, two steals, one assist, and one block. She went 6-for-10 from beyond the arc and had 19 points in the first half alone. Wardle finished the day with 12 points, six assists, three rebounds, and one steal. Foz also had a strong day, totaling 12 points, five rebounds, two assists, and two steals. Amy O'Hara made a big impact in just 21 minutes played, recording 12 points, six rebounds, two assists, and two blocks. Tamia Perryman also hit double-digit scoring, contributing 11 points, six assists, two rebounds, and one steal.

Keeping Pace to Hold the Lead

Bradley scored eight of the first 10 points in the third quarter, but the Bulldogs quickly responded with an eight-point run of their own to bring the deficit to four. Neither team could generate much momentum for the remainder of the third quarter, as Drake matched the Braves' scoring almost every time until the final minute. After a late layup by Nelson, the Braves held a nine-point lead until Drake hit a buzzer-beater three-pointer to cut the deficit to six to close out the third quarter. The fourth quarter was a high-scoring one thanks to the free-throw line as both teams combined for 29 attempts from the charity stripe. The Braves held the advantage in that regard, going 15-for-18 while the Bulldogs only went 6-for-11. Both teams exchanged eight-point runs, and Drake could never cut the deficit any lower than four. A last-second layup from the Bulldogs brought the final score to 85-79.

Defensive Notes

The Braves went toe-to-toe with the third-best team in rebounding in the MVC, as both teams had 35 boards. Bradley also forced 12 turnovers with eight steals, compared to the Bulldogs, who forced 11 turnovers with six steals. The Braves also made effective use of their opponent's mistakes, scoring 16 points off Drake's turnovers.