LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Bradley Women's Basketball overcame a 10-point first-quarter deficit to defeat Bellarmine, 65-55, Saturday evening at Knights Hall. The Braves (2-2) used a strong second half, outscoring the Knights (1-4) 43-26 over the final two quarters, including a 23-point fourth quarter, to secure the road victory.
Braves Battle Back After Slow Start
Bradley opened the contest with a layup from Charia Smith before Alice Veilleux added a basket to give the Braves an early 4-3 advantage.
Bellarmine responded with a 13-2 run to close the opening quarter, holding Bradley to six points on 3-of-14 shooting and taking a 16-6 lead into the second period.
The Braves found their offensive rhythm in the second quarter, connecting on four three-pointers to begin cutting into the deficit. Ellie McDermid opened the period with a three-pointer before adding another at the 7:00 mark.
Mya Wardle followed with a three-pointer to trim the Bellarmine lead to 19-17 with 5:17 remaining in the half.
The Knights answered with an 8-0 run to extend their advantage to 27-17, but Bradley continued to battle. Inia Jones added a basket before Lila Posthuma connected on a three-pointer in the closing seconds, sending the Braves into halftime trailing 29-22.
Standout Performances
Jones led Bradley with a team-high 14 points off the bench, shooting 8-of-9 from the free-throw line. She also contributed five rebounds, two assists and two steals.
McDermid recorded a double-double with 11 points and a game-high 11 rebounds, including four offensive boards. She connected on three three-pointers and added four assists.
Wardle finished with 10 points, a team-high five assists and three steals. She connected on two three-pointers and played a key role in Bradley's fourth-quarter comeback.
Smith added 10 points on 4-of-8 shooting, while contributing two assists and a steal.
Veilleux finished with eight points and three rebounds, while Posthuma added six points on two three-pointers.
Bradley Takes Control in Second Half
Bradley opened the third quarter with a three-pointer from Posthuma, cutting the deficit to 29-25.
Bellarmine responded to extend its lead to 34-25, but the Braves continued to chip away. Veilleux scored four points during the period, while Jones and McDermid provided additional offensive production.
Trailing 43-34 with just over two minutes remaining in the third quarter, Bradley closed the period on an 8-0 run. Smith started the surge with a layup before Jones added a basket and McDermid scored inside. Jones then connected on two free throws with six seconds remaining to pull the Braves within one, 43-42, entering the fourth quarter.
Bradley carried that momentum into the final period, opening the quarter with nine unanswered points to complete a 17-0 run spanning the final two quarters.
Kali Fortson gave Bradley its first lead since the opening minutes with a layup at the 9:42 mark. Wardle followed with five consecutive points, including a three-pointer, before Fortson added another layup to extend the Braves' advantage to 51-43 with 7:24 remaining.
Bellarmine trimmed the deficit to three points, 54-51, with 3:14 left, but Bradley responded with a layup from Smith and two free throws from Jones to push the advantage back to seven.
The Braves maintained control down the stretch, connecting on seven free throws in the final 2:12 to secure the 65-55 victory.
By the Numbers
Bradley shot 43.4 percent from the field (23-of-53) and connected on seven three-pointers, finishing 7-of-20 (35.0 percent) from beyond the arc.
The Braves recorded 16 assists on 23 made field goals, led by Wardle's five assists and McDermid's four.
Bradley held Bellarmine to 32.8 percent shooting (21-of-64) and outscored the Knights 32-24 in the paint.
The Braves forced 18 Bellarmine turnovers and recorded 10 steals, converting those turnovers into 16 points.
Despite Bellarmine holding a 45-33 rebounding advantage, Bradley controlled the second half and outscored the Knights 23-12 in the fourth quarter.
Bradley's bench contributed 20 points, led by Jones' 14, while the Braves finished 12-of-17 (70.6 percent) from the free-throw line.