Peoria, Ill. – Bradley Women's Basketball will open the MVC Championship on Friday, facing the UNI Panthers in the quarterfinals at 2:30 p.m. at Xtream Arena in Coralville, Iowa.

Game Information

Matchup: Bradley Braves vs. UNI Panthers

Date: Friday, March 13, 2026

Time: 2:30 p.m.

Streaming: ESPN+

Live Stats: Link

What to Watch

The Braves are coming into the MVC Championship as the fifth seed after finishing the season with a 20-11 record (13-7 MVC) in a three-way tie for third place with Illinois State and UNI. This season was the fifth time in program history that the Braves have hit 20 wins in a season. The Braves had one of their best three-point shooting seasons in Bradley's history, breaking the program record for three-pointers in a single season with 245 (the previous record was 219). They also led the conference in three-point percentage (.346) and three-point defense (.268). The Braves also scored the fourth most points in program history at 2,168, the most since the 2011-2012 season. Bradley's defense was also one of the best in the MVC, holding opponents to 63.9 points per game, which is the second lowest in the conference.

The Panthers finished the season with a 17-13 record (13-7 MVC) and are the fourth seed in the MVC Championship. UNI has won four straight games heading into this weekend and is coming off a 65-58 comeback victory over the Drake Bulldogs that saw the Panthers go down 17-4 after the first quarter. The Panthers have the best defense in the conference, holding opponents to 63.8 points per game. They have also held opponents to the second-lowest field goal percentage at .384, but have struggled to limit their opponents' three-point opportunities, allowing the third-highest opponent three-point percentage (.332). Offensively, UNI hasn't been as strong, ranking seventh in points per game (67.9), fifth in field goal percentage (.419), and second in three-point percentage (.345).

Key Braves to Watch

Kaylen Nelson had a phenomenal season, earning All-MVC First Team honors. She scored her 1,000th career point in her final game of the regular season. She tied the program record for three-pointers in a single game with eight against Western Illinois on November 20, the most by any player in the MVC in a game this season. She also set the program record for most points scored against Drake in a single game, finishing with a career-high 32 points on January 29. Maya Foz became the fourth freshman in Bradley's history to win MVC Freshman of the Year after setting a new program record with eight MVC Freshman of the Week awards. She also set a new program record for most free throws as a freshman with 88, and she currently ranks 11th nationally among freshmen in scoring. Foz earned her eighth MVC Freshman of the Week last week after averaging 15.0 points per game, 4.5 rebounds per game, and 5.0 assists per game. Mya Wardle capped off an impressive first season with Bradley by being named to the MVC Scholar Athlete Team. This season, she was named both an MVC Player of the Week and MVC Newcomer of the Week after averaging 20.5 points per game and 3.0 assists per game while shooting 11-for-13 from three-point range.

Key Panthers to Watch

Ryley Goebel had an outstanding year, culminating in her winning the MVC Defensive Player of the Year, All-MVC First Team, and All-MVC Defensive Team. She ranked 15th in scoring (14.3 points per game), fifth in rebounds per game (8.1), first in field goal percentage (.590), third in steals (1.8 per game), and first in blocks (2.8 per game). Jenna Twedt led the team in scoring with 14.5 points per game, which ranks 12th in the conference, and she has the second-highest three-point percentage at .379 and averages 2.7 three-pointers per game. Elise Jaeger ranked second in the MVC in rebounds per game (9.9), and she led the team in assists per game (2.8) while averaging 7.7 points per game.