SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Bradley overcame a five-point deficit in the closing minutes of Friday night’s Missouri Valley Conference match-up with Missouri State to come away with a 73-68 win over the Lady Bears at JQH Arena. A 10-0 scoring run over a two-minute, 40-second span proved to be the difference for BU, which snapped MSU’s eight-game home win streak.

The Braves’ defense limited the Lady Bears to a season-low .315 (23-of-73) shooting night to overcome 21 turnovers on the offensive end. BU’s shooting also played a significant role in the contest, as the visitors connected on 6-of-10 second-half three-point attempts after going just 1-of-5 from beyond the arc in the first half.

Trailing 61-56 with just under four minutes to play, Hannah Muegge’s basket started the key run for BU, which placed four players in double figures. Latasha Hollingshed knocked down a pair of free throws, and MacKenzie Westcott sank one of the biggest shots of the night with a three-pointer at the 1:53 mark to give BU the lead for good.

Muegge would add another critical blow to the Lady Bears’ hopes with a trey from the right corner with just 59 seconds left in the game. Her shot—which rolled around the rim before falling through—came just a fraction of a second before the shot clock expired and stretched the Braves’ lead to 66-61.

MSU (16-6, 7-3 MVC) pulled to within three on a Jaleshia Roberson three with 19 seconds remaining on the clock, but the Braves would lock up the win at the foul line, converting 9-of-10 attempts over the final 3:16 of play. BU would hit 18-of-25 (.720) second-half free throw attempts to complement a 9-of-17 (.529) showing from the field after intermission.

Westcott led the way for the Braves with a 19-point, 10-rebound performance, while Raisa Taylor also posted a double-double of 11 points and 11 rebounds. Hollingshed finished with 14 points on an efficient 4-of-6 shooting night and a 6-of-6 effort at the foul line.  Muegge also turned in a double-digit scoring total with 10 points.

The closing minutes were typical for a game that was marked by a series of scoring runs for both sides. Missouri State scored seven of the last nine points of the first half to claim a 36-31 lead over the Braves heading into intermission. Jasmine Malone totaled all 17 of her points, including five during the closing run, to lead the way for MSU in the opening stanza.

Missouri State didn’t waste any time in gaining the upper hand, as Malone scored off the opening tip just four seconds into the contest. The Lady Bears would hit their first four shots from the field and tally nine points before Bradley would get on the board for the first time at the 18-minute mark. Roberson connected from long range, and Malone and Christiana Shorter converted baskets in the paint to cap the run.

Bradley would score six of the next eight points to pull to within 11-6 with just under 17 minutes to play. Following a 6-2 sprut for the Lady Bears, BU chipped away at the deficit with a 10-3 scoring run that pulled them to within two points with 8:19 to play in the period.

The two clubs traded blows for the remainder of the half until Malone came through with a clutch basket to give the Lady Bears the lead one more time. The junior drained an 18-foot jumper and drew a foul for a key three-point play with 3:27 remaining in the half. She then hit two more free throws with 1:40 left on the clock to close out the first-half scoring.

Bradley (11-10, 4-6 MVC) opened the second half with an 8-2 run to grab its first lead of the night. Once again, Missouri State responded, this time with a 7-0 spurt to build a 45-39 lead with just under 14 minutes to go. The first of three second-half Casey Garrison three-pointers capped the run.

The Braves would bounce back to outscore MSU 13-2 over a three-minute stretch to claim a five-point advantage. Next, it was the Lady Bears’ turn. The home team fought back from the deficit to run off 10 unanswered points and establish a five-point lead of its own. Garrison hit back-to-back threes to give MSU the lead once again, and Roberson hit from beyond the arc with 4:09 to play.

But the Braves took control from there, ultimately ending the Lady Bears’ nine-game home-court win streak in Valley play that extended back to January 23 of last season.

Garrison matched Malone’s 17-point night to share team-high-scoring honors, while Shorter tallied a double-double of 14 points and 10 boards.

Up next, Missouri State will take on league-leading UNI in a 2:05 contest Sunday (Feb. 6) afternoon at JQH Arena.

-MSU-