In Bradley women’s basketball’s (3-22, 0-14 MVC) first outing against Southern Illinois (9-14, 6-8 MVC), the Salukis opened the game on a 12-0 run before sophomore guard Caroline Waite stopped the bleeding.
Sunday’s matchup between the Braves and the Salukis was much more competitive than what the score might suggest, but Southern Illinois eventually pulled away and beat Bradley 83-59.
Bradley showed effort and shared the ball, leading to a good offensive rebuttal. The Braves went on a 5-0 run to begin the game with buckets from junior forward Isis Fitch and Waite. Throughout the first quarter, the Braves competed with the Salukis and went into the second frame trailing 19-13 with the hope of a potential upset..
Bradley’s hope would be brief as in the first four minutes, the Braves shot 0-3 and committed three turnovers, allowing Southern Illinois to push their lead to 10 and forcing head coach Kate Popovec-Goss to call a timeout. Bradley seemed to respond well out of the timeout and got into a groove offensively, shooting 7-13 to end the half.
Despite the offensive production, the Braves could not get stops on defense, while the Salukis hit threes on three straight possessions in the second, maintaining a 38-31 halftime lead.
The game stayed competitive in the third quarter, as Bradley held Southern Illinois to 5-17 from the field but sent the Salukis to the line 10 times. The Braves stayed aggressive and were able to get to the free-throw line 13 times, of which they made 10 to rival the visitors. Bradley ended the third quarter down eight, looking to make a big run in the fourth quarter but that run did not come.
Southern Illinois opened the fourth quarter on a 7-0 run and pushed their lead to 15. For the rest of the frame, the Braves struggled to get shots to fall, shooting just 5-20. The Salukis outscored Bradley 28-12 in the fourth period and handed the Braves their 17th straight loss.
Despite the loss, Bradley had three players – Waite, sophomore guard Alex Rouse and freshman guard Reagan Barkema – who all finished in double figures.
The Braves move on to Des Moines, Iowa Thursday to face the Drake Bulldogs
