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Women’s basketball impresses in exhibition victory

Junior Sameia Kendall drives to the hoop in the Nov. 7 exhibition game against Eureka College. Photo by Maggie Cipriano.
Junior Sameia Kendall drives to the hoop in the Nov. 7 exhibition game against Eureka College. Photo by Maggie Cipriano.

The Bradley women’s basketball team officially tipped off its season last Friday against Division III Eureka College with a dominant 90-31 victory over the Red Devils that saw three Braves in double figures.

Sophomore Leti Lerma came off the bench to lead the Braves in scoring with 17 points, while freshmen Tanya Sims and Danielle Brewer tallied 13 and 11 points, respectively. Sims added 10 rebounds to claim the Braves’ first double-double of the year.

Every Bradley player got a chance to see the floor and play in the win, and no Braves scored fewer than four points in the game.

Head coach Michael Brooks acknowledged that the exhibition tune up was positive, but also pointed out some things for the team to improve on.

“It showed a lot of the positive things we’ve been working on,” Brooks said. “There’s no excuse for us missing [layups]. We [missed a few] layups and free throws, and we have to do a better job on those little, little things.”

With only three remaining players from last year’s Braves squad playing on this team, the seven newcomers accounted for 58 of the team’s 91 points and 19 of the team’s 27 steals.

During the game, one of the freshmen, Madison Dellamuth, took an elbow to the forehead on a drive, resulting in a cut that needed seven stitches.

Brooks, however, fully expects her to be ready for the season opener against the University of Illinois-Chicago.

“She’s good,” Brooks said. “She’s practiced all week. She had no signs of concussion, so we’re just happy that she’s going to be prepared and ready to go out and attack the hoop again for us.”
Of the seven newcomers and three returning players, Brooks said he felt that the six freshmen benefitted most from this game.

“I thought they did wonderful,” Brooks said. “It served the purpose for what it was supposed to do; they did need to get some jitters out.”

The advancements that the freshmen have made also caught the eye of the returning players, including redshirt sophomore forward Whitney Tinjum.

“A couple of them have really stepped up here,” Tinjum said. “I think three of them are starting, so I’m excited for them. They’re really doing well.”

Tinjum, a transfer from Washington State, is currently sitting out the first half of the season due to NCAA transfer rules.

“I transferred halfway through the year last year, so I have to sit out a full calendar year, according to the NCAA,” Tinjum said. “I have to wait until after the semester [to play].”
According to Brooks, tonight’s matchup against UIC will be tough for the Braves that do suit up to play.

“UIC has a couple of great components to the team,” Brooks said. “They won the [Women’s Basketball Invitational]… so they’re on the quality of some of the teams in our conference. It’ll be a great indication to where we’re at. What’s great about us is we have a deeper bench than what UIC does, and we’ve got to use that to our advantage.”

Brooks and the Braves open the season on the road in Chicago at UIC later today before squaring off against DePaul Nov. 18.

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