Bradley women’s basketball played their first game of the season on Tuesday, taking on NAIA outfit Judson at Renaissance Coliseum and winning by a convincing 61-point margin.
The Braves were close to triple digits on the scoreboard, putting up 94 points in 40 minutes. Every Bradley player who stepped on the court scored at least two points, though only two players scored ten or more.
“I was really pleased with how we played,” head coach Kate Popovec-Goss said. “I felt for the most part, we played really disciplined. We shared the basketball; loved to see how balanced the stat sheet was. For us to put up 94 points and only have two players in double figures is a really weird statistic, but I think it just shows the versatility that we have on this team.”
The team came out firing in the first quarter, attacking the Eagles from every angle. In the first five minutes, the Braves went on a 15-0 run before Judson made their first shot of the game from beyond the arc. At the end of the first ten minutes, Bradley led 26-10, giving the fans a small sample of what was to come.
Senior forward Amy O’Hara led the team with seven points with fifth-year guard-forward Kaylen Nelson close behind at four points. O’Hara finished the game with nine points and six rebounds, going 4-for-5 from the field.
The second quarter was the most one-sided frame of the night, as the Braves scored 29 points while holding Judson to just four. The defensive unit was strong throughout the game, totaling 40 rebounds, 16 steals, four blocks, and most importantly, only 33 points allowed.
“We weren’t really focused on the score. It was our defensive effort,” Popovec-Goss said. “If we can get stops, it’s going to lead us to be able to score the basketball, especially with us being able to play faster this year.”
That style of defense helped them tremendously, scoring 41 points off of rebounds and 17 on the fast break. That defensive potency gave the Braves a nice balance on both sides of the court.
“I really liked our defensive intensity for the most part, especially in that second quarter,” Popovec-Goss said. “We held them to four points, and again, I think that if we can consistently defend, the offense is going to take care of themselves. That’s always been my philosophy, that’s what I recruit.”
Sophomore guard-forward Lila Posthuma put up six points in the second quarter via two three-pointers, and senior forward Carlie Vick tallied five more. Quietly, however, freshman guard Maya Foz was brewing up a fantastic performance, which later made her the player of the game.
As one of Popovec-Goss’s latest recruits from Ontario, Canada, Foz was recently taken out of the exhibition game against Saint Louis due to heavy cramping. Six days later, she put up seven points in the first half, ending the game with 14 and going 5-for-10 on her shots.
“I’m feeling really good, really excited for this season,” Foz said. “I think we’re a really good group, so it’s really exciting to see how far we can go. I’m really happy with the choice I made, where I chose to come [here]. I really feel like this is the perfect choice for me.”
The second half turned out to be more of the same.
The Braves outscored the Eagles 20-9 in the third quarter, making it 75-23 with ten minutes to play. Senior guard Lucia Llaveria put up her first points of the game in the third, leading the team with five points in that quarter. At this point, everyone who was active played and scored, creating fantastic vibes on the bench.
“Honestly, we were just excited for everyone,” Foz said. “Anyone who was scoring, we were excited; It didn’t matter who it was. We were just excited that everyone was scoring.”
Once again, there was a new leading scorer in the fourth quarter. This time, it was freshman forward Kali Fortson, who had seven points in the final ten minutes to put her at eight points for the game.
In the end, Bradley won the game decisively, 94-33.
“I’m proud of my team. I think I challenged them going into this game,” Popovec-Goss said. “The biggest focus this season is the competition is really ourselves and ‘what standard are we trying to play to?’, whether we’re playing Judson, whether we’re playing UConn, whether we’re playing DePaul. It always comes back to Bradley and ‘what are we trying to execute?’”
The Braves will face the Blue Demons of DePaul on Tuesday, this time at Carver Arena as part of a men’s and women’s basketball doubleheader.
“Our fan support has been wonderful,” Popovec-Goss said. “It’s been building throughout my time here, and we’ve had great crowds at these first two games. It’s going to be really exciting for us, especially bringing a Chicago team into Carver Arena.”
In what should be an exciting matchup, Coach Pop has a little bit of history with the Big East program.
“On the women’s side especially, DePaul is a historic women’s basketball program,” Popovec-Goss added. “Doug Bruno [former DePaul women’s basketball head coach], who I played against, got recruited by and coached against for a long time when I was at Northwestern, is a hall of famer in women’s basketball. He is a legend I have a ton of respect for, and his longtime assistant, Jill, took over the program. But more than anything, I’m excited for the opportunity to compete against such a historic program and especially to do it in front of what I’m sure is going to be a great hometown crowd in Carver Arena.”
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