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Bears handle Braves in “perfect storm”

Senior forward Chelsea Brackmann finished with 12 points and six rebounds. Photo by Kayla Johnson.

The Bradley women’s basketball team scored the first four points of the game in Springfield, Missouri on Friday night against No. 24 Missouri State. However, the Bears quickly took control and never looked back. 

The Braves struggled mightily to convert from the field, and the Bears won 90-56 in front of 4,044.

There were 43 fouls called in the game and, according to head coach Andrea Gorski, her team couldn’t adjust to the increased physicality the Missouri State plays with.

“I thought we gave them some room in [the paint],” Gorski said in an interview with WIRL’s Ed Hammond. “We just didn’t play smart inside. The biggest let down is we didn’t follow the scouting report on defense and I am kinda shocked by that.”

The Braves’ scoring defense, which allows 59.7 points per game, couldn’t overcome the quick whistles nor contain the Bears’ seven players over six feet tall. Missouri State averaged 75.6 points per entering the game and got on a roll. 

The Bears went on multiple runs, holding Bradley scoreless from the field while piling on the offense of its own. Bradley finished 16 for 51 from the field, and made 20 of 24 from the free throw line. The Bears scored 16 points off Bradley turnovers, forcing 14.

Throughout the Missouri Valley Conference season, the Braves had held opponents to 28 percent shooting from beyond the 3-point arc. They couldn’t do it Friday night allowing 40.9 percent from deep and 45.5 from the field.

Bradley shot 4-11 from 3-point distance while it usually averages 7.9 makes per contest. Three of those makes came late in the final quarter.

Bradley had three players score nine or more points, but its opponent had six. The Bears won the rebounding battle 43-32 and hence got 15 more shots off.

Sophomore point guard Tatum Koenig turned the ball over three times, was called for four personal fouls and only recorded one assist. This season, Bradley has averaged 15 assists per game, but only managed six in the game. And Gorski wasn’t happy with the offensive flow at times. The offense shot 6-27 in the first half.

“When we moved the ball we did good things,” Gorski said. “We got a little dribble happy especially in the first half. We rushed our shots, we didn’t have good ball movement.”

Gorski admitted it was not an ideal showing for the Braves and they were rattled but sees the growth potential.

“[It was a] tough shooting night, but it was Missouri State that was responsible for that,” Gorski said. “Our kids are going to put this behind them … We couldn’t hit a shot and they made bank three’s and sometimes that happens in sports. It’s the perfect storm.”

Bradley will have another crack at Missouri State when it travels to Peoria March 1 to close Bradley’s home schedule. 

The Braves, now tied for first place with a 7-1 Valley record, will play at Southern Illinois (4-4) Sunday at 2 p.m., another physical team according to Gorski. 

“It’s gonna be another battle,” Gorski said. “I say, ‘yeah we took a step back but let’s go take two steps forward.’”

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