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Braves drop fifth straight in loss to Illinois State

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Soleil Barnes prepares to shoot a free throw. Photo via Bradley Athletics.

Bradley women’s basketball (8-11, 2-6 MVC) traveled to Illinois State (12-7, 6-2 MVC) on Sunday, looking to snap an eight-game losing skid against the Redbirds in the I-74 rivalry.

Senior guards Soleil Barnes and Tamia Perryman kicked off the scoring for the Braves. Barnes knocked down a jumper on the first possession. Perryman followed suit, taking over for Bradley and scoring the team’s next eight points to take a 10-6 lead. However, the Braves were held scoreless for the final 5:37 of the quarter, and the Redbirds ended the first with a 12-10 lead.

Despite the poor finish to the quarter, Bradley returned two key players from injury. Junior forward Amy O’Hara returned for the first time since Jan. 2, and sophomore forward Claire McDougall checked in after missing the previous three games.

“It was great to get Claire and Amy back,” head coach Kate Popovec-Goss said. “We were really missing them.”

Their returns paid dividends in the second quarter, as both players scored crucial points and played stout defense to help the Braves keep pace with Illinois State’s high-powered offense.

“It brings a lot to the team that we’ve been missing,” Barnes said. “Having them back doing the dirty work for us. Claire comes in and she brings a spark, and Amy is a big post presence and gets rebounds.”

The Braves went into halftime trailing 28-24, but the Redbirds quickly scored five points to go up by nine at the beginning of the third. Barnes, who hadn’t scored since her first shot of the game, was able to get going, scoring ten points in the quarter and lowering the deficit to five. 

Unfortunately for Bradley, Illinois State was not phased. The Redbirds offense stayed hot, and it seemed as if every shot they attempted went in. The Braves’ offense could not keep pace, and the deficit swelled to 12 heading into the fourth.

“We were taking great care of the basketball,” Popovec-Goss said. “We just need to continue to execute offensively and keep matching what they throw at us.”

In the fourth quarter, it was more of the same. Illinois State kept building on its lead, eventually winning the game 74-58. The Braves’ loss was their fifth straight.

“It starts with just taking care of the little things in practice,” Barnes said. “Holding ourselves accountable is the biggest part with our team. We just can’t let little stuff slide because the little stuff transfers into the game.”

Bradley is four games under .500 in Valley play, but the record doesn’t tell the whole story. Three of the team’s losses on their skid have been by single digits, and Popovec-Goss is confident they can get back in the win column sooner rather than later as they get healthier.

“The team has experienced a lot of adversity,” Popovec-Goss said. “They’ve done a good job fighting and competing. We just need to continue to execute better, and those results will flip our way.”

The Braves face the challenge of trying to snap their losing streak on Friday when they host Missouri State, who is currently on a seven-game win streak and have only lost one game in Valley play. Tip-off is at 6 p.m. in the Renaissance Coliseum as Bradley tries to pull off the upset.

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