Bradley women’s basketball opened its preseason with a 79-38 win over Division III North Central, and while exhibition games never tell the whole story, they give the team a chance to see what works and what doesn’t.
Sports co-editor Mark Wagner presents five takeaways from the game.
1. No fear inside the paint
From the opening tip, the Braves were clearly aggressive inside the lane. Once they got near the basket, they converted on difficult chances with defenders right in their face, and even when they missed, a Bradley player often got the offensive rebound.
With Marquette’s defensive repertoire already under her belt, Coach Meier showed early that, under her system, the team will be a two-way threat to watch going into the regular season.
2. Sharing the ball
Especially in an exhibition, you want to get all of your players out there to see what they can do. And that’s exactly what happened on the court on Monday. Not only did every available Bradley player get minutes against North Central, they all scored at least once.
While it’s unlikely Bradley will have to go deep into their bench later this season, it will be useful to know that they can rely on all their players if that time comes.
3. Three-level team
Many basketball fans talk about players being three-level scorers, but no one ever talks about three-level teams. As mentioned earlier, the Braves were dominant at the rim, but they also could pull up from three efficiently, especially their top scorer, graduate forward Charia Smith, not to mention an underrated mid-range game from top to bottom.
Often, teams have starters who each excel in at least one skill, but right now, Bradley’s starting lineup seems to have the whole package.
4. Creating transition opportunities
Some say that the best offense is a good defense, and that’s a philosophy Bradley women’s basketball is familiar with. Against North Central, they created great scoring opportunities off rebounds and steals, rarely letting easy chances get past them.
Finding that balance of offensive skill and defensive prowess early will be a big advantage, especially as conference play begins.
5. Keeping their foot on the gas pedal
Bradley scored 20-plus points in the first and fourth quarters during Monday’s game, which sounds good, but they seemed to slow down in the second and third quarters. In fact, the Cardinals outscored the Braves in the second quarter 16-15.
Even though the Braves won by 41, we need to see them continue their high-scoring efforts over a longer period in their next few games.
