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PREVIEW: Braves set to take on No. 21 Missouri State in MVC semifinals

Nyjah White dribbles during a regular season game against Northern Iowa. Photo courtesy Bradley Athletics.

The Bradley Braves women’s basketball team is certainly hoping the adage “It’s hard to beat a team three times in a row” holds true tomorrow as they take on No. 21 Missouri State on Saturday in the Missouri Valley Conference semifinals. 

Following a 62-59 victory over the Northern Iowa Panthers in the MVC Tournament quarterfinals, Bradley will be tested against a 21-2 Bears team that has prevailed in both encounters. The Braves are looking to advance to their first conference title game in school history. 

“They’re a really good team and we lost to them twice so I’m really hungry to play them again. I’m really excited. I wanted to play them,” senior guard Gabi Haack said. 

Haack scored 25 points on 77 percent shooting in the win against UNI. Haack will duel with another formidable guard in MSU’s Bryce Calip. Missouri State’s All-MVC first team selection put up 17 points in the Bears 70-59 win over No. 8 seed Southern Illinois on Friday.

An additional key matchup looms for Bradley’s frontcourt of Emily Marsh and Nyjah White. Jasmine Franklin, another All-MVC first team selection for Missouri State is averaging 11.8 points and 9.2 rebounds a game. Missouri State can attribute much of their success to averaging over 10 rebounds per game more than their opponents.  

“We got to take it one quarter at a time here. You got to keep them off the boards; they’re a great rebounding team,” said Braves coach Andrea Gorski about the Bears. 

The Braves are coming off a strong defensive effort against Northern Iowa that featured Marsh rejecting four shots and Lasha Petree recording five steals. Bradley held UNI to six made three pointers after allowing 19 in their most recent matchup with the Panthers. 

The Braves were swept by Missouri State this season 56-62 and 62-75; both were played in Springfield, Missouri. The last time Bradley beat MSU was February 17, 2017 in Peoria. Bradley is 1-7 against Missouri State in MVC Tournament games, the last occasion happening in 2018 where the Braves fell 68-76. 

Despite the matchup on paper, anything can happen in March and Gorski is optimistic heading into the Hoops in the Heartland semifinals, a place Bradley has only reached twice since the conference tournament expanded to more than four teams.

“I know we’re going to put the best gameplan together and I like our team’s mentality going into the game,” said Bradley’s head coach. 

The Braves will square off against Missouri State at the TaxSlayer Center in Moline, Illinois at 1 P.M.

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