With four players reaching double figures and a triple-double from sophomore Maddi Cluse, Miami (Ohio) picked the Bradley women’s basketball team apart in an 82-56 final Friday night.
Bradley (3-6) struggled with the size of the RedHawks (4-5) and a lackluster defensive effort allowed the Mid-American Conference squad to shoot a season-high 56 percent from the field and an even 50 percent from beyond the arc.
Who:
Leading the Braves in the losing effort was junior forward Daija Powell, who fell two rebounds short of a double-double. Her 10 points and eight rebounds led the Braves while sophomore guard Alex Rouse matched her teammate with 10 points of her own and shot 4-of-13 from the field. The team shot 37 percent from the floor.
Sophomore star Caroline Waite was kept at bay by the RedHawks defense, who allowed just three points to the guard on 1-for-4 shooting. Junior guard Ruba Abo Hashesh contributed nine points but turned the ball over five times.
Facing a familiar face, RedHawks senior Sierra Morrow matched up with the Braves after starting 20 games for Bradley last season. In Oxford, Ohio on Friday night, the 6’1” forward scored 12 points against her former teammates and blocked the Braves twice at the rim.
What:
Bradley played close in the opening frame and were down 15-11 five minutes in. After that, a 10-2 run by the RedHawks over the next seven minutes enabled the home team to begin to pull away.
In the second quarter, Miami stepped on the gas and shot a remarkable 65 percent from the field. In doing so, the home team outscored the Braves by 13 in the frame and gave the hosts a comfortable 50-29 lead at the half.
Head coach Kate Popovec-Goss watched her group shoot 43 percent in the third quarter but the RedHawks increased the lead even further. The final quarter saw Miami take a 30-point advantage but the highlight for the Braves was sophomore guard and former manager Katy Wade notching a career-high four points in the final three minutes of action.
Miami locked up the Bradley backcourt by forcing the Braves’ guards to commit 11 of the team’s 13 turnovers. The size difference was also a clear issue for Popovec-Goss’ squad, as the RedHawks reached six blocks to the Braves one.
When:
After trading baskets in the first two minutes of action, Miami sophomore Ivy Wolf hit back-to-back threes for her first six points of the game. In the following quarter, the sophomore cashed three more treys as part of her 17 first-half points.
In addition to Wolf was Cluse who became the second RedHawk in program history to record a triple double. Her nine points in the third quarter helped her reach 18 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists.
Where:
The Braves will continue their five-game road trip at the FIU Hoops Showdown in Miami, FL. There, Bradley will take on Stephen F. Austin (8-2) on Monday and play the visitor against Florida International (4-4) on Tuesday.
