Bradley women’s basketball (3-2) lost for the first time at home this season, dropping their game against Western Illinois (5-1) 62-41.
It was a slow game for the Braves’ offense, which trailed 17-8 after the first quarter. On the day, the team went 13-47 from the floor and 1-20 from three.
“We were a little disconnected offensively,” head coach Kate Popovec-Goss said. “We were really stagnant. I think what happened after that is we kind of panicked, and then things fell apart for us.”
The Leathernecks began the game with a free throw due to an administrative technical foul, as one of the shot clocks was broken. After guard Allie Meadows made the free throw, Western Illinois started the game on an 11-2 run, capitalizing on missed shots and turnovers from Bradley.
“I think we prepared well, but in the first four minutes, we did not show our preparation,” Popovec-Goss said. “We practiced well, but we missed scouting assignments.”
The Braves starters struggled, scoring only 16 points combined. Claire McDougall, who had 13 points off the bench, led the team in scoring.
“That all came because I needed to step up,” McDougall said. “A lot of my teammates were missing shots that they usually hit, so it was an opportunity for me to say, ‘Hey, I need to go get a bucket right now.’”
McDougall was the only Bradley player to reach double-digits. Guards Kaylen Nelson and Caitlin Washington each had nine points, with Washington hitting the only three-pointer for the Braves.
“I think the reason some of our shots weren’t falling in the first half was because we didn’t get great looks,” Popovec-Goss said. “In the second half, shots just didn’t fall. But in the first half, I think our missed shots were more indicative of our intensity on offense and our execution.”
Bradley entered halftime trailing 37-19, but played a much better second half, only getting outscored 25-22 in the final two quarters.
“A lot of their opportunities in the first half came from our mishaps and our lack of rebounding,” Popovec-Goss said. “I think the one thing we did well in the second half defensively was we cleaned up our rebounding, and we did a really good job pressuring.”
“I think our defensive effort has been pretty steady, other than our inability to rebound sometimes,” Popovec-Goss added. “That’s something we have to continue to hit. I think a lot of our woes tonight were a result of our lack of offensive execution.”
The Braves can bounce back from the loss this week when they host Northern Kentucky in their final home game of 2024.
Following a tough loss, the team must remain focused and take it one game at a time.
“The biggest challenge is keeping everyone consistent,” McDougall said. “I think we have a really good group right now that cares about what we’re doing, and so we just need to be consistent with it everyday.”
Tip-off for Bradley’s game against Northern Kentucky will be at 2 p.m. on Wednesday in the Renaissance Coliseum.
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