By: WJBC Staff
PEORIA, Ill. – The Illinois State women’s basketball team dropped a 70-59 decision at Bradley in the Missouri Valley Conference regular-season finale Saturday inside Renaissance Coliseum. With the loss, the Redbirds fall to 7-22 (4-14 MVC) on the season, while the Braves improve to 11-18 (7-11 MVC) overall.
Junior Hannah Green came off the bench to score 14 points on 7-of-8 shooting from the field – setting a new career high in field goals – to go along with four rebounds and a game-high four rejections. Senior Brechelle Beachum also netted 14 points and recorded a team-high three steals, while sophomore Katrina Beck chipped in 13 points (nine in the first half), four boards, two assists and two steals.
Illinois State scored the first six points of the game on a triple from freshman Megan Talbot and a three-point play from sophomore Viria Livingston, before the Redbirds eventually led 8-2 at the start. After Bradley tallied five in a row to cut the advantage to one, Illinois State scored six of the next eight to inch its lead back out to five at 14-9.
Bradley responded with an 8-2 spurt to take its first lead of the game, but the Redbirds quickly leaped back in front, 18-17, on a bucket from Beck. After the Braves scored the next four, Beck knocked down a 3-pointer from the left corner to deadlock the contest at 21-21. Bradley, however, led 22-21 after the first quarter, as both teams combined to shoot 57.7 percent (15-of-26) from the floor. The 21 points were a season high for Illinois State in the opening stanza.
Green and Beachum both scored to start the second quarter, which navigated the Redbirds back in the lead, 25-22. But the Braves started to take control by scoring eight unanswered, which turned into a 13-2 run, and a 35-29 halftime advantage.
The Redbirds hung around in the third quarter, before a late 7-0 flurry from the Braves produced the home team’s largest lead of the game, 53-39, with 32 ticks remaining in the period.
Senior Taylor Stewart scored her only three points of the game when she swished three free throws near the end of the third quarter, which started a string of 10-straight Illinois State points. Sophomore Millie Stevens had a chance to complete a three-point play when her put-back layup capped a 12-2 run and brought the Redbirds to within four at 55-51 with 6:13 left in the game. But she missed the free throw that would have made it a one-possession game.
Bradley created separation and scored the next five and eight of the next 10 to build its lead back to double digits and cruise to the victory.
Illinois State, who shot 53.3 percent (8-of-15) in the first quarter, cooled off to finish the contest at 39.7 percent (23-of-58). Poor 3-point shooting for the Redbirds also continued, as they made just 3-of-15 and 10-of-16 at the free throw line. The Braves shot 44.2 percent (23-of-52), including 6-of-10 from behind the arc, and went 18-of-29 (62.1 percent) from the charity stripe, which proved to be one of the biggest differences in the game.
Both sides finished with 35 caroms, and Illinois State committed 17 turnovers while only forcing 11. Bradley held a 14-4 advantage in points off turnovers.
Leti Lerma paced the Braves by filling up the stat sheet with game highs of 21 points, 13 rebounds, six assists and four steals. Danielle Brewer added 14 points, while Anneke Schlueter chipped in 12 points and two steals.
The Redbirds return to action Thursday, March 9, as the No. 9 seed in the conference tournament in Moline, Illinois. Illinois State will play No. 8 Indiana State at 4 p.m. inside the iWireless Center. The Sycamores swept the season series against the Redbirds. The winner plays Friday, March 10, at 12 p.m. against No. 1 Drake.
