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EAST PEORIA, Ill.—After being held in check during the first half, Bradley freshman sharpshooter Michelle Lund exploded for 14 of her game-high 17 points after halftime to spark the Braves to a 65-54 come-from-behind victory over the visiting University of Evansville women’s basketball team at Lorene Ramsey Gym in East Peoria, Illinois on Sunday.
Evansville took a 28-24 lead into the halftime locker room against the Missouri Valley Conference-leading Braves, as the Purple Aces forced Bradley into 29.0 percent shooting from the floor in the first half, including 1-of-7 shooting from the floor from Lund. But, Lund hit back-to-back three-point baskets to open the second half and scored 11 of Bradley’s first 15 points to give the Braves a 39-36 lead with 13:01 to play.
The Bradley lead would remain between three and six points for the next six minutes until Lund would once again spark the BU offense with a three-pointer in transition and an assist on a three-point play during an 8-0 Braves’ run which moved Bradley’s lead to double-figures, 52-41, with 6:24 to play. Evansville would get no closer than eight points the rest of the way.
“I thought that our defensive effort in the first half was outstanding, and I liked where we were at at the half,” said UE head coach Misty Murphy. “But, we needed to raise our level of play in the second half to match Bradley’s intensity, and we did not do that and they made us pay. Lund, especially, was able to get loose offensively, and when she gets hot, she can really change the complexion of a game.”
Lund led all scorers with 17 points on the strength of five three-point baskets. Junior guard Skye Johnson and sophomore reserve Raisa Taylor joined her in double-figures with 12 and 10 points apiece for the Braves, who shot 48.1 percent from the floor (13-for-27) in the second half, including 41.7 percent from three-point range (5-of-12).
Senior guard Ashley Austin paced Evansville with 16 points and six rebounds, while fellow seniors Robyn Jennings and Shannon Novosel also added nine points each. Jennings also grabbed a game-high 14 rebounds, as UE out-rebounded Bradley 47-35. It marked the first time all season in which Bradley has been out-rebounded, as the Braves entered the week ranked sixth nationally in rebound margin at +12.1 rebounds per game.
With the victory, Bradley remains atop the MVC with a 13-2 overall record and 4-0 mark in the conference. Evansville, meanwhile, slips to 8-6 overall and 1-2 in the MVC. The Purple Aces will now return home to Evansville to host the Drake University Bulldogs at Roberts Stadium on Thursday night. Tip-off is set for 7:00 p.m. and Thursday’s game can be heard live on 91.5 F.M.-WUEV.
