Box Score

PEORIA, Ill. – Junior Briyana Blair was the story of the game, scoring a career-high 21 points and nine steals as the University of Evansville women’s basketball team fell to Bradley University, 65-58, Sunday afternoon at Renaissance Coliseum. The Aces fell to 7-11 on the season and 2-5 in Valley play, while the Braves improved to 10-9 overall and 3-5 in the MVC.

Evansville recorded a season-high 22 steals, forcing BU to commit 26 turnovers, compared to UE’s 21. The Aces finished the contest shooting 37. 5 percent (12-for-56) from the field, 30.8 percent (8-for-26) from three, and 66.7 percent (8-for-12) from the free throw line, while BU shot 47.2 percent (25-for-53) from the field and 44.4 percent (4-for-9) from three. Bradley won the battle of the boards, 40-26.

Blair fueled the Aces offense and defense in the first half with 10 points and six steals, scoring eight of the Aces’ first 12 points of the game. The Orlando native’s wide open layup on a picked off throw-in gave UE the initial advantage, but the Braves used a 12-2 run to build an eight point lead at the 14:14 mark.

However, the Aces used rest of the period to gradually come back, never taking the lead but tying it six times. Blair alternated a basket and steal for two straight possessions, cutting the deficit to two points, 14-12, at the 11:02 mark and Heck’s three-pointer with 6:14 to go finally tied the score up at 20-20.

After traded baskets the score held at 22-22 for nearly a minute and a half until BU scored five unanswered points. But, the Aces retorted with Meagan Collins’ back-to-back three and jumper to balance the board again with 2:12 left. The squads traded baskets one last time, with Stephanie Bamberger knocking down a mid-range jumper with 37 seconds to go to make a 29-29 halftime score.

The Aces already tallied 12 steals by the break, half Blair’s, while committing 11 turnovers, compared to BU’s 14. UE shot 38.2 percent from the field and 20.0 percent from three-point range, while Bradley hit 48.1 percent from the floor and 33.3 percent from behind the arc.

With a 9-2 run out of the hiatus, the Braves took a 38-31 advantage into the first media timeout. BU widened the gap to as much as 11 at the 14:42 mark, before the Aces’ 10-0 run cut it to one, 42-21, on Blair’s free throw with 10:43 to go.

In the rollercoaster ride of a game, the Braves got away again, going up 11 points, 59-48, with 4:06 remaining, through which Evansville went 4:08 minutes without a field goal. Chelsea Falkenstein’s three ended the drought with 2:58 to go and Blair’s field goal put the Aces within six, 59-53, before the Braves stretched their lead to double digits (63-53) again with 23 seconds remaining.

Bamberger knocked down a three with 17 seconds to go and Collins’ two free throws five seconds later gave the Aces a glimmer of hope, but forced to foul, the Braves were solid at the charity stripe, finishing the game 11-for-12 from the line.

In addition to Blair, Collins and Bamberger also reached double figures, recording 11 points each.

Three Bradley players saw double digits, led by Katie Yohn’s 20 point performance.

The Aces are back at Roberts Stadium Thursday, taking on Indiana State at 7:00 p.m. CST. Evansville is also home Saturday versus Illinois State at 2:00 p.m.