Bradley University Athletics issued the following announcement on Dec. 19
Sophomore forward Daija Powell posted her first career double-double with 17 points and a career-best 12 rebounds and senior guard Gabi Haack scored a game-high 22 points, but Bradley could not overcome an early deficit and suffered a 79-71 loss to Illinois-Springfield Sunday evening at Renaissance Coliseum.
Sunday's game was not scheduled until Friday and the Braves, and coming off Saturday's game at #22 LSU, Bradley was playing on back-to-back days in different venues for the first time since 1997-98.
After jumping out to leads of 9-5 and 11-6 to start the game, the Braves went cold as UIS countered with a 16-2 run on the way to a 22-13 lead the Prairie Stars would never give back. After Powell scored on an offensive rebound putback to pull Bradley within 31-28 with 4:26 left in the second quarter, UIS again had the answer and rode a 10-1 closing run to a 41-29 lead at halftime.
Held to four points in the first half, Haack heated up after halftime and her 18 points in the final 20 minutes helped the Braves cut the deficit down to four twice in the third quarter and then down to three, 74-71, after a Powell layup with 52.9 seconds remaining in the game. The Prairie Stars made 5-of-6 free throw attempts to close out the game.
While Haack and Powell were Bradley's lone double-digit scorers, UIS put four in double figures, led by Ally Gietzel's double-double 16 points and 13 rebounds. Lauren Ladowski scored a team-high 19 points, Malea Jackson added 16 and Ellie Mitchell chipped in 11.
The Braves originally were scheduled to play a pair of games Monday and Tuesday in the Tulane Holiday Classic, but that tournament was cancelled last week due to Tulane's COVID program pause, creating the last-second schedule additions of LSU and UIS. Bradley now will return to action by hosting Saint Louis in the non-conference finale Dec. 28 (6:30 p.m.) at Renaissance Coliseum.
Original source can be found here.
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