Bradley beats Valpo, 64-58, in Evansville
WBB: The Braves will face Murray State Friday in the conference quarterfinals
#9-seed Bradley snapped an eight-game losing streak to #8-seed Valparaiso, 64-58, as the Braves beat the Beacons in the opening round of the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament Quarterfinals on Thursday afternoon in Evansville.
The Braves will face #1-seed Murray State in the quarterfinals Friday at 12:00pm at the Ford Center.
After Valpo led 16-10 after one quarter, Bradley outscored the Beacons 37-20 over the next 20 minutes to take a 47-36 lead to the final period. Valpo used an 8-0 run to get as close as 61-58 with 0:36 left, but they’d get no closer.
With the win, Bradley won their first Missouri Valley Conference Tournament game since 2021. Kaylen Nelson led the Braves with 16 points. Valpo’s Leah Earnest, playing her final collegiate game, finished with 25 points and 12 rebounds.
Bradley now faces Murray State on Friday. The Racers beat Bradley, 81-55, back on February 20th in Peoria. Katelyn Young had 28 points in that game to lead Murray State.
Tomorrow afternoon, the Racers will try to earn their first trip to the Missouri Valley tournament semifinals in their third season in the conference.