Bob Hunt Photographer

Bradley capitalized on three Evansville errors to post a 6-0 win in the second game of a Missouri Valley Conference doubleheader against the Purple Aces Saturday afternoon at Laura Bradley Park, after Evansville took the opener 5-1. Sophomore Madeline Lynch-Crumrine scattered four hits over six and one-third innings in the nightcap in addition to going 2-for-3 with a run and RBI to help the Braves snap a five-game game losing skid.  Lynch-Crumrine pitched 8.1 scoreless innings in the two games and earned the win in the circle in the second game. Sophomore catcher Bailiegh Basham hit a two run home-run in the second game for the Braves. Game One Box Score, Game Two Box Score.

-Bob

Bradley led from wire to wire, with junior Katie Yohn scoring a game-high 18 points to lead three Braves in double figures and help power BU to an 82-64 victory against Evansville at Renaissance Coliseum Thursday evening before 753 fans. Both teams got off to slow starts offensively, with Bradley (12-10 overall, 3-7 MVC) holding a 5-3 lead nearly seven minutes into the contest.  Freshman guard Shronda Butts helped spark an 11-2 BU run with an assist and back-to-back three-pointers as the Braves pushed the advantage to 20-10 midway through the opening half. Eight Bradley players scored six points or more, with the Braves bench combining for 25 points. Brooke Bisping led the BU reserves with eight points, making 6-of-6 free throw attempts.  Butts and senior Hanna Muegge both came off the bench to hit two three-pointers as the duo each added six points. Samantha Heck led Evansville with 17 points on 6-of-9 shooting, while Meagan Collins joined her in double figures with 11 points off the bench. Briyanna Blair hauled down a team-high 11 rebounds in addition to scoring seven points. Click here for complete game stats.

-Bob

Evansville wings Colt Ryan (24 points, 9 assists) and Denver Holmes (23, 11) combined for 47 points and 20 assists, leading the visiting Purple Aces (11-11, 6-6 MVC) to a 92-62 win at Bradley (6-18, 1-11 MVC) Wednesday night at Carver Arena. Senior forward Taylor Brown led three Braves in double-figures with 18 points, while Jake Eastman scored 11 off the bench and Jordan Prosser finished with 10 points and a team-high seven rebounds. Evansville finished the game 41-for-68 (.603) from the field for the game, scoring the most field goals against Bradley since #4 UNLV converted 47 field goals in a 107-106 win Feb. 1, 1977 at Robertson Fieldhouse.  The 31 assists by the Purple Aces were the most-ever by a visiting opponent against the Braves and equaled the third-most ever against Bradley.

-Bob

Bradley sophomore guard Dyricus Simms-Edwards scored a career-high for the third time in four games, pumping in a game-high 25 points and added a career-best eight rebounds to lead the Braves (9-17, 3-12 MVC) to their third win during the same four games, a 68-54 triumph over Missouri Valley Conference rival Evansville (14-11, 8-7 MVC) Saturday night at Carver Arena. The Braves overcame a slow start and foul trouble by Valley scoring leader Andrew Warren to earn their eighth consecutive home game against Evansville.  Despite seeing his string of consecutive games playing at least 30 minutes snapped at 27, Warren still managed 17 points to become the 12th player in Bradley history to eclipse 1,500 career points, pushing his four-year total to 1,510 points.

-Bob

Third-seeded Missouri State upended No. 6 Evansville, 2-0, in the opening quarterfinal game Wednesday in Peoria, Ill.  The Bears connected on goals by Paul Paradise and junior Heath Melugin, with his team-leading seventh goal of the season to give Missouri State the win.  Paradise scored in the 25th minute to open up the stalemate, while Melugin added the insurance goal in the 81st minute to secure the victory for the Bears.  Missouri State goalkeeper Alex Riggs tallied three saves for his league-leading ninth shutout of the season.  The Bears advance to Friday’s MVC Tournament semifinals for a rematch of last Saturday’s game with second-seeded SIU Edwardsville at 3:00 p.m.

-Bob