Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Southern Illinois University
Bradley
Women's Basketball Gets Sideswiped at Bradley, 63-45
01/26/2002 | 12:00:00 | Women's Basketball
Jan. 26, 2002
Peoria, Ill. - Mandy Sides scored a career-high 22 points to lead Bradley (13-5, 4-5) to a 63-45 win over Southern Illinois (4-14, 0-9) earlier tonight in Missouri Valley Conference action at Robertson Memorial Field House.
The win marked Bradley's fourth all-time against SIU as the Braves trail in the overall series 36-4. Meanwhile, for SIU, the loss marked its 11th straight as the Salukis finished the front end of their MVC season winless at 0-9.
SIU turned the ball over seven times in the first 7:18 of the game as Bradley fueled an early 13-2 run sparked by seven Sara Bailey points.
Trailing by 11, the Salukis came alive to build a 13-5 run to pull to within three (18-15) as Jodi Heiden scored six points and Molly McDowell added five to ignite the route.
Bradley, who went scoreless for 6:13 during the SIU run, broke out of its lengthy drought when a Lora Weber jumper began a final 17-5 spurt that lifted the Braves to a 35-20 lead at the break.
Sides, who scored six points during the Bradley run, posted a total of 12 in the first half to lead all Brave scorers. SIU also committed 14 turnovers in the opening frame, while Bradley turned the ball over twice.
Bradley continued its assault on the Salukis in the second half when a Sides jumper and a RaSheeda Love layup gave the Braves a 39-22 lead with 18:52 left to play.
SIU, however, kept battling and strung together a 15-5 run to narrow the Bradley margin to 44-37 when McDowell connected on a jumper at the 10:19 mark.
The Braves, not at all phased by the Saluki attack, countered with a Sides bucket and two baskets by Va'Nicia Watermann in 1:11 to quickly regain a 50-37 advantage with 7:42 remaining.
Two more free throws by Sides (5:49) then iced Bradley's 8-0 run which came to an end when a Megan Miller layup (5:32) and another bucket by Heiden (4:50) brought the Salukis to within 11 (52-41) with 4:50 to play.
Bradley held SIU to just five points in the last 4:50 as the Braves went on to put the finishing touches on their 63-45 win.
Sides shot 9-of-14 from the field and a perfect 4-of-4 from the free throw line en route to her career night. Bailey also posted a double-digit outing with 14 points to help pace the Braves.
Heiden scored 12 points, while McDowell added 11 to lead SIU.
Southern Illinois will return to action on Wednesday, Jan. 30 when the Salukis begin the final half of their conference season at Evansville. Tip off is set for 7:05 p.m.
