By Nick Jenkinson-SCINN Sports Director
The Indiana Hoosiers trailed the Bradley Braves 18-15 at the end of the first quarter but turned it on in the second quarter outscoring the Braves 27-8 to win 84-56 Monday Night in Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. The Hoosiers are 3-0 on the season and will host Samford Friday Night at 7 PM. Bradley is 1-2 on the season and will play at Bellarmine on Saturday at 5 PM. This was the first meeting between the two teams and the second straight game that the Hoosiers have faced a team from the Missouri Valley Conference after taking care of Southern Illinois last Friday Night.
Indiana put six in double figures for the second game in a row led by Maya Makalusky’s 16 points, Zania Socka-Nguemen and Alisa Williams added 15 points apiece. Malia Samuels scored 13 points along with 10 points apiece from Kenzie Hare and Freshman Addy Nyemchek. GiGi Battle added 3 points, Lenee Beaumont scored 2 as Ashlinn James, Jess Petrie and Ashlynn Anderson played but did not score for the Hoosiers. Indiana went 31-64 from the field for 48%, 6-17 from three-point range for 35% and 16-22 from the free throw line for 73%. The Hoosiers had 43 rebounds, 18 assists, 13 steals, 2 blocks and 8 turnovers.
Ellie McDermid scored 21 points and Charia Smith scored 20 to score 41 of Bradley’s 56 points. The Braves were 22-54 from the field for 41%, 8-25 from three-point range for 32% and 4-7 from the free throw line for 57%. Bradley had 29 rebounds, 15 assists, 2 steals, 1 block and 15 turnovers.
Facing a deficit going into the second quarter, Indiana used what would be a 21-3 run, sparked by a Samuels’ 3-pointer pushed her team ahead 26-23. The Hoosiers would outscore the Braves 27-8, in the frame as they were led by nine points from Samuels in the second quarter alone. They went on to shoot 55.8 percent from the floor leading into the break, which they led 42-26. In the fourth, Williams added a team-high eight points as she also hit her career-high for the night. Indiana outrebound the Braves, 43-29. Fourth year forward Jess Petrie pulled down nine boards off the bench for a team high.
The Hoosiers led 42-26 at halftime. The Hoosiers and the Braves scored 18 points apiece in the third quarter as the Hoosiers led 60-44 going into the final ten minutes as the Hoosiers outscored the Braves 24-12 in the final quarter and remain unbeaten on the season.