PEORIA, Ill. – The Miami University women's basketball team (3-2) fell to Bradley by a 79-68 margin on Saturday to wrap up its road trip.
Lauren Dickerson led all players with 28 points while
Peyton Scott and
Kelly McLaughlin each scored in double figures with 14 and 11 points, respectively.
Miami got off to a slow start as Bradley scored the first nine points of the game, building a lead that would not be relinquished.
Kelly McLaughlin got Miami on the board after three-and-a-half minutes of play.
The teams traded baskets before back-to-back three-pointers by Dickerson brought Miami within three points with four minutes remaining in the first quarter.
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Bradley answered with a three-pointer and maintained a lead of at least four points for the remainder of the first quarter. Dickerson was the first player in the game to reach double figures, doing so with her third three-pointer of the game with under a minute to play in the first quarter. Bradley held a 23-17 lead after 10 minutes of play.
The RedHawks scored just seven points in the second quarter, the fewest in a single quarter this season. Scott began the quarter with a pair of free throws but five-straight points from the Braves opened up a double-digit lead with 7:21 to play in the first half.
Bree Paulson hit a three-pointer midway through the second quarter to cut Bradley's lead to single digits but a 6-0 Bradley run would increase the lead once more.
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Miami faced a 38-24 deficit at halftime.
After Bradley sunk the first basket to begin the second half, Miami's defense held the Braves offense without a basket for three minutes as the RedHawks trailed 44-29 with seven to play in the quarter.
With four minutes to play in the third quarter, Dickerson cut the Bradley lead to 10 with another three-pointer but a 9-4 Bradley run to end the quarter opened up a 57-42 lead going into the final quarter of play.
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A minute into the fourth quarter, Scott became the second RedHawk to reach double figures. The teams traded free throws until 5:16 when Dickerson hit a jumper to earn her third-straight 20-point game. A free throw from McLaughlin made it a 10-point game with 4:41 to play.
Bradley went on a 10-0 run to take a 20-point lead with 2:19 to play. Miami answered with a 14-5 run to end the game but the rally would fall short as a three-pointer at the buzzer from Dickerson would cap scoring at 79-68 in favor of the home team.
The RedHawks return home on Tuesday at noon to host UIC for the annual Goals for Life game.
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