MOLINE, IL - Bradley is going where no women's basketball team at the school has gone before.

The Braves are headed to the NCAA tournament.

Gabi Haack scored 22 points and Bradley beat short-handed Drake 78-70 Sunday to win the Missouri Valley Conference tournament for the first time and claim the league's automatic berth in the NCAA tournament. It was the first time in the MVC finals for the fifth-seeded Braves and now they're going to the NCAAs for the first time.

Emily Marsh added a season-high 12 points on 5-for-7 shooting for Bradley (17-11), which became just the second No. 5 seed to win the title. Lasha Petree also scored 12 points to go with six rebounds and five assists, her sister Mahri had 11 and Nyjah White contributed 10 points and six assists on some nice interior passing.
 
Because of COVID protocols, second-seeded Drake played without coach Jennie Barancyzk, starting guards Kierra Collier and Maddie Monahan and reserve Taylor McAulay. That left the Bulldogs with eight players and they stayed with Bradley in a back-and-back forth game until the Braves went on a decisive 9-0 in the final 4 1/2 minutes.
 
Grace Berg led Drake (16-11) with 23 points and 10 rebounds -- her first double-double. Maggie Bair had 14 points and 10 rebounds for her fourth double-double in the last five games, while Sarah Beth Gueldner and Monica Burich each scored 11. Four Drake players logged at least 33 minutes, unusual on a team that had no one averaging as much as 28 minutes a game.

The Bulldogs, in the championship game for the fourth straight time, did a good job getting the ball inside and driving to the basket, outscoring Bradley 46-24 in the paint. But they had no answer for Bradley's 12-for-26 3-point shooting. Haack went 6-for-11 from long range, including a deep 3 that started the final run, and Tatum Koenig was 3-for-4 from deep for her nine points.

Drake, leading the conference in field goal percentage and 3-point field goal percentage, went just 4-for-19 from behind the arc and shot just 44.3 percent overall.

Now that Bradley has the automatic spot, the Valley likely get a second team into the NCAAs because Missouri State, which withdrew from the tournament on Saturday, is expected to receive an at-large invitation. The Lady Bears were the No. 1 seed in the tournament and went 16-0 in league play.
 
Drake shrugged off its adversity to take a quick 8-2 on four baskets inside. The Braves then settled in after a timeout and knocked down five 3-pointers to take a 23-18 lead after one quarter. They finished with 27 3s in their three tournament games, which ties for sixth in tournament history.

Bradley led by as many as 12 points before Drake charged back to trail 40-37 at halftime. Burich's three-point play at the start of the third quarter tied it and the Bulldogs pulled ahead 56-50 on consecutive 3s by Gueldner and Berg. Haack answered with a 3 and the game stayed close until, with Bradley leading 67-66, Haack hit her final 3 of the day to start the Braves on their way to the championship.

Lasha Petree fed Marsh and White for layups and then hit a jumper. That made it 76-66 and Bradley was home free.

Haack ran her career total to 1,624 points, moving her to No. 2 in school history.

2021 All-Tournament Team
Gabi Haack, Bradley (Patty Viverito Award - Most Outstanding Player)
Lasha Petree, Bradley
Grace Berg, Drake
Maggie Bair, Drake
Allison Day, Loyola Chicago
 
Elite 17
Monica Burich, Drake