MOLINE, Ill. – Two big scoring bursts gave Murray State all the cushion it needed.

  Katelyn Young scored 16 points and three teammates also reached double figures as sixth-seeded Murray State ran past Bradley 87-49 on Thursday night to complete the opening round of the Missouri Valley Conference women’s basketball tournament.

   Murray State, the league’s highest scoring team, topped its season average of 85.5 points and will take a 20-10 record against third-seeded Missouri State in the quarterfinals at 8:30 p.m. Friday.

   Zoe Stewart added 15 points for the Racers, Bria Sanders-Wood scored 14 with three 3-pointers and Ava Learn had 10 as part of an impressive stat line. Learn also grabbed eight rebounds, blocked a season-high four shots and matched her season high with three steals.

   Freshman Halli Poock went 3-for-5 from 3-point range and finished with 16 points to lead 11^th-seeded Bradley (6-26). Alex Rouse added 12 points, seven rebounds, two assists and two steals for the Braves and Isis Fitch scored 10.

  Bradley took an early 11-7 lead that Murray promptly erased with a 20-2 run spanning the quarter break, Sanders-Woods capping the string of points with a 3 for a 27-13 lead. The Braves never drew closer than 10 points the rest of the way.

   Young, the league’s top scorer with a 19.7 average, had a quiet first half with just four points. But she got it going with 10 points in the third quarter, including a 3 from the top of the key and a mid-range jumper as part of a 19-0 run that stretched the lead to 69-37 with 7:25 remaining.

   The final 38-point margin was the biggest of the game.

   Murray State dominated play around the basket, outscoring the Braves 42-22 in the paint and outrebounding them 49-28. The Racers shot 54.3 percent in the second half and 52.2 percent for the game, the 11^th time this season they’ve made at least half their shots.

   Bradley shot just 28.6 percent and lost its final 11 games.