PEORIA, Ill. – Bradley edged the Drake University women's basketball team, 77-76, Sunday afternoon in Missouri Valley Conference action at Renaissance Coliseum.
 
Bradley (16-2, 7-0 MVC) snapped a 12-game losing streak in the series with Drake (13-6, 5-2 MVC) to remain the lone undefeated team in league play and in first place.
 
Brenni Rose made a pair of free throws with 1:25 left in the game to give the Bulldogs the lead, 73-72. However, it was their final lead as Emily Marsh made a layup 22 seconds later and was fouled to put Braves up 74-73. Marsh missed the free throw but Rose turned the basketball over on the next possession.
 
The Bulldogs then forced a missed three by Lasha Petree but Bradley's Chelsea Brackmann rebounded the miss and passed it back to Petree who was quickly fouled. Petree made of one of two free throws for a 75-73 lead as Drake rebounded the miss, called timeout to set up inbounds play from midcourt. But Maddie Monahan's layup with two seconds left was blocked by Brackmann and the ball went off Drake's Sara Rhine. Rhine fouled Marsh who made both free throws to make it a four-point lead.
 
Becca Hittner, who finished with a game-high 29 points, banked in a corner three at the final buzzer as the Bulldogs came up just short. Hittner added 10 rebounds for her third double-double this year. Rhine added 16 points and six rebounds and moved closer to 2,000 career points with 1,988 points.
 
Gabi Hacck led Bradley with 25 points and 12 rebounds, including 19 first-half points.
 
Drake, which trailed 40-30 at halftime, came out of the break making 6-of-10 from the field, including a pair of three-pointers, as Bradley led by just three, 47-44, at first media of the third. Twice in the third, Drake pulled within one but Bradley answered each including Tatum Koening's layup at the buzzer to lead 53-50 going to fourth.
 
Hot shooting started Sunday as Hittner with seven points helped the Bulldogs lead 11-10 at the first media timeout. The team's shooting struggled though after as it finished just 31.9 percent from the floor in the first quarter. Haack's hot start helped Braves lead 23-17 after one. Drake's shooting problems continued as made just four field goals in the second quarter as Bradley led 40-30 at the halftime break.
 
Drake starts a season-long four-game homestand Friday, Jan. 31 against Valparaiso at 6 p.m. The game is the Des Moines' Hometown Team weekend for the Bulldogs who will wear uniforms that pay homage to Drake's home, the city of Des Moines and Drake's commitment to be a great university for a great city.