Preview: No. 3 Bradley Braves vs. No. 2 Northern Iowa Panthers in MVC Women’s Basketball Championship CORALVILLE, Iowa (Interstat) — A spot in the Missouri Valley Conference tournament final is on the line Friday when the second-seeded Northern Iowa Panthers host the third-seeded Bradley Braves in a women’s basketball semifinal. The game, scheduled for March 13, 2026, at Xtream Arena, features teams that split their regular-season series, each winning on their home court. Northern Iowa (17-13) edged Bradley 73-70 on Jan. 18, but the Braves (20-11) responded with a decisive 69-47 victory on Feb. 5. Bradley enters after a heartbreaking 66-65 loss to Illinois State in its regular-season finale last Sunday. The Braves had won four of their previous five, including an 82-61 rout of Evansville on March 5. Northern Iowa carries momentum from a 65-58 win over Drake that same day, part of a four-game winning streak to close the season. The matchup will spotlight two of the league’s top scorers. Bradley’s Kaylen Nelson is averaging 18.1 points per game over her last seven contests, including a 26-point performance in the loss to Illinois State. The guard has been a consistent offensive force, scoring in double figures in 13 straight games. For Northern Iowa, Jenna Twedt has been equally prolific, averaging over 18 points per game during the Panthers’ current win streak. She dropped 27 points in a win at Southern Illinois on Feb. 19 and scored 20 in the victory over Drake. Bradley will look to control the tempo with its defense, which held Northern Iowa to a season-low 47 points in their last meeting. The Panthers will counter with an offense that has averaged 81.5 points during their four-game streak. The winner advances to Sunday’s championship game to face either top-seeded Drake or fourth-seeded Belmont, with an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament at stake.