For Starters

    Bradley continues a season-long three-game road swing with games at Missouri State (Feb. 14) and at Wichita State (Feb. 16) after opening the stretch with a 46-79 loss at I-74 rival Illinois State.

    Thursday’s game at Missouri State will be the Braves last trip to the Hammons Student Center.  The Bears will move into the 11,000 seat John Q. Hammons Arena next season.  Bradley is 6-24 in road games against Missouri State, dating back to the 1983-84 season.

    The Braves are still looking for the first Missouri Valley Conference road win of the season, owning an 0-5 road record in conference and are also looking to snap a five-game road losing streak which dates back to December.   Bradley has lost six consecutive road conference games dating back to a Feb. 11, 2007 win at Evansville.

    On the season, the Braves are 9-13 overall and currently ninth in the Valley standings at 3-8.  Bradley is 2-7 in road games this season and 2-9 away from Robertson Memorial Field House, including two neutral site setbacks.

    BU is 2-6 in road games this season and 2-8 away from Robertson Memorial Field House, including two neutral site losses.

    Missouri State opened conference play with a 4-2 record, but has lost four of its last five games and enters this week’s play tied for fifth in the Valley standings at 5-6.  The Lady Bears have lost each of their last two home games and are 4-5 at home this season.

    Wichita State has lost three of its last four games and dropped nine of its last 11 games heading into a Thursday home game against Northern Iowa.  The Shockers are currently 10th in the Valley standings at 2-9, but own an impressive 8-3 home record this season.

 

About Missouri State

    Missouri State is also looking to avoid back-to-back losses and will be trying to end a two-game home losing skid when the Braves visit for a Valentine’s Day tilt. 

    One of the top rebounding team’s in the conference, the Lady Bears are second only to Wichita State, pulling down 40.3 rebounds per game.  Missouri State is also second in offensive rebounding, corralling better than 14 offensive boards per game.  The Lady Bears also lead the MVC in three-point field goal attempts per game and are second in the Valley averaging nearly seven trey’s per contest.

    Missouri State is 7-15 overall, including a 4-5 home record, and is currently tied for fifth in the MVC standings with a 5-6 league record. 

    The Bears return five of 12 letterwinners, including three starters from last year’s team that finished 7-21 overall and was 10th in the final conference standings with a 3-15 Valley mark. 

    Michigan State transfer Maggie Dwyer leads Missouri State in scoring at 14.5 points per game to rank fifth in the Valley.  She is shooting a team-best 36.1 percent from three-point range, but also leads the team in free throws made and attempted and is second in rebounding at 5.9 per game. 

    Senior guard Tahnee Balerio earned all-Missouri Valley Conference honors last season and is tossing in 13.0 points per game while ranking second in the conference in assists at 4.6 per game. 

    Quincy, Ill., native Tiff Terwelp is nearly averaging a double-double, scoring 8.7 points per game and pulling down a conference best 9.1 rebounds per game.  Terwelp is second in the Valley in both offensive rebounds (3.14) and defensive boards (5.45) per game. 

 

About Wichita State

    Wichita State heads into Thursday’s home game against Northern Iowa, having lost consecutive games and three of the last four overall.  The Shockers have won two of their last three home games however and are 8-3 at home.

    Currently 10th in the league standings with a 2-9 conference mark, Wichita State returned 11 of 16 letterwinners, including three starters from last year’s team that finished 9-20 overall, and 4-14 in Valley play. 

    Senior forward Kiki Stephens is one of three players in the Missouri Valley Conference to rank in the top 10 in both scoring and rebounding.  Stephens is eighth in both categories, scoring 13.8 points per game and hauling down 6.4 boards per tilt. 

    Senior guard Kyrie Kinder is tossing in 7.4 points per game, while junior forward Marcie Sudbeck leads the team in rebounding at 6.5 boards per game to go along with her 6.7 points per contest. 

    The Shockers have struggled offensively, scoring just 55.6 points per game, but rank as one of the team defensive teams in the conference by limiting opponents to a league-low 38.5 percent shooting from the field.  Wichita State is also the top rebounding team in the conference, pulling down 40.3 boards per game and leads the MVC in blocked shots, swatting 3.65 per game.

 

About Bradley

    Bradley returns seven of 12 letterwinners, including two starters from last year’s team that finished seventh in the Missouri Valley Conference with a 12-19 overall record and 7-11 Valley mark.  The Braves return just one of their top five scorers, however, from last year in senior Devyn Flanagan.

    The Braves will be a bit shorthanded in the middle, as junior transfer Monica Rogers will miss the remainder of the season after rupturing the Achilles tendon in her left leg against Illinois State (Jan. 13).  Rogers was leading Bradley in scoring and rebounding, averaging 12.5 points and 6.5 rebounds per game in 12 games this season.  She was also shooting a team-best 54.1 percent from the field and had scored in double figures nine times.

    Sophomore guard Skye Johnson is averaging 9.3 points, 3.2 assists and is also averaging a league best  2.5 steals per game after missing last season.  Johnson has averaged 11.3 points, 3.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 3.0 steals per game over the last six outings.

    Senior guard Devyn Flanagan is the Braves top returning scorer and active career scoring leader.  Flanagan is tied for 16th in career scoring at Bradley with 920 career points and is now averaging 8.0 points per game, while also dishing out nearly three assists per tilt. 

    Junior Kelly Krumwiede has been the most productive player in conference play for the Braves, averaging 10.5 points and 7.3 rebounds while shooting 51.7 percent from the field against Valley opponents.  She has averaged 11.4 points, 8.6 boards and 1.7 assists and 1.6 steals per game over the last seven contests.

    The Braves are averaging 63.0 points per game and have reached 70 points just five times this season.  BU ranks as one the top defensive squads in the Missouri Valley Conference, however, giving up an average of 64.5 points per game on the season to rank fourth in the MVC in scoring defense.  Bradley leads the MVC in steals, coming away with 10.5 steals per game and rank second in the conference in turnovers forced at 20.5 per ball game.  Bradley is third in the conference in field goal percentage (.415) and in assists per game at 15.4 per tilt.

 

Missouri State Series

    Bradley will continue a three-game Missouri Valley Conference road swing at Missouri State on Thursday.  The game will be the Braves final contest at Hammons Student Center, where BU head coach Paula Buscher was a two-time letterwinner in basketball.  Missouri State holds a 39-17 lead in the all-time series with the Braves after posting a 70-55 win against the Braves in Peoria, Ill., this season.  Bradley has won three of the last four meetings and four of the last six games between the two programs.  Missouri State holds a 24-6 edge in the series in games played in Springfield, Mo., but the Braves have won two of the last four games at Hammons Student Center.  

 

Wichita State Series

    The Braves three-game conference road swing concludes at Wichita State.  Bradley and Wichita State have split 50 all-time meetings, heading into Saturday’s game in Wichita, Kan.  The Braves knotted the series at 25-25 with a 66-54 victory earlier this season in Peoria, Ill.  The Shockers hold a 15-9 lead in the all-time series in games played in Wichita, Kan., and have won three of the last games in Wichita in the series.  Bradley has won each of the last two meetings and three of the last four overall.  In fact, the Braves are 10-5 against the Shockers under head coach Paula Buscher. 

 

The Coaches

    Paula Buscher (Missouri State, ‘86) is in her eighth year at Bradley and has a record of 93-127 (.423) at BU.  Buscher led teams to improved records in each of her first five seasons as a collegiate head coach and seven of her 10 seasons overall.  Buscher owns a 136-165 (.452) career record and is in her 11th year as a collegiate head coach.  She is the second winningest coach in school history and led Bradley to its first MVC Tournament victory since 1996 last season.  A longtime assistant coach at Nebraska-Omaha, Buscher coached Minnesota St.-Mankato during the 1997-98 season and returned to UNO as head coach for the 1998-99 and 1999-00 seasons, before coming to The Hilltop.

    Nyla Milleson (Kansas State ‘85) is in her first season as head coach at Missouri State and has led the Lady Bears to a 7-15 record (.318).  Milleson took over the Missouri State program after a seven-year run at NCAA Division II power Drury.  The Panthers were 185-36 (.837) during her time there, advancing to the Sweet Sixteen or further in four of her last five seasons, including a National runner-up finish in 2003-04.  Milleson owns a 192-51 (.790) career coaching record.

    Jane Albright (Appalachian State ‘77) is in her fifth season as head coach at Wichita State and her 24th year as a collegiate head coach.  Albright is 47-88 (.348) at Wichita State and owns a 396-305 (.565) career record.  She was head coach at Wisconsin for nine years prior to arriving in Wichita, where she led the Badgers to postseason play in seven of her nine seasons.

 

Braves Still Thinking Pink

    After hosting it’s own Think Pink night last Thursday night against Indiana State, the Braves took part in Illinois State’s Think Pink festivities Sunday at Redbird Arena wearing pink uniforms for the second consecutive game.  The pink uniforms debuted at last week’s game against Indiana State and will be used again for Saturday’s contest at Wichita State.  Bradley helped raise nearly two thousand dollars at its fifth annual event against the Sycamores and have helped raise over $35,000 for the Susan G. Komen Foundation over the past five seasons.

 

Braves Have Luck During Think Pink

    Bradley has had luck during its “Hoops for the Cure” events, going 4-1 in those contests over the past five seasons after last Thursday’s 62-50 win against Indiana State.  Head Coach Paula Buscher has sponsored a Coach’s Challenge, pledging $25 per BU three-pointer in each of the previous five events.  The Braves have been more than up for the challenge, connecting on 45.3 percent (34-for-75) from long range in the prior Hoops for the Cure events.

 

Conference Play Turnaround

    Junior Kelly Krumwiede has taken her game to another level since Missouri Valley Conference play has started.  After averaging 5.8 points and 4.3 rebounds per game while shooting 42.6 percent in non-conference action, Krumwiede is averaging 10.5 points and 7.3 rebounds while shooting 51.7 percent from the field in Missouri Valley Conference play.  In fact, she is averaging 11.4 points and 8.6 rebounds per game over the last seven contests.

 

Krumwiede Stats Comparison

                Non-Conference Play         MVC Play

Points pg               5.8                           10.5

Rebounds pg         4.3                            7.3

Field Goal%           .426                          .517

Free Throw%         .500                          .684

Assist pg                0.5                            1.3

Steals pg                0.5                            1.2

 

Flanagan Ties Jolley On Scoring List

    Senior Devyn Flanagan moved into a tie with Jenn Jolley for 16th on Bradley’s career scoring list Sunday with her nine-point effort at Illinois State.  With 920 career points, she needs six points to pass former teammate Ashley Chelleen for 15th place on the Bradley scoring chart.   Flanagan is the first player to have more than 700 points entering their senior season since Genny Mueller in 2004-05.  All 11 players that scored 700 or more points before their final season reached the 1,000-point mark during their last season as a Brave.  With a minimum of eight games remaining, Flanagan needs 80 points to become the 15th BU player to score 1,000 points.  Junior Kelly Krumwiede is currently 39th on Bradley’s career scoring list with 574 career points and needs 26 points to become the 36th player in program history with 600 points.

 

Bradley’s Career Scoring Leaders

 

Krumwiede’s Double-Double Helps Braves To Win Against Indiana St.

    Junior forward Kelly Krumwiede posted her second double-double of the season and the ninth of her career last Thursday, finishing with 13 points and 10 rebound to help lead Bradley to a 62-50 victory against Indiana State.  Krumwiede, who is averaging 10.5 points and 7.3 rebounds in conference play, is the Braves active career leader in rebounds with 460 and her nine double-doubles is one short of cracking Bradley’s career top 10.

 

Braves End Losing Streak To Indiana State

    Last Thursday’s victory against Indiana State not only gave the Braves back-to-back Missouri Valley Conference wins for the first time since winning three straight league tilts in February 2007, but it ended an eight-game losing streak in the series with Indiana State.  The Braves had not beaten the Sycamores since March 6, 2004.  Northern Iowa takes over the longest active winning streak against BU, having won seven consecutive games in the series.

 

Close Calls Not Kind

    Bradley has lost all five road games in Missouri Valley Conference play, but for of the Braves MVC road losses have come by a total of 15 points.  Each of the Braves first four MVC road setbacks were by five points or fewer.  Bradley is 2-7 in true road games this season with five of those losses coming by six points or less.  The Braves are 2-7 in games decided by 10 points or less this season.  Last season Bradley was 6-2 in games decided by seven points or less and the Braves were 8-8 overall in games in which the final margin was 10 points or fewer.

 

Queen Of Thieves

    Sophomore Skye Johnson enters Thursday’s game at Missouri State leading the Missouri Valley Conference with a 2.5 steals per game average.  Johnson is the first Bradley player with 50 or more steals in a season since Genny Mueller in 2004-05 and her 55 steals is the most by a Bradley player since Jen Brown had 61 steals as a freshman in 2003-04.  Johnson is the sixth BU player with 50 or more steals as a sophomore and her 55 swipes is the fourth best season total by a BU sophomore.  She is averaging 2.55 steals per game in Valley play, including a 3.3 steals per game average over the last seven games. 

 

Steals By A Bradley Sophomore

Steals Player................................................. Year

72       Karen Anderson................................ 1980-81

62       Val Wancket..................................... 1988-89

58       Carrie Coffman................................. 1992-93

55       Skye Johnson................................. 2007-08

54       Sara Bailey...................................... 2000-01

50       Karin Nicholls................................... 1987-88

 

Braves Shoot Lights Out vs. SIU

    Bradley turned in one of the most efficient offensive outings in school history against Southern Illinois (Feb. 2), shooting a season-best 60.7 percent from the field.  The Braves shot over 60 percent in a game for the first time since the 1991-92 season and the 60.7 field goal percentage tied for the fifth-best field goal percentage in school history.  Bradley did go 0-for-3 from beyond the three-point arc, however, marking the first time the Braves did not connect on a three-pointer in a game since going 0-for-10 from long range against UNI on Jan. 8, 2005.  The Braves rank third in the Valley in field goal percentage, shooting 41.5 percent on the season.

 

 Team FG Percentage (Single Game)

 

Harris & Johnson Have Hot Hands Against Salukis

    Sophomore Skye Johnson and freshman Sonya Harris had the hot hands for the Braves against the Southern Illinois (Feb. 2) combining for 37 of BU’s 76 points and hitting 18-of-21 shots from the field (85.7 percent).  Harris hit 8-of-9 shots and finished with a season-high 17 points, while Johnson was 10-for-12 from the field and tied a career-high with 20 points.  Harris’ .889 field goal percentage is tied for the sixth best single game field goal percentage in school history, while Johnson’s .833 percentage is tied for the 12th best effort in school history.

 

 Individual FG Percentage (Single Game)

.917    Roxanne Grabow (11-12) at Chicago St.           11/27/82

.900    Amy Peters (9-10) vs. SIU                    1/7/06

          Shelli Braud (9-10) at UIC                     1/27/87

.889    Sonya Harris (8-9) vs. SIU                   2/2/08

          Jaime Lugge (8-9) vs. SIU                   1/31/03

          Genny Mueller (8-9) vs. UMKC          11/29/01

          Dena Williams (8-9) vs. Fresno St.        12/1/01

.833    Skye Johnson (10-12) vs. SIU              2/2/08

          Jenn Jolley (10-12) vs. Illinois St.           3/1/01

          Sheila Jenkins (10-12) vs. Drake            1/4/90

 

Stepping Up

    With junior Monica Rogers sidelined for the remainder of the season the Braves have turned to freshman Sonya Harris to help fill the void.  Harris has responded thus far, averaging 8.6 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.8 blocked shots per game while shooting almost 56 percent from the field over the last eight contests.  In fact, Harris has averaged 10.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game while shooting nearly 62 percent from the field (21-for-34) over the last four games, which includes a 17-point, 12-rebound, five-block effort against Southern Illinois.  She averaged 2.6 points and 2.2 rebounds per game over the first 14 games of the season. 

 

Krumwiede Joins 500-400 Club

    Junior forward Kelly Krumwiede became the 21st player in program history to collect 500 points and 400 rebounds in a Bradley uniform with her 10-point, 10-rebound effort against Missouri State (Jan. 19).  The 44th player in school history to score 500 points, Krumwiede has 574 points and 460 boards as a Brave.  On pace to finish the season with at least 639 points and 506 boards, she needs 26 points and 40 rebounds to become the 14th player in school history with 600 points and 500 rebounds.  Senior Devyn Flanagan needs 20 rebounds to become the 22nd player in program history with 500 points and 400 rebounds as a Brave.

 

Braves Pick Up First Conference Win

    Bradley picked up its first Missouri Valley Conference victory of the season downing Wichita State 66-54 (Jan. 17) after an 0-3 start to conference play.  The 0-3 start to Valley play marked the 10th time in 25 years of conference play the Braves opened league action with three straight losses.  Bradley has opened conference play with four or more consecutive losses seven previous times.  The victory snapped a three-game losing streak and also brought to an end a six-game regular-season Missouri Valley Conference losing skid that dated back to the Braves Feb. 17, 2007 home win against Wichita State. 

 

Dishing The Rock

    Senior Rachel Merriman has taken over the starting point guard duties after the graduation of four-year starter Jen Brown and has been one of the top passers in the Missouri Valley Conference this season.  Merriman is currently tied for fourth in the Valley in assists (4.05 per game) and is third in the Valley in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.07).  In fact, after a slow start to the season she is averaging 4.3 assists per game and boasts an impressive 2.67 assist-to-turnover ratio over the last 15 games.  Sophomore Skye Johnson is averaging 3.7 assists per game with a 1.17 assist-to-turnover ratio in Missouri Valley Conference play after averaging 2.7 assists with a 0.83 assist-to-turnover ratio in non-conference games.

 

Tammy Van Oppen Inducted Into BU Hall Of Fame

    Former Bradley standout Tammy Van Oppen was inducted into the school’s Hall of Fame Saturday, making her the 13th former women’s basketball player in the BU Hall of Fame.  A transfer from South Florida, Van Oppen averaged 15.0 points per game in her two years with the Braves and led the team in scoring and rebounding both of her seasons in a Bradley uniform.  The Limestone, Ill., native has one of two triple-doubles in program history and was a two-time first-team All-MVC selection. 

Jenny On The Spot

    Sophomore forward Jenny Van Kirk has emerged as one of the Braves top scoring threats after seeing very little time as a freshman.  Van Kirk scored nine points as a freshman, but has started the last 17 games and is averaging 7.3 points per game on the season.  Over the last 18 contests, Van Kirk is shooting 48.2 percent from the field (55-for-114) and averaging 7.6 points per game.  She has also heated up from long range, hitting 15 of her last 35 three-point attempts (42.9 percent).

 

Flanagan Joins Century Club

    Bradley’s game against Missouri State on Jan. 19 marked the 100th career game for senior Devyn Flanagan.  She is the 25th player in school history to appear in 100 games in a Bradley uniform.  Flanagan has started 78 of the 105 games she has appeared in at BU, including 75 of the last 79 games, and is closing in on Bradley’s career top 10 for games played and starts.  With at least eight games remaining, she needs four games played to break into the career top 10 and her 78 career starts is tied for the 10th most in school history.

 

BU’s Career Starts

 

Reserves Continue To Shine

    Bradley’s reserves have played a key part in the Braves success this season, averaging 26.1 points per game this season.  The BU bench has outscored the opponents reserves by an average of +5.7 points per game and have outproduced the opponents counterparts in all but eight games this season.  Bradley is 9-5 on the season when the Braves reserves outscore the opponents bench, but 0-8 when the opponents bench outscores Bradley’s reserves.

 

Rogers To Miss Remainder of 2007-08 Season

    Junior Monica Rogers will miss the remainder of the 2007-08 season after rupturing the Achilles tendon in her left leg during the second half of the Braves MVC home opener against Illinois State (Jan. 13).  A transfer from Hampton University, Rogers was leading the Braves in scoring (12.5 ppg) and rebounding (6.5 rpg), while shooting 54.1 percent from the field.  She sat out the 2006-07 season due to NCAA Division I transfer rules and then missed the first two games of the regular season due to a knee injury.  She had started three games this season, but was averaging 14.3 points and 7.1 rebounds while shooting nearly 60 percent from the field in the nine games she played in off the bench.  Rogers had surgery on Jan. 16 and will be sidelined six to nine months.  She will have one year of eligibility remaining.

 

Braves Draw Second Largest Crowd

    The first meeting in the annual I-74 rivalry between Bradley and Illinois State drew the second largest home crowd in Bradley women’s basketball history when the two teams met Sunday at Robertson Memorial Field House.  A season-best 3,004 fans were on hand to witness the final between the two programs at historic Robertson Memorial Field House.  Sunday’s crowd is second only to the 3,128 fans that came out for the Jan. 6, 2002 home game against Illinois State, in which the Braves downed the Redbirds 71-36. 

 

Merriman Ties School Record

    Senior point guard Rachel Merriman tied the school record for most assists without a turnover at Indiana State (Jan. 10), dishing out eight assists in the Braves’ 65-70 loss to the Sycamores.  In her first season as Bradley’s starting point guard, Merriman has already passed her season total from last year and is one of three players (Jen Brown & Eileen Yerkes) in school history to have two or more games with six assists or better and no turnovers.

 

Most Assists With No Turnovers

Ast.    Player.............................. Opponent & Date

8        Rachel Merriman.... at Indiana State 1/10/08

8        Jen Brown........................ at Creighton 3/2/06

8        Jen Brown................. vs. Indiana State 3/6/04

8        Eileen Yerkes......... vs. Eastern Illinois 2/27/92

 

Hot Or Cold

    Bradley has proved to be very streaky when it comes to shooting from beyond the three-point arc this season.  The Braves currently rank seventh in the Missouri Valley Conference, shooting 32.7 percent from three-point range, but have failed to find any consistency.  Bradley has shot under 30 percent from long range 10 out of 22 games, but have shot 50 percent or better from three-point territory three times.  In fact, the Braves have turned in two of the top four three-point shooting performances in school history this season.  BU shot 64.3 percent (9-for-14) from beyond the arc against Eastern Illinois and nailed 7-of-11 trey’s (63.6 percent) at Indiana State.  The Braves also have two games in which they failed to shoot better than 10 percent from three-point range.  Bradley was 0-for-3 from long range against Southern Illinois (Feb. 2), failing to hit a three-pointer for the first time since an 0-for-10 shooting performance against Northern Iowa on Jan. 8, 2005 and also made just one of 11 trey’s at Creighton.

 

Team 3-Point FG Percentage (Single Game)

 

Heating Up

    Senior Devyn Flanagan appears to be heating up from three-point range.  The Braves active career leader with 95 three-pointers, started out the season slow, making just three of her first 17 three-point field goal attempts.  Flanagan has warmed up from long range as of late, connecting on 15-of-33 three-point attempts (45.5 percent) over the last 14 games, however.    She ranks 10th in school history in three-point field goal percentage (34.3 percent) and needs four made three-pointers to break into Bradley’s career top 10.

 

BU’s Career Three-Point FG Leaders

 

Braves Four-Game Win Streaks Snapped

    Bradley had a four-game win streak snapped in the Missouri Valley Conference opener, suffering a 64-62 loss at Northern Iowa (Jan. 3).  The four-game win streak was the longest since winning four consecutive games in December 2004.  Bradley also had a four-game home win streak snapped by I-74 rival Illinois State (Jan. 13).  The four-game home win streak was the longest since winning five consecutive home games between the end of the 2005-06 season and the start of the 2006-07 campaign.

 

Rogers Named MVC Newcomer Of The Week

    Junior forward Monica Rogers was named the Missouri Valley Conference Newcomer of the Week for the week of Dec. 31 after helping Bradley to a 79-70 home win against UC Davis to wrap up the non-conference schedule.  Rogers scored a team-high 17 points on 7-of-13 shooting off the bench to pace the Braves against the Aggies.  She scored 11 points in the second half and corralled three rebounds in the final 20 minutes or play.  She also added one assist and two steals in 25 minutes of play in the contest.  She is just the third Bradley player to earn Valley Newcomer of the Week, joining teammate Kelly Krumwiede and former Bradley player Amy Fuller.

 

Braves Wrap Up Non-Conference Slate With Winning Mark

    Bradley posted a 79-70 win against UC Davis to wrap up the non-conference portion of the schedule.  The Braves finished the non-conference slate with a winning record (6-5 overall) for the first time since going 7-2 in 2004-05 and finished better than .500 against non-league opponents for just the second time in the last six years.  In 25 years of conference membership, Bradley has finished the non-conference slate with a winning record 13 times.

 

Blowout Streak Ends

    Bradley’s 79-70 victory against UC Davis ended a string of blowouts for the Braves.  The Braves had won three consecutive games by 21 points prior to the nine-point win and each of the previous six games had been decided by an average margin of 23.8 points per game.  The Braves won consecutive road games by 20 or more points for the first time since the 1985-86 season and were the victors in three consecutive games overall by 20 or more for the first time since February 1980.

 

Minnesota Connection Leading From Beyond The Arc

    Minnesota natives Jenny Van Kirk and Renee Frericks have been the best long range bombers for the Braves this season.  Van Kirk has made 15 of her last 35 three-point attempts and is shooting 40.5 percent (15-for-37) on the season.  Frericks tied a school record earlier this season hitting eight three-pointers in the Braves home win against Eastern Illinois and is shooting 35.2 percent from beyond the arc.  The sophomore duo combined for 18 points and was 1-for-7 from beyond the arc last season as freshmen, but are averaging a combined 11.3 points per game and shooting 37.0 percent (40-for-108) from three-point range this season, while the rest of the team is just 46-for-155 (29.7 percent) from beyond the arc.

 

Up Next

    Bradley will open a brief two-game homestand against preseason Missouri Valley Conference favorite Drake on Thursday.  The Braves will be looking to avenge a 75-70 road loss to the Bulldogs from earlier this season and salvage a regular-season series split.  Drake holds a 41-11 advantage in the all-time series with Bradley, including a 17-7 record in games played in Peoria, Ill.  BU has won two of the last three meetings.

 

Flanagan In Rare Air

    Senior Devyn Flanagan was already in elite company to open the season, starting the year in 28th place on the career scoring list.  The senior has since joined an even more elite group as she is one of six players in program history with 900 points, 350 rebounds, 200 assists and 100 steals in a career.  She currently has 920 points, 380 rebounds, 254 assists and 143 steals during her time as a Brave.  Flanagan needs five made three-pointers to join Heather Best as the only players in school history with 900 points, 350 rebounds, 200 assists, 100 steals and 100 made three-pointers.

 

 

 

Frericks Ties School Record

    Sophomore guard Renee Frericks tied a school record with eight three-point baskets in the Braves 83-57 victory against Eastern Illinois (Nov. 27).  Frericks entered the game with nine career points and was 1-for-11 in her career from three-point range, but connected on 8-of-11 trey’s against the Panthers to tie Andrea McAllister’s school record of eight three-pointers set Jan. 27, 1990.  The eight trey’s also broke a Robertson Memorial Field House record, which was held by six individuals (including four former Bradley players) and is tied for the third highest game total in Missouri Valley Conference history.  Frericks finished the game with a career-best 26 points, crushing her previous career high of four points.  She has hit 24 of her last 61 three-point attempts (39.3 percent).

 

In-State Foes

    Sunday’s game at Illinois State was the eighth of nine scheduled games against teams from the state of Illinois.  The Braves are 5-3 against in-state opponents, after going 3-9 against teams from the Prairie State last year.  Bradley ended a nine-game losing streak to in-state opponents that dated back to last December’s home win against Loyola with a 69-62 victory over Illinois-Chicago earlier this season.  The Braves are now 37-27 (.578) against teams from the Land of Lincoln under eighth-year head coach Paula Buscher.  Bradley is 120-140 (.462) against Division I teams from Illinois all-time, but owns an 85-60 (.586) mark against Division I non-conference foes from Illinois.

 

Braves Top 70 For First Time

    Bradley scored a season-high 83 points against Eastern Illinois on Nov. 27, ending a streak of 10 consecutive games in which the Braves didn’t reach the 70-point mark dating back to last season.  The 10-game stretch under 70 points was the first for the Braves since failing to score 70 or more in the first 35 games of intercollegiate competition.  Bradley was held to under 70 points for the entire 1975-76 (11 games) and 1976-77 (18 games) seasons in addition to the first six games of the 1977-78 campaign. 

 

Braves Finish Horizon League Tour

    Bradley’s game at Loyola-Chicago (Dec. 5) marked the Braves’ fourth and final game against Horizon League opponents.  The Braves finished 2-2 against Horizon League teams this season, posting wins against Illinois-Chicago and Loyola.  BU is 37-21 (.638) against current members of the Horizon League, including a 28-18 (.609) record against this year’s Horizon League foes.  Bradley is 15-7 (.682) against current members of the Horizon League under eighth-year head coach Paula Buscher.

 

Braves Dial In From Downtown

    Bradley opened the season struggling from long distance, shooting 26.8 percent (15-for-56) from beyond the arc over the first five games of the season.  The Braves have heated up, however, hitting 71-of-207 (34.3 percent) from three-point range over the last 17 contests.  The Braves rank seventh in the Valley in three-point field goal percentage, shooting 32.7 percent from beyond the arc.

 

Braves Make Trek North To Alaska                          The Bradley women’s basketball team finished fourth at the annual Carrs/Safeway Great Alaska Shootout in Anchorage, Alaska, losing to Santa Clara (61-69) and Cleveland State (61-82).  Tournament host Alaska Anchorage won its second consecutive tournament title.  The Braves were the first Missouri Valley Conference women’s team to participate in the Great Alaska Shootout since Drake and Wichita State both took part in the 1983-84 event.  The Bradley men’s basketball team is the only other team in school history to compete in Alaska, taking part in the 1979 tournament. 

 

Buscher Coaches 300th Game

    Last Thursday’s game against Indiana State was head coach Paula Buscher’s 300th game as a collegiate head coach.  Buscher coached her 200th game at Bradley earlier this season in the Braves home opener against Butler on Nov. 13.  She enters Thursday’s contest at Missouri State with a record of 93-127 (.423) at BU, including a 41-34 (.547) mark against non-conference opponents.  Only Lisa Boyer had a longer tenure as head coach of the Braves, sitting on the Bradley bench for 273 games over 10 seasons.  Buscher is second behind Boyer’s school record 124 victories.  She owns a 136-165 (.452) career coaching mark in her 11th season as a collegiate head coach. 

 

Braves On The Internet

    Bradley women’s basketball fans can catch all of this year’s home and away games via the internet at www.bubraves.com  Free audio will be available for each game in addition to a pay-per-view video stream for all home games and some road contests.

 

See You In St. Charles

    While the 2007-08 season will mark the end of an era with the final season of Robertson Memorial Field House, it also marks the beginning of another era for the Missouri Valley Conference.  After 22 years of playing the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament at campus sites, the 2007-08 State Farm MVC Women’s Basketball Tournament will be the first held at a neutral site.  All 10 teams will advance to this year’s tournament that will be held March 13-16 at the Family Arena in St. Charles, Mo.  All-session tickets are available at the Bradley Athletics Ticket Office for $40.  For ticket information, contact the Bradley Athletics Ticket Office at (309) 677-2625.

 

Field House Finale

                The 2007-08 season will mark the final year for Robertson Memorial Field House.  A new facility, which includes an arena for women’s basketball with seating for 4,500 people, and men’s basketball practice facility is planned for the current site that Robertson Field House sits on.  The Bradley women’s basketball team is 7-4 at home this season and owns a 207-169 (.550) all-time record at the facility.  BU has finished .500 or better in 24 of 32 seasons playing in the building, including this season.  The Braves are 54-46 (.540) at Robertson Field House under head coach Paula Buscher and own a 56-46 (.549) home record during eight years, having won two games played at Carver Arena.