Women’s Basketball Opens Road Swing Saturday At Illinois

Daryl Wilson

Women's Basketball 11/16/2017 3:20:00 PM

PEORIA, Ill. -- Bradley Women's Basketball will face its first road test of the 2017-18 season Saturday, kicking off a season-long four-game road swing with a 2 p.m. game at Illinois as the Braves try for the first 3-0 start to a season since 2004-05.

After posting back-to-back home victories to start the year, Bradley (2-0 overall) puts its unblemished record on the line Saturday afternoon in the first meeting with Illinois (2-1 overall) since the Braves opened the 2013-14 season with a 98-92 victory over the Illini at Renaissance Coliseum on Nov. 8, 2013. Bradley has won the last two matchups against Illinois and three of the last five in the series, which includes an 83-77 win on Nov. 15, 2012 in the last game in the series played at the State Farm Center in Champaign, Ill.

Saturday's game will be streamed on BTN Plus (http://bit.ly/2mBmYSS). In addition, Ed Hammond will handle the radio broadcast on WIRL 1290 AM with links to the audio stream available at BradleyBraves.com

Bradley has won three of its last four games against teams from the Big Ten Conference with Saturday's outing marking the first Big Ten foe for the Braves since a Dec. 19, 2015 contest at #24 Iowa. BU will play a Big Ten squad for the 12th time in the last 15 seasons and owns a 4-3 mark in the last seven matchups with Big Ten teams. Both of Bradley's road victories against teams from the Big Ten have come at Illinois (2012-13 & 2004-05).

Road openers have been kind to the Braves of late, with Bradley going 4-2 in the first road game of the season over the last six years. Bradley will play its first true road game of the year in the state of Illinois for the 21st time in 43 years, but just the second time in the last five seasons. Nine of the last 15 road victories for the Braves have come in the state of Illinois.

Defense has been a big part of Bradley's success so far this season as the Braves have held their first two opponents of a season under 60 points for the first time since 2011-12. In fact, it's just the fifth time in program history the Braves limited their first two foes to fewer than 60 points with three of the four previous times resulting in a final overall record of 18-16 or better. Dating back to last season, four of Bradley's last five opponents have failed to reach the 60-point mark.

While Wednesday's opponent (Lincoln [Mo.] University) had the third lowest field goal percentage for a Bradley opponent in program history, the Braves have consistently played stingy defense of late. Going back to last season, the Braves have held five consecutive teams to less than 40 percent field goal shooting.

The bench has also been big for Bradley so far this season with the reserves outscoring their counterparts 72-20 so far on the year. Bradley's reserves had 53 points Wednesday night to mark just the second time in the last six seasons the BU bench combined for 50 points. Reserves have accounted for nearly 46 percent of Bradley's minutes so far this season and combined to average 36.0 points, 30.5 rebounds, 8.5 assists, 2.5 blocks and 3.0 steals while shooting 49.2 percent from the field.

Junior Vanessa Markert has collected a Missouri Valley Conference leading seven blocked shots through two games and the Braves have tallied 15 rejections as a team. Markert, who had four blocks in just 15 minutes Wednesday against Lincoln, has turned back 15 shots in her last five games going back to last year. In addition to her defense, Markert is leading the Braves in scoring at 14.5 points per game on nearly 60 percent shooting.

Following Saturday's game at Illinois, Bradley will travel to Cape Girardeau, Mo., for the Southeast Missouri State Thanksgiving Classic. The Braves open the event Friday, Nov. 24 at 1 p.m. against Nicholls State and will face tournament-host Southeast Missouri State Saturday, Nov. 25 at 3:15 p.m.

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