Bradley University Athletics

Women’s Basketball Opens Practice

Duane Zehr, Bradley University ITPS

Women's Basketball 10/1/2017 6:30:00 PM

PEORIA, Ill. -- The 2017-18 Bradley Women's Basketball season is just around the corner with the Braves holding their first official practice of the year Sunday afternoon at Renaissance Coliseum.

Second-year head coach Andrea Gorski welcomes six newcomers to a roster which features nine returning letterwinners, including three starters, from last year's squad that was Bradley's first to post improved overall and MVC win total in the same season since 2008-09.

Sunday's practice was the first of five scheduled for the Braves during the first week of October. Bradley has three weeks of workouts prior to the team's first on-court appearance of the year Saturday, Oct. 21 in the Red-White Scrimmage at Renaissance Coliseum (2 p.m.).

Seven of Bradley's nine returning letterwinners are upperclassmen with senior guards Danielle Brewer and Anneke Schlueter helping headline the group. Schlueter has started 62 consecutive games and is the team's active career scoring leader with 780 points for the most by a Brave entering their senior year since Katie Yohn in 2012-13 after averaging 10.5 points per game. Brewer has started 56 games in her time on The Hilltop and had a late-season surge in 2016-17 in which she averaged 9.6 points per game while shooting 45 percent from three-point range over the final 14 contests.

Sophomore forward Chelsea Brackmann had a big impact during her freshman season, breaking the school record for rebounds by a freshman and earned a spot on the Valley's All-Freshman Team. The first MVC freshman since at least 1995-96 with 235 points, 200 rebounds, 45 assists, 30 blocks and 20 or more steals, Brackmann joined Eileen Yerkes (1991-92) as the only players in program history to reach those marks in a season. She was one of three freshmen in the nation to reach those numbers, joining Joyner Holmes of Texas (Big 12 Freshman of the Year) and Bella Alarie of Princeton (Ivy League Rookie of the Year) in the exclusive group.

Junior Vanessa Markert also helps headline the returning cast after ranking third on the team in scoring at 10.3 points per outing. Jus the fifth Bradley underclassman to score 300 points in a season over the last 11 years, Markert topped 10 points in nine of the last 15 games and averaged 11.3 points per contest during that stretch.

Prior to the Oct. 21 Red-White Scrimmage, fans can meet the 2017-18 Braves at the Bradley Basketball Spaghetti Supper presented by Avanti's, which will be held Thursday, Oct. 19 at the ITOO Hall. Tickets can be purchased in advance at the Bradley Athletics Ticket office or at the door. The cost is $18 for adults, $15 for Braves Club members and $8 for youth (4-14). Children three years of age and under are free.

The Bradley women's basketball team plays its only exhibition game of the year Saturday, Nov. 4 against Upper Iowa (2 p.m.), before opening the 2017-18 regular-season schedule at home Friday, Nov. 10 against Nebraska-Omaha.

For season ticket information contact the Bradley Athletics Ticket office at (309) 677-2625 or email BradleyTicketOffice@bradley.edu

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