Illinois-Chicago Flames (14-15 in 2004-05)
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Bradley Braves (15-13 in 2004-05)
Today's Matchup
Friday's contest between Illinois-Chicago and Bradley will mark the season opener for both teams.
UIC returns six of nine letterwinners and four of five starters from last year's team that finished 14-15 overall and fourth in the Horizon League with a 10-6 record. The Flames lost both of their exhibition games, falling to Odyssey (75-68) and the Chicago Challengers (90-86). The Flames return five of their top six scorers from 2004-05, including three players who averaged better than 10 points per game. Last season, UIC went 4-11 to open the season, including 3-8 in non-conference action, but closed the regular season with a 9-3 record to finish fourth in the Horizon League.
Bradley returns three starters and nine of 15 letterwinners from last season. The Braves finished 15-13 overall and tied for sixth in the Missouri Valley Conference with an 8-10 Valley mark. Junior guard Jen Brown is the Braves top returning scorer after averaging 6.8 points per game. Brown also led Bradley with a 5.0 assists per game average. Senior forward Alex Liberatore is the team's top returning rebounder as she averaged 2.9 boards per contest as a junior. The Braves won both of their exhibition games, defeating Quincy 71-50 and Southern Illinois-Edwardsville (79-54).
Series History
The Braves own a 10-2 advantage in the all-time series with UIC and have won four consecutive meetings in the series dating back to a 66-63 Illinois-Chicago victory on Dec. 29, 1994 in Chicago. Bradley is 5-1 at home against the Flames, including a 3-0 record under sixth-year head coach Paula Buscher. UIC returns six of nine letterwinners, including four starters from last year's squad that finished 14-15 overall and was fourth in the Horizon League with a 10-6 league record.
The Coaches
Paula Buscher (Missouri State, ?86) is in her sixth year at Bradley and has a record of 63-76 (.453) at BU. Buscher led teams to improved records in each of her first five seasons as a collegiate head coach and six of her eight seasons overall. Buscher owns a 106-114 (.482) career record and is in her ninth year as a collegiate head coach. 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.
Lisa Ryckbosch (Loyola ?84) is in her fourth season as head coach at Illinois-Chicago. Ryckbosch has led the Flames to a 43-42 (.506) record in her three years at UIC, including a second place finish in the Horizon League in her first season.
Season Openers
Bradley will open its 31st season of competition Friday against Illinois-Chicago at 11:35 a.m. at Robertson Memorial Field House. The Braves own a 17-13 mark in season openers and are 12-5 when opening the season at home. Bradley will be opening the season at home for the second consecutive year after opening the season on the road for the previous four years. The Braves are 21-9 overall in home openers, including a 3-2 mark in home openers under sixth-year head coach Paula Buscher.
Braves Go 2-0 In Exhibition Games
Bradley closed out the exhibition portion of the schedule with a perfect 2-0 record, defeating Southern Illinois-Edwardsville 79-54 Saturday. Four Bradley players scored in double figures with Amy Peters, Jen Brown and Erika Nelson each scoring 13 points. Freshman Kelly Krumwiede added 12 points, eight rebounds, two assists and three steals off the bench. The Braves had a 35-25 edge in rebounding and came away with 17 steals, while forcing 26 SIU-Edwardsville turnovers.
Peters led the Braves in scoring and rebounding in the two exhibition games, averaging 12.0 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. Brown and Nelson both averaged 11.0 points per game in the pair of victories.
SIU-Edwardsville Recap
Bradley dominated the glass and forced 26 SIU-Edwardsville turnovers en route to a 79-54 victory in the final exhibition game on the slate for the Braves. Four Bradley players scored in double figures, with a total of seven players scoring seven or more points. Juniors Jen Brown, Erika Nelson and Amy Peters each scored 13 points, while freshman forward Kelly Krumwiede added 12 points. Peters and Krumwiede tied for team-high honors with eight rebounds. The Braves shot 47.8 percent from the field and held a 35-25 rebounding advantage. Brown hit 6-of-9 shots from the field and also added five steals in 25 minutes of play.
Quincy Recap
Junior Amy Peters led all scorers with 11 points and seven Bradley players totalled seven or more points as the Braves used a 20-4 run in the second half to put away Quincy in the team's exhibition opener. Junior guards Erika Nelson and Jen Brown both added nine points, with Brown also tying for game-high honors with six assists. The Braves forced 29 Quincy turnovers and had a 26-17 edge in points off turnovers. Junior Ashley Chelleen had eight points and three blocked shots while hitting four-of-five shots from the field.
Up Next
Bradley closes out its two-game season-opening homestand Monday against Valparaiso at 7:05 p.m. at Robertson Memorial Field House. The Braves will consecutive home games to open a season for the first time since the 1996-97 season. Bradley and Valparaiso will be meeting for the first time since the 1985-86 season and just the fifth time in the all-time series. The Braves are 4-0 against the Crusaders, having scored 85 or more points in all four meetings. Valparaiso is coming off an 18-10 season in which the Crusaders tied for second in the Mid-Continent Conference.
Braves Picked Eighth In Preseason Valley Poll
Bradley was picked to finish eighth in the Missouri Valley Conference in 2005-06 according to a vote of Valley coaches, sports information directors and media. The Braves, which have finished tied for sixth or better in each of the last three seasons, received 99 points in the poll to finish seven points ahead of ninth-place Wichita State and 91 points behind seventh-place finisher Illinois State. Indiana State received 34 of a possible 40 first-place votes to finish first in the voting.
MVC Preseason Poll
Rank Team (First-Place Votes).................. Points
1. Indiana State (34)................................... 393
2. Missouri State (3)................................... 349
3. Creighton (3)......................................... 302
4. Drake................................................... 271
5. Northern Iowa........................................ 219
6. Evansville............................................ 207
7. Illinois State........................................... 190
8. Bradley................................................. 99
9. Wichita State........................................... 92
10. Southern Illinois....................................... 78
Red-White Recap
The play of the frontcourt and three of Bradley's four freshmen highlighted play at the annual Red-White scrimmage on Oct. 28. Freshman Mari Korton was forced to sit due to a knee injury bet fellow freshmen Venessa Ostergaard, Skye Johnson and Kelly Krumwiede combined for 22 points on 9-of-18 shooting, 12 rebounds, six assists, two turnovers and three steals. Krumwiede also helped highlight the play of the frontcourt as she tallied 11 points of 4-of-6 shooting to go along with eight rebounds and two steals. Krumwiede joined junior centers Ashley Chelleen and Amy Peters to combine for 33 points and 21 of the Braves 38 rebounds on the night. Peters joined Krumwiede as the only player in double figures with 14 points on 6-of-8 shooting. Chelleen hit 3-of-4 shots and finished the eight points as the trio shot 72 percent from the field (13-of-18).
Experience Returning
Despite losing six letterwinners from last year's squad, Bradley has quite a bit of experience returning in its nine letterwinners. The group has combined to play in 437 games or an average of 48 per individual and have 140 starts. Seven of the nine returnees have started at least two games in their career with four individuals owning 17 starts or more. Juniors Jen Brown (55 starts) and Erika Nelson (43 starts) are the most experienced on the roster having both played over 1,000 minutes in their two-year careers.
Braves Post Winning Record
The Braves finished the 2004-05 season with a 15-13 record, marking the first winning season since the 2001-02 campaign. Bradley tied for sixth place in the final regular-season Valley standings for the third consecutive year and finished with a winning mark for the 13th time in the program's 30 years. The Braves 24 Valley victories over the last three years are the most by a Bradley squad since 1990-93.
Chelleen Ranks As Active Scoring Leader
Junior center Ashley Chelleen enters the 2005-06 season as the Braves active career scoring leader with 416 points. Bradley will open a season without a 500-point scorer on the roster for the first time since the 1999-2000 season when Nyagon Duany was the team's active scoring leader with 294 points. The only other Bradley squads in the last 25 years to open a season without a 500-point scorer were the 1992-93, 1985-86 and 1984-85 squads. Chelleen averaged 9.6 points per game as a freshman and was named to the Valley's All-Freshman team in 2002-03.
Road Warriors
Part of the reason for Bradley's success last year was the Braves ability to win on the road. Bradley finished with an 8-7 record in road and neutral contests, including a 7-6 mark in true road games. The Braves finished with a winning road record for the first time since the 1996-97 season, when the team finished 16-12 overall and 9-9 in conference play. Only three other conference foes finished with a better record away from home, with two of those teams advancing to postseason play (Missouri State and Creighton).
Brown Leads Valley In Assist-To-
Turnover Ratio For Second Straight Year
Junior Jen Brown led the Missouri Valley Conference in assist-to-turnover ratio for the second consecutive year, averaging 1.93 assists to every turnover. Brown was even better in conference play, owning a league-best 2.08 assist-to-turnover ratio. As a freshman she led the conference with a 1.78 assist-to-turnover ratio and was named to the MVC's all-freshman team.
MVC Assist/Turnover Ratio (2004-05)
Rank Name (Team).................................... Ratio
1. *Jen Brown (Bradley).......................... 1.93
2. Laura Spanheimer (Creighton)................. 1.66
3. *Melanie Boeglin (Indiana State)............... 1.63
4. *Kari Koch (Missouri State)..................... 1.47
5. Jaci McCormack (Illinois State)............... 1.39
* - Indicates returners for 2005-06.
Buscher To Take Over Second On Wins List
Sixth-year Bradley head coach Paula Buscher enters the year tied for second on the Braves career coaching victories list. Buscher is tied with Jan Winkler for second in wins at Bradley with 63. While Buscher will likely assume sole possession of second place in the early going of the 2005-06 season, she still has a long way to go to catch Lisa Boyer, who ranks as BU's all-time winningest coach with a 124-149 record.
Bradley Coaching Victories
Rank Name................................. Overall Record
1. Lisa Boyer (1986-96)........................ 124-149
T2. Jan Winkler (1977-81).......................... 63-31
T2. Paula Buscher (2000-present)............ 63-76
4. Angela Beck (1983-86)......................... 38-44
5. Donna Frietag (1996-2000).................... 37-69
6. Joe Stowell (1981-83).......................... 33-22
7. Annelle Griffin (1975-77)......................... 5-24
Nelson Voted Most Improved
Junior guard Erika Nelson was voted the teams Most Improved Player following the 2004-05 season and it was her play down the stretch that helped secure the award. A starter in 43 games in her first two seasons, Nelson averaged 9.2 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game during the final nine contests of the year. Arguably the Braves most consistent player throughout much of the season, Nelson improved her outside shot. As a freshman she failed to make a three-point attempt, but in 2004-05 she made 14-of-28 three-pointers and connected on 33 of her 36 free throw attempts (.917).
MVC Tournament Changes
The Missouri Valley Conference announced several changes to the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Tournament schedule for March 9-12 in Springfield, Mo. The most notable change is that all 10 teams will participate in the postseason event for the first time in conference history. The other major change was shifting of the tournament schedule from a Thursday, Friday, Saturday event to Thursday through Sunday due to the format change. The bracket will mirror the Valley's men's basketball tournament with the #7 through #10 seeds playing Thursday night with the winners advancing to Friday's quarterfinals to face the #1 and #2 seeds.
Brown Nears Top 10 In Assists
Junior Jen Brown ranked second in the Missouri Valley Conference in assists per game, averaging 4.96 assists per game in 2004-05. Brown's 139 assists last season were the most by a Bradley player since Tammy Van Oppen dished out 141 assists in 1996-97. With two years of eligibility remaining she is poised to climb into the Braves top 10 career leaders in assists and needs just 103 assists to move into third place all-time. Brown needs just eight assists to pass Erika Grogg for 10th on the Braves career list. She is the fourth player in program history to have 100 or more assists in back-to-back seasons and could join Kathy Stokes and Judy Burns as the only players to lead the team in assists in three different seasons.
Bradley's Assists Leaders (Season)
Rank Name (Year).......................... Total Assists
1. Kathy Stokes (1979-80)........................... 256
2. Judy Burns (1981-82)............................. 230
3. Judy Burns (1982-83)............................. 183
4. Kathy Stokes (1980-81)........................... 181
5. Tammy Van Oppen (1996-97).................. 141
6. Jen Brown (2004-05)............................. 139
7. Mary Lynn Schafer (1980-81).................. 129
Karin Nicholls (1989-90).......................... 129
Bradley's Career Assists Leaders
Rank Name (Years)......................... Total Assists
1. Kathy Stokes (1977-81)........................... 543
2. Judy Burns (1981-84)............................. 529
3. Andrea McAllister (1988-92)..................... 360
4. Dawn Cartwright (1992-96)...................... 353
5. Val Wancket (1987-91)............................ 338
6. Heather Best (1995-99)............................ 330
7. Karen Anderson (1979-83)....................... 302
8. Shelli Braud (1984-88)............................. 290
9. Nancy Zoros (1984-88)........................... 277
10. Erika Grogg (1990-94)............................. 265
11. Karin Nicholls (1986-90).......................... 264
12. Lora Weber (1998-02)............................. 258
Jen Brown (2003-present)..................... 258
Braves Welcome Four In 2005-06
Bradley picked up a pair of speedy guards and solid forwards for the 2005-06 season as the Braves welcomed 5-7 guard Skye Johnson (Olympia Fields, Ill./Marian Catholic), a 5-9 guard in Venessa Ostergaard (Apple Valley, Minn./Eastview), 6-1 forward Mari Korton (Coon Rapids, Minn./Andover) and Kelly Krumwiede (Glen Ellyn, Ill./Glenbard West), a 6-0 forward.
Minnesotans Unite
With the addition of Minnesota natives Venessa Ostergaard and Mari Korton, Bradley will feature three Minnesotans on the roster in 2005-06. The duo joins sophomore guard and fellow Minnesota native Libby Magnuson. Prior to Magnuson's arrival on The Hilltop, the Braves boasted only two other Minnesota products in Bonita Fricke (1992-93) and Megan McKee (1995-96).
