Northern Illinois at Bradley Game Notes (Dec. 17, 2006)

Northern Illinois at Bradley Game Notes (Dec. 15, 2006)

Bradley University Women's Basketball 12/16/2006 6:00:00 AM

Today's Matchup

Bradley will be looking to extend its five-game home win streak against Northern Illinois Sunday afternoon after suffering a 69-83 loss at Illinois-Chicago Friday night.

Northern Illinois enters Sunday's game with a four-game winning streak after defeating Western Illinois 62-45 on Dec. 7 in DeKalb., and bring a 6-2 record into the contest. The Huskies lone losses are a 73-67 home loss to IUPUI and three-point (68-71) setback at nationally ranked DePaul. NIU owns victories against Illinois State, Illinois, Chicago State, Cincinnati, Northwestern and Western Illinois this season.

The Huskies returned 10 of 13 letterwinners, including four starters from last year's squad that finished 12-17 overall and was fifth in their division of the MAC with a 7-9 league mark.

One of the shortest players on either roster at 5-5, senior guard Stephanie Raymond is averaging 20.0 points and 5.6 assists per game to lead NIU. Junior Whitney Lowe is averaging 13.0 points and 6.5 rebounds per game, while senior Kristin Wiener leads the team in rebounding at 8.1 boards per game to go along with 12.8 points per contest.

Northern Illinois ranks among the nation's best three-point shooting teams, having connected on 41.6 percent of its three-point attempts and averaging 8.4 made three-pointers per game. The Huskies also have six players on the roster that are six-foot or taller and are averaging 39.2 boards per game. NIU is averaging 14.6 assists per game, but commits just 14.3 turnovers per contest and giving up 61.8 points per game.

Bradley has alternated wins and losses the last seven games and needs a victory Sunday against the Huskies to continue that trend.

The Braves returned their top five scorers from 2005-06 and six of the top seven scorers from last season. Sophomore Kelly Krumwiede has posted double-doubles in four of the last six games and leads the team in both scoring and rebounding at 13.2 points and 8.0 rebounds per game. Senior Erika Nelson is averaging a career-best 13.1 points per game and leads the team with 24 made three-pointers. The team's leading scorer in 2005-06, junior guard Devyn Flanagan is averaging 12.4 points and 3.4 rebounds per game. Senior Amy Peters is also near double figures, tossing in 9.1 points per game.

The Braves are averaging 73.2 points per game and shooting nearly 41 percent from the field. The Braves are third in the MVC in rebounding, averaging 39.2 boards per game and owns a +2.1 rebounding margin on the season.

Nelson tossed in a game-high 19 points Friday at Illinois-Chicago, hitting 5-of-9 three-pointers. Flanagan was the only other Bradley player in double figures, as she added 13 points.

Northern Illinois Series

Bradley and Northern Illinois will be meeting for the eighth time overall and for the first time since the 2003-04 season. Northern Illinois holds a 4-3 edge in the all-time series, but the Braves have won three of the last four meetings. The Huskies will be playing in Peoria for the fifth time in program history and the series is knotted 2-2 in games played at Bradley. The Braves posted a 53-48 victory against Northern Illinois the last time the two teams met on Dec. 21, 2003 in Peoria.

The Coaches

Paula Buscher (Missouri State, ?86) is in her seventh year at Bradley and has a record of 76-100 (.432) at BU. Buscher led teams to improved records in each of her first five seasons as a collegiate head coach and six of her nine seasons overall. Buscher owns a 119-138 (.463) career record and is in her 10th 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.

Carol Owens (Northern Illinois ?95) is in her second season at her alma mater and owns an 18-19 (.486) record in that time. In her first season at NIU, she led the Huskies to a 12-17 overall record and fifth-place finish in the West Division of the Mid-American Conference. Owens needs seven more victories to lead the Huskies to an improved record each of her first two seasons.

Stats At A Glance

Bradley...................................... Northern Illinois

73.2................... Points Per Game................... 73.4

74.9............. Points Allowed Per Game............. 61.8

.408................ Field Goal Percentage................ .428

.443.......... Field Goal Percentage Defense.......... .375

.338........................ 3-Pt. FG%........................ .416

.768...................... Free Throw%..................... .817

39.2................. Rebounds Per Game................ 39.2

14.3............. Offensive Reb. Per Game............. 11.4

+2.1.................... Rebound Margin.................... +3.4

16.4................... Assists Per Game.................. 14.6

18.0................ Turnovers Per Game................ 14.3

3.0..................... Blocks Per Game.................... 3.3

8.4..................... Steals Per Game..................... 6.0

Deadly Accurate From The Line

Bradley shot 92.9 percent from the free throw line in Friday's loss at Illinois-Chicago, hitting 13-of-14 free throw attempts. The Braves 92.9 free throw percentage in the game against the Flames, ranks as the seventh best effort in school history and marks the best team free throw percentage in a contest since making 15-of-16 free throw attempts against Evansville on Feb. 2, 2004. For the season, Bradley is shooting 76.8 percent from the charity stripe as a squad. The team record for free throw percentage was set during the 1993-94 season when the Braves shot 75.1 percent from the line as a team.

Home Win Streak On The Line

Bradley's five-game home winning streak is on the line Sunday when Northern Illinois visits Robertson Field House for a 2:05 p.m. game. Bradley posted a 79-59 home victory against Loyola last Sunday to extend their home win streak to five games. The Braves five-game home win streak is the longest since winning five straight home contests midway through the 2002-03 season. Bradley's five-game home win streak is currently tied for the longest active streak in the conference.

Touring The Horizon League

Friday's game at Illinois-Chicago makred the third this season against a current member of the Horizon League. The Braves also played a game at Valparaiso, which will be joining the Horizon League next year, earlier this season. Bradley finished 1-3 against its “Horizon League” opponents this season and is now 11-5 (.688) under seventh-year head coach Paula Buscher against team's that will be part of the Horizon League membership in 2007-08. Including a 5-1 record against Valparaiso, the Braves are 35-19 (.648) against the schools that make up the Horizon League all-time.

Up Next

Bradley will close out the non-conference portion of the schedule at home against Big Ten opponent Illinois on Dec. 21. The Illini will be visiting Robertson Memorial Field House for the second consecutive season and just the fourth time overall. Illinois owns a 7-1 lead in the all-time series, including a 3-0 mark in Peoria. The Braves lone victory in the series was at Assembly Hall on Dec. 7, 2004, as Bradley posted a 70-67 victory over the Illini.

Bradley Closes Out Non-Conference Play With Two-Game Homestand

Bradley concludes its non-conference schedule with a two-game homestand beginning with Sunday's game against Northern Illinois. The Braves will play a total of nine opponents and 11 games against teams that hail from the Prairie State. Bradley is 3-2 against instate foes this season and own a 32-18 (.640) against instate Division I opponents under seventh-year head coach Paula Buscher. In fact the Braves have finished .500 or better against those opponents in all but one season (2003-04 - 3-5 record) since the start of the 2000-01 campaign.

Braves Drop Seventh Straight Road Game

Friday's loss at Illinois-Chicago extended Bradley's road losing streak to seven games. The Braves will look to end that skid in their Missouri Valley Conference opener at Northern Iowa on Dec. 29. Bradley's last road victory was an 80-63 win at Creighton on March 2, 2006. Bradley finished the non-conference portion of the schedule with an 0-5 road record. The Braves will hopefully end their road woes soon as they open MVC play with five of the first seven Valley games on the road.

Double Trouble

Sophomore Kelly Krumwiede had eight points nad eight rebounds in Bradley's last outing at Illinois-Chicago, ending a three-game streak of double-doubles for the forward. Krumwiede has scored in double figures in all but two games this season, finishing with eight points both times she failed to reach double figures in the scoring column and currently leads the team in both scoring (13.2 ppg) and rebounding (8.0). Krumwiede had notched double-doubles in four of five games prior to the UIC contest, as she averaged 13.2 points, 9.4 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.2 steals per game during her recent tear. Krumwiede is the only player in the Missouri Valley Conference to rank in the top 10 in scoring, rebounding and field goal percentage.

Brown's Start Streak Ends

Senior Jen Brown was not in the starting lineup for last Sunday's game against Loyola, ending her streak for starts at 45. It marked just the second time in her career that Brown came off the bench and she responded with 14 points, three assists and three steals with no turnovers. Brown had started each of the first 45 games of her career before coming off the bench against Creighton on Jan. 30, 2005. She has started 91 of the 93 games in her career and currently ranks fifth in career starts.

Finding The Range

Senior Erika Nelson has connected on 13 three-pointers over the last three games to push her team and career-high for three-pointers to 24 after just nine games and has already matched her career total for made three-pointers from her first three seasons. Nelson, who has made 13-of-23 (56.5 percent) over the last three games, entered the season with 24 made three-pointers and had a career three-point field goal percentage of 33.8 percent (24-for-71), but has made 24 of 55 three-point attempts this season (43.6 percent). Nelson is averaging 13.1 points per game this season and has already passed her season point total from last season.

Krumwiede Named Scholar-Athlete of the Week

Sophomore Kelly Krumwiede was named the Prairie Farms/Missouri Valley Conference Scholar-Athlete of the week announced last Thursday. Enrolled in Bradley's Academic Exploration Program, she owns a 3.90 cumulative grade point average and posted a pair of double-doubles during the previous week's action, averaging 15.0 points and 10 rebounds per game, while shooting 54.5 percent (12-for-22) from the field as she helped Bradley to a 1-1 record. Krumwiede, who has four double-doubles in the last five games, opened the week with a 10-point, 10-rebound effort in the Braves loss at Valparaiso. Krumwiede had arguably her best outing of the year in Bradley's victory against Loyola, posting 20 points on 9-of-14 shooting and also added 10 rebounds, one assist and one blocked shot.

Chelleen Moves Up To 24th In Scoring

Senior center Ashley Chelleen moved into 24th place on the Braves scoring list after an eight-point effort Friday at Illinois-Chicago. Chelleen is currently 24th with 709 points and needs 55 points to pass Tammy Van Oppen for 23rd place. She is averaging 8.7 points per game and is on pace to finish the regular-season with 882 points which would rank 16th. Fellow senior Amy Peters cracked into the top 30 on the scoring list, passing former teammate Va'Nicia Waterman and now has 649 points, while fellow senior Jen Brown is 33rd with 629 points.

Bradley's Career Scoring Leaders

Rank Name (Years).......................... Total Points

1. Karen Anderson (1979-83).................... 1,679

2. Shelli Braud (1984-88).......................... 1,605

3. Connie Griffith (1977-81)....................... 1,583

4. Judy Burns (1981-84).......................... 1,544

5. Sara Bailey (1999-03).......................... 1,541

6. Karin Nicholls (1986-90)....................... 1,461

7. Heather Best (1995-99)......................... 1,447

8. Carrie Coffman (1991-95)...................... 1,313

9. Genny Mueller (2001-05)...................... 1,269

10. Eileen Yerkes (1988-92)....................... 1,120

11. Val Wancket (1987-91)......................... 1,048

12. Dena Williams (2001-05)....................... 1,030

13. Carol Baresch (1986-89)....................... 1,018

14. Andrea McAllister (1988-92)..................... 980

15. Jenn Jolley (1997-01)............................. 920

16. Roxanne Grabow (1979-83).................... 836

17. Maureen Hogan (1978-82)....................... 831

Michelle Nason (1993-95)........................ 831

19. Erika Grogg (1990-94)............................. 816

20. Kathy Stokes (1977-81)........................... 802

21. Karen Richardson (1979-81).................... 798

22. Audrey DeClue (1984-88)........................ 784

23. Tammy Van Oppen (1995-97).................. 763

24. Ashley Chelleen (2002-present)............ 709

25. Heidi Nelson (1987-91)............................ 705

26. Liza Reed (1991-95)............................... 699

27. Dawn Cartwright (1992-96)...................... 666

28. Carolyn Hagerty (1993-95)...................... 653

29. Amy Peters (2003-present).................... 649

30. Va'Nicia Waterman (2001-05)................... 645

31. Dana Anderson (1994-98)........................ 641

32. Sheila Jenkins (1989-91)......................... 638

33. Jen Brown (2003-present)..................... 629

Texas Two-Step

Bradley is 3-3 all-time in games played in the state of Texas after going 1-1 and finishing third at the Hoops for the Cure Classic. The Braves have played in in-season tournaments at Rice in 1990-91 and again in 1995-96, going 1-1 each time, before this year's trip to Dallas, Texas. Bradley is 1-3 against teams from the state of Texas, having defeated Texas Southern during a tournament in Pullman, Wash., in the 1992-93 season and going 0-2 against Rice, in addition to this season's loss at SMU.

In-Season Tournaments

Bradley is 7-7 in in-season tournaments under head coach Paula Buscher and has finished second or better in four of the seven tournaments during her tenure. The Braves are 22-23 during in-season tournaments since the start of 1985-86 season, including a 17-13 mark since 1993-94. Bradley has finished second or better in seven of 15 tournaments since the beginning of 1993-94 campaign.

Getting To The Line

Bradley has done a much better job of getting to the free throw line this season, averaging 22.6 free throw attempts per game through the first nine contests. The Braves averaged just 16.3 free throw attempts per game last season and haven't averaged better than 22 free throw attempts per game since the 2002-03 season (22.3 attempts per game). Bradley has also made the most of its opportunities at the line, making 17.3 free throws per game and shooting .768 from the line.

Hitting The Road Early and Often

Bradley is hitting the road early and often in 2006-07. The Braves game at Illinois-Chicago Friday was the sixth game away from home this season, compared to just three home games to date. After the brief two-game homestand to conclude non-conference play, Bradley will open league action with five of the first seven Valley games on the road giving the Braves a stretch of 11 of the first 18 games away from home to open the year. Bradley will close the season with seven of the final 11 games at Robertson Memorial Field House.

Brown Moves Into Top Three In Assists

Senior guard Jen Brown moved into third place on Bradley's career assist list, dishing out five assists in the Braves 90-77 victory against Western Illinois (Nov. 20). Brown passed Andrea McAllister for third place on the all-time list and now has 382 career assists. Brown will likely end her career in third place as she needs 147 assists to catch Judy Burns for second place. The fourth player in program history to have 100 or more assists in back-to-back seasons, Brown joined Kathy Stokes and Burns as the only players in school history to lead the team in assists in three different seasons and has a chance to be the only individual to accomplish that feat all four years.

Bradley's Career Assists Leaders

Rank Name (Years)......................... Total Assists

1. Kathy Stokes (1977-81)........................... 543

2. Judy Burns (1981-84)............................. 529

3. Jen Brown (2003-present)..................... 382

4. Andrea McAllister (1988-92)..................... 360

5. Dawn Cartwright (1992-96)...................... 353

Krumwiede Collects All-Tournament Honors

Sophomore Kelly Krumwiede was named to the all-tournament team at the Hoops for the Cure Classic in Dallas, Texas, helping the Braves to a 1-1 record, averaging 10.0 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.5 steals per game in the two games.

Offensive Explosion

Bradley is averaging 73.2 points per game through the first nine games of the 2006-07 season after averaging 63.1 points per contest last season. The Braves scored a season-high 90 points against Western Illinois (Nov. 20), marking the highest point total for Bradley since netting 95 points against Loyola on Dec. 4, 2004. The Braves have scored 73 points or more five times in the first nine games, after topping the 73-point mark just five times during the 2005-06 season.

On The Mark

Sophomore Kelly Krumwiede has opened the season strong, averaging 13.2 points and shooting 58.8 percent from the field through the first nine games. Krumwiede, who scored in double figures five times as a freshman, has scored in double figures in seven of nine games, with the lone acceptions being eight-point efforts at SMU and at Illinois-Chicago. Krumwiede is also the team's top rebounder, pulling down 8.0 boards per game and has posted double-doubles in four of the last six games.

Chelleen Moves Into Sixth On Blocks List

Senior Ashley Chelleen matched a career-best with three blocked shots against Western Illinois (Nov. 20) to take over sixth place on Bradley's career blocked shot list. Chelleen entered the game tied with Sara Bailey and Lynn Pastucha for seventh place with 51 blocks, but her three rejections, pushed her past Karin Nicholls (53 blocks), into sixth place. Chelleen has turned back 58 shots during her time on The Hilltop and is currently 28 blocks behind Tami Van Galder for fifth place.

Bradley's Career Blocked Shots Leaders

Rank Name (Years)......................... Total Blocks

1. Dena Williams (2001-05).......................... 197

2. Heather Best (1995-99)............................ 153

3. Krisha Green (1993-97)........................... 106

4. Eileen Yerkes (1988-92).......................... 105

5. Tami Van Galder (1991-95)....................... 86

6. Ashley Chelleen (2002-present).............. 59

7. Karin Nicholls (1986-90)............................ 53

Bench Comes Alive

Bradley's bench averaged just 13.0 points per game in the first three games of the 2006-07 season, but has come alive as of late, averaging 26.5 points per game over the last six outings. The Braves reserves have scored 20 or more points in each of the last six games and have outscored their opponents by an average of 4.7 points per game during that stretch after getting outscored by 10.3 points per game the first three games of the year.

Season Openers

Bradley opened its 32nd season of competition with a 67-60 victory against Chicago State on Nov. 11. The Braves are now 19-13 all-time in season openers, including a 14-5 when opening the season at home. Bradley opened the season at home for the fourth consecutive year and is now 23-9 overall in home openers and improved to 5-2 in season openers under seventh-year head coach Paula Buscher.

Road Openers

Bradley's game at Eastern Illinois (Nov. 14) marked the first of 14 true road games on the schedule for the 2006-07. Bradley opened the road portion of its schedule with a 92-75 loss to Eastern Illinois in Charleston, Ill., and fell to 14-18 in road openers. The Braves are now 3-4 in road openers under seventh-year head coach Paula Buscher.

Returners Continue to Shine

Bradley's six returning players stole the show for the Braves in the team's season-opening victory against Chicago State and have continued to shine. Despite a roster that features six newcomers, Bradley received all 67 points in its win against the Cougars from the six returning players. The group also combined for 40 of Bradley's 49 rebounds, all 11 steals and 16 of the team's 18 assists. On the season, Bradley's newcomers have combined for 86 points (9.6 points per game) or 13.1 percent of the offense and 73 rebounds (21 percent).

Live Audio

Audio for all of Bradley's home and away games will be available on the Bradley Athletics website at www.bubraves.com

In previous seasons only home and select road contests were available on the Braves website, but audio for all 29 regular-season games will be available free of charge via the internet.

Bradley also has a pay-per-view video stream available for all home games at www.bubraves.tv

New Faces

Bradley welcomed seven new players for the 2006-07 season, which includes four junior college transfers, a Division I transfer and two freshmen. Chasity Cotton (Little Rock, Ark./J.A. Fair Magnet H.S./Arkansas-Ft.

Smith) is the first player in program history from the state of Arkansas. Local product Rachel Merriman (Peoria, Ill./Notre Dame H.S./Illinois Central College) will help in the backcourt, along with fellow junior college transfer Felicia Nekmouche (Uppsala, Sweden/Katedral H.S./Kankakee C.C.), who is the fourth foreign-born player in program history. Jasmin Wright (Beale Air Force Base, Calif./Wheatland H.S./Yuba College) is the sister of former Bradley men's basketball player Lawrence Wright. The Braves also added two freshmen in Renee Frericks (Wyoming, Minn./Forest Lake H.S.), a 5-10 guard and Jenny Van Kirk (Waconia, Minn./Waconia) a 6-1 forward. Rounding out the newcomers is Monica Rogers (Forsyth, Ill./St. Teresa H.S./Hampton), a 6-1 forward who transferred from Hampton. Rogers will sit out the 2006-07 season due to NCAA rules regarding Division I transfers.

Steadying Force In The Lineup

Over the past three-plus seasons one thing has almost always been certain about the Braves starting lineup - senior point guard Jen Brown has been in it. Brown has started 91 of the 93 games since the start of the 2003-04 season, missing a total of two starts, with one coming during her sophomore year (2004-05) and the other being the Dec. 3 game against Loyola. She is currently in fifth in school history in starts since the start of the 1984-85 season with 91 and needs just eight starts to pass Shelli Braud for fourth place. Brown needs 19 starts to break Dawn Cartwright's school record of 108 starts. Erika Nelson is the only other player on the roster to start more than 40 games, owning 63 starts.

Bradley's Career Starts Leaders Since 1984-85

Rank Name (Years)................................... Starts

1. Dawn Cartwright (1992-96)...................... 108

2. Heather Best (1995-99)............................ 107

3. Karin Nicholls (1986-90).......................... 105

4. Shelli Braud (1984-88).............................. 98

5. Jen Brown (2003-present)...................... 91

6. Andrea McAllister (1988-92)....................... 86

Chelleen Slips Into Second In Shooting Accuracy

Senior center Ashley Chelleen currenlty ranks second behind Kim Harris for Bradley's career field goal percentage mark at 52.7 percent. Chelleen entered the year as the Braves career leader but has made 30-of-64 shots to open the season and has slipped into second place behind Kim Harris by mere percentage points. Chelleen has made 52.7 percent of her shots as a Brave (272-of-516), while Harris owns a career field goal percentage of 53.145 percent (245-for-461). Fellow senior Amy Peters ranks 11th in school history in field goal percentage at 46.1 percent.

BU Career Field Goal Percentage

FG% Name (Years)................................ FG-FGA

.531 Kim Harris (1984-86)......................... 245-461

.527 Ashley Chelleen (2002-present)...... 272-516

.523 Tami Van Galder (1991-95)................ 218-417

.512 Audrey DeClue (1984-88).................. 301-587

.506 Connie Griffith (1977-81).................. 636-1257

.495 Krisha Green (1993-97)..................... 240-425

.490 Carrie Coffman (1991-95)................. 552-1127

.481 Sheila Jenkins (1989-91)................... 273-567

.477 Karen Richardson (1979-81).............. 335-702

.473 Kathy Stokes (1977-81)..................... 337-712

.461 Amy Peters (2003-present).............. 251-544

Brown Leads Valley In Assist-To-

Turnover Ratio Again

For the third consecutive season senior Jen Brown led the Missouri Valley Conference in assist-to-turnover ratio, averaging 2.14 assists to every turnover. She was even better in conference play, posting a league-best 2.27 assist-to-turnover radio against Valley opponents. Brown has improved her assist-to-turnover ratio each of her three seasons after posting a 1.92 ratio as a sophomore and 1.78 assist to every turnover as a freshman.

MVC Assist/Turnover Ratio (2005-06)

Rank Name (Team).................................... Ratio

1. *Jen Brown (Bradley).......................... 2.14

2. Melanie Boeglin (Indiana State)................ 2.07

3. *Erin Pauk (Southern Illinois)................... 1.74

4. *Kristi Cirone (Illinois State)..................... 1.58

5. *Jessie Biggs (Northern Iowa)................. 1.48

6. *Ally Thrall (Creighton)............................ 1.3

* - Indicates returners for 2006-07.

Brown Bombing From Long Range

In addition to ranking among Bradley's career assist leaders, senior Jen Brown also ranks as one of the school's top three-point threats. Brown passed former teammate Va'Nicia Waterman for 10th place in school history against Loyola and is now tied with Jenn Jolley for ninth with 85 with career made three-pointers. Brown, who has averaged 25.3 three-pointers per season and could become just the eighth player to make 100 three-pointers in a career, has nine trey's this season and is on pace to finish the regular-season with 108 career three-pointers. Junior Devyn Flanagan is second among active players with 55 career made three-pointers, while senior Erika Nelson has connected on a career-best 24 three-pointers this season to push her career total to 48.

BU Career Three-Pointers Made

Rank Name (Years).............................. 3-Pt. FGs

1. Genny Mueller (2001-05)......................... 182

2. Michelle Nason (1993-95)........................ 158

3. Heather Best (1995-99)............................ 154

4. Andrea McAllister (1988-92)..................... 148

5. Erika Grogg (1990-94)............................. 112

6. Dawn Cartwright (1992-96)...................... 110

7. Dana Anderson (1994-98)........................ 104

8. Sara Bailey (1999-03)............................... 99

9. Jennifer Jolley (1997-01)........................... 85

Jen Brown (2003-present)...................... 85