For Starters

    Bradley is off to an 0-2 start after falling to Northern Illinois (48-54) and Butler (46-56) to open the season.  The 0-2 start is the first since the 2003-04 season, which is also the last time the Braves opened a season on the road.  Bradley is attempting to avoid the first 0-3 start since the 1989-90 season.
    The Braves shot 33.3 percent from the field Tuesday against Butler and are averaging just 47.0 points per game after two games.

    Bradley will likely be close to full strength for Saturday's contest as junior transfer Monica Rogers is listed as probably for the contest.

    Illinois-Chicago enters Saturday's game with a 1-1 record, after defeating cross-town rival Northwestern 53-45 in the Flames home opener Wednesday.  UIC opened the season with a 76-71 loss at Central Michigan.

About Illinois-Chicago

    Illinois-Chicago returns six letterwinners, including two starters from last year's team that finished 19-13 overall and advanced to the WNIT after tying for second place in the Horizon League.  The 19 victories are the most ever for the Flames and the WNIT appearance was the first ever postseason appearance for the program.

    UIC lost its top three scorers from last year and return just one of its top five scorers overall.

    Sophomore guard Jessie Miller is the only returning player to score more than four points per game last year after averaging 8.8 per contest last season and is averaging 16.0 points per game after two contests.  Sophomore guard Briana Hinkle is tossing in 15.0 points per game, while junior center Nikki Grobbecker leads the team in rebounding at 6.5 boards per game.

    The Flames were picked to finish fourth in the preseason Horizon League poll.

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 its top five scorers, however, from last year in senior Devyn Flanagan.

    Flanagan was second on the team in scoring (10.6 ppg), assists (2.9 apg) and steals (1.3 spg) last year.  Junior forward Kelly Krumwiede led the Braves in rebounding at 6.2 boards per game and was sixth on the team in scoring at 7.4 points per game. 

    Bradley boasts eight juniors and seniors, but has just 13 years of Division I experience on the roster.  Junior college transfers Chasity Cotton, Rachel Merriman and Felicia Nekmouche each enter their senior seasons, while Monica Rogers will return to the court after sitting out the 2006-07 following her transfer from Hampton. 

    Flanagan leads the Braves scoring in the early going, averaging 9.5 points per game.  Junior Kelly Krumwiede is averaging 8.5 points per game and a team-best 5.5 rebounds per contest.  The Braves are giving up just 55.0 points per game, but have averaged just 47.0 points per game on the offensive end and are shooting 32.7 percent as a team.

Illinois-Chicago Series

    Bradley will close out a brief two-game homestand against another Horizon League member in Illinois-Chicago.  The Braves own an 11-3 edge in the all-time series with the Flames in a series that dates back to the 1980-81 season.  UIC ended Bradley's five-game win streak in the series last year with an 83-69 win in Chicago.  Bradley has won 10 of the last 12 meetings overall and hold a 6-1 edge in games played in Peoria, Ill.

The Coaches

    Paula Buscher (Missouri State, ?86) is in her eighth year at Bradley and has a record of 84-116 (.420) 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 127-154 (.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.

    Lisa Ryckbosch (Loyola ?84) is in her sixth year as head coach at Illinois-Chicago and owns a 79-70 (.530) record.  The second winningest coach in school history, she needs just 11 victories to break the school record.  Last season she led UIC to a school record 19 victories and the first-ever postseason appearance in school history.  The Flames have finished fourth or better in the Horizon League in four of her five seasons at the school.

Home Opening Notes

    Bradley had a three-game win streak in home openers snapped Tuesday with a 56-46 loss to Butler.  The Braves fell to 23-10 (.697) in home openers all-time, including a 5-3 (.625) mark under head coach Paula Buscher.  The 46 points scored were the fewest scored by Bradley in a home opener, eclipsing the previous mark of 47.  The Braves scored 47 points in their very first contest, a 47-32 home win against Eureka on Jan. 22, 1976.

Low Scoring Contests

    While the Braves have limited their first two opponents to just 55.0 points per game, Bradley has struggled to score itself.  BU is averaging 47.0 points per game after two contests and have been held under 50 points in consecutive games for the first time since scoring a combined 88 points against Illinois (Dec. 21) and Northern Iowa (Dec. 29) last year.

Braves Look To Avoid 0-3 Start

    The Braves are off to an 0-2 start to the year after suffering a season-opening 48-54 loss at Northern Illinois and 46-56 setback to Butler in the home opener.  Bradley is 0-2 to open a season for the first time since the 2003-04 campaign, which is also the last time the Braves opened a season on the road.  BU has opened two seasons with three or more losses.  The last 0-3 start was the 1989-90 season when the Braves went 0-3 in a season-opening tournament in Aruba.  Bradley also opened the 1983-84 campaign with four consecutive losses.

In-State Foes

    Saturday's game against in-state foe Illinois-Chicago is the first of nine games against teams from the state of Illinois.  Last season the Braves played 12 games against teams from the Prairie State going 3-9 in those contests.  Bradley has lost nine consecutive games against in-state opponents dating back to a Dec. 3, 2006 home win against Loyola.  Despite the nine-game losing streak to Illinois schools, the Braves are 32-25 (.561) against teams from the Land of Lincoln under eighth-year head coach Paula Buscher.  Bradley is 115-138 (.455) against Division I teams from Illinois all-time, but owns an 81-60 (.574) mark against Division I non-conference foes from Illinois.

Braves No Stranger To The Horizon League

    Saturday's contest against Illinois-Chicago will be the second of four potential games against Horizon League opponents.  The Braves are 0-1 against Horizon League teams after losing to Butler 46-56 Tuesday night.  Bradley will also scheduled to play at Loyola-Chicago (Dec. 5).  The Braves could also play Cleveland State in the final day of the Great Alaska Shootout.  Bradley is 35-20 (.636) record against current members of the Horizon League, including a 26-17 (.605) against this year's potential Horizon League foes.  Bradley is 13-6 (.684) against current members of the Horizon League under eighth-year head coach Paula Buscher.

Buscher Reaches 200 Games At BU

    Tuesday's game against Butler marked eighth-year head coach Paula Buscher's 200th game as head coach at Bradley.  She enters Saturday's tilt with Illinois-Chicago with a record of 84-116 (.420) at BU, including a 35-31 (.530) 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.

Upcoming Promotions

    Saturday's contest against Illinois-Chicago is the second of six scheduled afternoon matinees with free popcorn for anyone in attendance.  In addition, anyone that purchases a ticket for Saturday's tilt against the Flames will receive a free ticket for Sunday's men's basketball game against Maryland-Eastern Shore at Carver Arena.  The Braves next home game is slated for Tuesday, Nov. 27 against Eastern Illinois.  The game against the Panthers will be Report Card night.  Any child that brings a report card with three or more A's will receive free admission to the game.

Flanagan Climbing Scoring List

    Senior Devyn Flanagan moved up one spot on Bradley's career scoring list, passing Tammy Van Oppen for 27th all-time with her 13-point effort Tuesday against Butler.  Flanagan needs just 13 points to pass Audrey DeClue for 26th in career scoring at BU and is 27 points from climbing into the top 25.  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.  Junior Kelly Krumwiede is second among active players with 411 career points.

Bradley's Career Scoring Leaders

Injury Update

    Senior Devyn Flanagan made her return to the lineup after missing both exhibition games due to injury and has played in each of the first two games.  Junior transfer Monica Rogers has yet to make her Bradley debut.  The Hampton transfer missed both exhibition games and has not dressed for either of the first two games of the year.  Rogers might be in uniform for Saturday's home game against Illinois-Chicago. 

Flanagan Joins Elite Group

    Senior Devyn Flanagan returned to the lineup in the Braves opener at Northern Illinois after missing both exhibition games and finished with six points, three assists, one block and three steals.  Flanagan became the 10th player in program history to record 700 points, 300 rebounds, 200 assists and 100 steals in a career.  She currently has 772 points, 312 rebounds, 202 assists and 113 steals during her time as a Brave.  The only other players in school history to reach those marks in all four categories are Karen Anderson, Shelli Braud, Karin Nicholls, Heather Best, Genny Mueller, Val Wancket, Jen Brown, Erika Grogg and Tammy Van Oppen.  Flangan enters this week's action 27th in scoring, needing 27 points to move into the top 25 in scoring at BU.

Non-Conference Success

    Eighth-year Bradley women's basketball head coach Paula Buscher hopes the junior Kelly Krumwiede is able to continue to put up impressive numbers in non-conference games as the Braves continue their 2007-08 non-conference schedule.  In 22 career games against non-conference opponents, Krumwiede has averaged 10.3 points and 6.9 rebounds per game while shooting nearly 50 percent from the field (48.8 percent) against non-conference opponents.

Up Next

    Bradley will make its first-ever trip to Alaska to participate in the 30th annual Carrs/Safeway Great Alaska Shootout in Anchorage, Alaska.  The Braves will open tournament play against West Coast Conference foe Santa Clara and will face either Cleveland State or Alaska Anchorage in the second round.  Bradley has never faced any of the tournament participants.  The Braves are the first MVC women's team to participate in the 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 play in the 49th state, participating in the second Great Alaska Shootout in 1979-80.  The Braves went 2-1 and finished fourth.

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 purchased before Dec. 1 are available at the Bradley Athletics Ticket Office for $20.  All-session tickets purchased after Dec. 1 will be $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 has posted a 200-164 (.549) record all-time in the facility and have finished .500 or better in 23 of 31 seasons playing in the building.

Braves Pick Up Rare Win At Valley Tournament

    Bradley picked up its second Missouri Valley Conference Tournament victory in program history last season, defeating Missouri State in the first round.  The win, which was the first-ever victory for Bradley as a higher seed, gave the Braves a three-game sweep of a conference foe for the first time in program history.  The Braves only other conference tournament victory was nearly 10 years ago to the day from last year's win, as the Braves defeated Missouri State on their home floor on March 6, 1997.

Putting It In Neutral

    With the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Tournament moving to a neutral site, the Braves will have a few more chances to improve in neutral site games.  Bradley has played a total of 57 games at neutral sites and boast a 28-29 record in those games.  The Braves also face Santa Clara at a neutral site in the first round of the Carrs/Safeway Great Alaska Shootout and could face Cleveland State in the second round in Anchorage, Alaska.

Crashing The Boards

    Junior Kelly Krumwiede ranked eighth in the Missouri Valley Conference in rebounding last season, hauling down a team-best 6.2 rebounds per game.  She is the 10th player to lead the Braves in rebounding as an underclassmen and the first since Dena Williams led the Braves in rebounding as a sophomore in 2002-03.  Bradley had underclassmen lead the team in rebounding in six of the first 14 years of the program, but have only had four over the past 18 years.  Carrie Coffman led the team in rebounding as a sophomore in 1992-93, averaging 7.8 rebounds per game.  Lynn Pastucha paced the Braves hauling down 6.0 boards per game as a freshman in 1999-2000 in addition to Williams and Krumwiede accomplishing the feat in recent years.  Four of the last five players to lead the team in rebounding as an underclassmen rank as the top four in career rebounding at Bradley (Williams - 799 rebounds, Val Wancket - 788 rebounds, Coffman - 740 and Nicholls - 726).  Pastucha only played her freshman season for the Braves.

2006-07 MVC Rebounding Leaders

10.            Sam Schuett, CU       32             188           5.9