Bradley Women's Basketball Game Notes vs. Illinois State (Feb. 23, 2007)

Bradley Women's Basketball Game Notes vs. Illinois State (Feb. 23, 2007)

Bradley University Women's Basketball 2/20/2007 6:00:00 AM

The Matchup

Bradley enters Friday's home contest against I-74 rival Illinois State riding a season-long three-game win streak, while the Redbirds have lost back-to-back games and four of their last five.

The third-best offense in the Valley at 73.6 points per game, Illinois State has been held under 70 points in each of the last seven games and has lost four of the last five heading into Friday's matchup. The Redbirds are second in the league in scoring margin (+4.7) and are also second in three-point field goal percentage (.354) and assist-to-turnover ratio. Illinois State leads the MVC in rebounding (41.5 rpg), rebounding margin (+5.9), and assists (16.16 apg).

Illinois State uses a fairly balanced attack with five individuals scoring eight points per game or more, led by sophomore Kristi Cirone who is third in the conference in scoring at 16.9 ppg. Cirone leads the Valley in assists, dishing out 5.6 per game. Second on the team in scoring is freshman forward Kenyatta Shelton, who has returned from an earlier injury, and is averaging 9.4 points and 7.1 rebounds per game. Senior guard Megan McCracken is scoring 9.2 per tilt and leads the team with 43 three-pointers.

Sophomore Nicolle Lewis is adding 8.9 points per game and is second in the MVC in blocked shots with 34, while junior Lashawn Johnson leads the squad in rebounding at 7.9 boards per game, to go along with 8.0 ppg.

In the first meeting of the season, Illinois State won a defensive battle, edging the Braves 55-47. Bradley trailed 48-45 with 2:30 play after an Ashley Chelleen field goal, but the Braves would miss their final five shots from the field and score just two points in the final 150 seconds as the Redbirds took round one of the I-74 rivalry. Three Bradley players scored in double figures with Jen Brown leading the way with 11 points, Chelleen and Amy Peters each added 10, while Chelleen also contributed 12 rebounds. Cirone was the only ISU player in double figures, with a game-high 24.

The Braves had been relying heavily on its defense throughout much of conference play, holding MVC foes to 66.3 points per game, but have averaged 82.7 points per game during the current season-long three-game win streak. Bradley surpassed last season's overall and MVC win total with last Thursday's win against Missouri State, sweeping the Bears for the first time since the 1988-89 season, and can match the Valley win total from the 2004-05 season with one more win. The Braves have won four of their last five games and are now 6-2 in games decided by seven points or less.

Senior Erika Nelson is the team's leading scorer at 13.7 points per game and is one of the top three-point threats in the Missouri Valley Conference, averaging 2.54 three-pointers per game. She has more than doubled her career three-point total entering the season and her 356 points on the year is 70 points more than she scored her sophomore and junior years combined.

Junior Devyn Flanagan is one of two other Bradley players scoring in double figures, averaging 11.6 per tilt. Flanagan broke out of an offensive funk that had seen her average 8.9 ppg on 29.5 percent shooting over a nine-game stretch, with a 17-point effort on 6-of-9 shooting and eight assists in the Braves win against Wichita State Friday.

Senior forward Amy Peters has helped pick up the scoring slack, averaging 12.6 points per game and shooting 52.9 percent (18-for-34) from three-point range over the last 10 games. Peters is averaging 10.4 points per game on the year and is second on the team in rebounding at 6.0 rpg. Senior Jen Brown has also helped with the scoring, averaging 12.2 points per game over the last 10 games while shooting almost 40 percent from beyond the arc.

Bradley's six returning players have combined for 1562 of the 1708 points (91 percent) this season and are shooting 41 percent (552-1347) from the field, while the six newcomers have combined to average 5.6 points per game and shoot 26.6 percent from the field.

Illinois State Series

Bradley will close out its longest homestand of the season Friday when the Braves play host to I-74 rival Illinois State at 8:05 p.m. Bradley is looking to avenge a 55-47 loss to the Redbirds in Normal, Ill., earlier this season and salvage a split in the regular-season series. The two teams have split the regular-season series each of the last three years and six of the last seven seasons with Bradley owning the only sweep in that time frame (2002-03). Illinois State holds a 36-23 edge in the all-time series, but the Braves have won six consecutive home games in the series. The Redbirds hold a slim 15-13 lead in the all-time series in games played in Peoria.

The Coaches

Paula Buscher (Missouri State, ?86) is in her seventh year at Bradley and has a record of 83-110 (.431) 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 126-148 (.460) 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.

Robin Pingeton (St. Ambrose ?90) is in her fourth season as head coach at Illinois State and 12th overall as a collegiate head coach. The 2004 Rawlings Missouri Valley Conference Coach of the Year, she has a 58-55 (.513) record at Illinois State. Pingeton and her Redbirds started off MVC play with nine consecutive victories and are currently second in the MVC standings with a 10-4 league record. She led Illinois State to the 2005 NCAA Tournament after winning the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Tournament in Normal, Ill.

Stats At A Glance

Bradley............................................ Illinois State

65.7................... Points Per Game................... 73.6

69.7............. Points Allowed Per Game............. 68.9

.395................ Field Goal Percentage................ .441

.434.......... Field Goal Percentage Defense.......... .413

.349........................ 3-Pt. FG%........................ .354

.753...................... Free Throw%..................... .671

37.2................. Rebounds Per Game................ 41.5

12.8............. Offensive Reb. Per Game............. 14.0

+1.3.................... Rebound Margin.................... +5.9

14.2................... Assists Per Game.................. 16.2

17.1................ Turnovers Per Game................ 16.2

2.8..................... Blocks Per Game.................... 3.5

7.5..................... Steals Per Game..................... 6.0

60th Meeting Of I-74 Rivals

Friday's game between Bradley and Illinois will mark the 60th meeting between the two programs in a series that dates back to the 1975-76 season. The Braves and Redbirds have faced each other twice in a season each of the last 23 years. Bradley has faced a total of five opponents 50 times or more, with the Missouri State series (54 meetings) ranking second in school history.

Brown Enjoys I-74 Rivalry

Senior guard Jen Brown has saved some of her best performances for the annual meetings with I-74 rival Illinois State. She had team highs of 11 points and four assists in the first meeting this season to go along with four rebounds and one steal. Brown, who enters the game with career averages of 7.0 points, 2.8 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game, has averaged 10.0 points, 3.7 boards, 5.3 assists and 2.1 steals in seven meetings with the Redbirds. In addition her career 3.1 assist-to-turnover ratio against Illinois State, is her best against a Valley opponent. She has averaged 11.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 3.0 steals per game in her previous home games against Illinois State.

Braves Win Third Straight

Bradley posted wins over Missouri State (78-75) and Wichita State (88-77) to extend win three consecutive games for the first time this season. Prior to the current three-game win streak, the Braves had not won back-to-back games in 2006-07. Bradley will put its win streak on the line Friday when the Braves play host to I-74 rival Illinois State.

Braves Shoot Lights Out At Hoops For The Cure Event

Bradley continued its recent trend of shooting well from beyond the arc when hosting its annual Hoops for the Cure event, hitting 10-of-19 three-pointers against Wichita State Saturday. Bradley helped raise nearly eight thousand dollars for the Susan G. Komen Foundation at this year's event and have helped generate nearly 35 thousand dollars in the four years. Seventh-year Bradley head coach Paula Buscher donated $25 per Bradley three-point basket with many others matching her donation to help generate over half of the funds raised. Bradley is a combined 31-for-67 (46.3 percent) in the four Hoops for the Cure events.

Brown The Key To Success?

Senior guard Jen Brown has scored in double figures in each of last four games and six of the last seven contests and has been a big part of Bradley's recent turnaround. Brown has scored in double figures 10 times this season and the Braves are 7-3 in those contest. During her career Bradley is 19-10 (.655) when Brown scores in double digits and 37-32 (.536) when she finishes with six or more points. The Braves struggle when Brown is held in check however, owning a 9-34 (.209) record over the last four years when Brown scores five or fewer points.

Three's Keep Falling

Bradley connected on 10 three-pointers Saturday and shot a season-best 52.6 percent from beyond the arc against Wichita State to push its season three-point total to 153. The 153 trey's are the most by a Bradley team since the 1995-96 squad hit 155 three-pointers and is the fifth-best season total in school history. With at least four games remaining, the Braves are on pace to finish the season with 177 trey's which would rank third in school history.

Three-Point FGs Made (Season)

3FG Season......................................... Average

188 1994-95 (27).......................................... 7.0

184 1993-94 (27).......................................... 6.8

155 1992-93 (27).......................................... 5.7

155 1995-96 (27).......................................... 5.7

153 2006-07 (26).......................................... 5.9

145 2004-05 (28).......................................... 5.2

140 2001-02 (28).......................................... 5.0

Playing With Fire

The Braves are used to close calls, having a total of 10 games decided by eight points or fewer this season. In fact seven of Bradley's 11 victories on the year have been by eight points or less. Bradley's 11-point victory against Wichita State snapped a streak of six consecutive games decided by eight points or less and was the longest streak of such games in school history. Bradley had five consecutive games decided seven points or fewer in 1994-95 but suffered a 10-point loss at Missouri State to end the streak. The Braves are 7-3 in games decided by eight points or less. The seven

wins are the most since the 1996-97 squad went 7-6 in games decided by eight or fewer. The Braves were 5-9 last year in games decided by eight or less and were 14-21 (.400) over the last three seasons in games with a final margin of eight points or fewer.

Braves Surpass Win Totals From 2005-06

Last Thursday's 78-75 victory against Missouri State not only gave the Braves their first regular-season sweep of the Bears since the 1988-89 season, but it also pushed Bradley past its overall and MVC victory totals from the 2005-06 season. The Braves went 9-19 overall and 5-13 in Valley play this season, but enter

Friday's game against Illinois State with an overall mark of 11-15 and currently seventh in the Valley standings with a 7-8 league mark. The seven conference wins are the most since finishing the 2004-05 season 8-10 in league play and the Braves haven't finished a season 9-9 or better in MVC action since the 2002-03 campaign.

Chelleen's Double-Double Helps Power BU Past Missouri State

Senior center Ashley Chelleen had her highest scoring output in over four years, scoring a team-high 21 points to help lead Bradley to a 78-75 victory against Missouri State (Feb. 15). Chelleen reached the 20-point mark for just the third time in her career and matched a career-best with 21 points against the Bears to go along with a game-high 11 rebounds for her fourth double-double of the season. She had set her career high during her freshman season, scoring 21 points in the Braves home win against Illinois State on Jan. 11, 2003.

Up Next

Bradley will play its final road game of the regular-season Sunday when the Braves travel to Terre Haute, Ind., to face Indiana State. BU is looking to snap a six-game losing skid in the series and nine-game road losing streak in the series with the Sycamores. In addition to winning six straight against the Braves, Indiana State has won 10 of the last 11 meetings and 13 of the last 15 in the series. Indiana State holds a 33-18 lead in the series after defeating Bradley 63-50 earlier this season in Peoria, and hold a 17-7 edge in games played in Terre Haute in the series.

Chelleen Breaks Mark For Games Played

Senior center Ashley Chelleen broke Bradley's career mark for games played against Missouri State on Feb. 15, and has now appeared in 114 games as a Brave. Chelleen's former teammates Genny Mueller and Dena Williams both had shared the mark with 112 games played. With at least four games remaining on the schedule, Chelleen could be joined by senior guards Jen Brown (110 games played) and Erika Nelson (109 games), who will both have a chance to eclipse the previous career mark. Senior Amy Peters is also approaching the career top 10, having played in 106 games at Bradley.

Games Played (Career)

GP Name............................................ Season

114 Ashley Chelleen.................... 2002-present

112 Genny Mueller................................. 2001-05

Dena Williams.................................. 2001-05

110 Jen Brown............................. 2003-present

110 Karen Anderson............................... 1979-83

Shelli Braud..................................... 1984-88

109 Erika Nelson.......................... 2003-present

109 Liza Reed....................................... 1991-95

Eileen Yerkes.................................. 1988-92

Heidi Nelson.................................... 1987-91

Karin Nicholls.................................. 1986-90

108 Dawn Cartwright.............................. 1992-96

Nancy Zoros................................... 1984-88

Nelson Climbing Three-Point List

Senior guard Erika Nelson has continued her impressive outside shooting this season, hitting four of seven three-pointers last time out against Wichita State to push her season total to 66 made three-point baskets. Her 66 trey's are the most by a Bradley player since Michelle Nason connected on a school-season record 87 three-pointers in 1994-95 and is the third best season total in school history. With at least four games remaining, Nelson is on pace to finish the season with 76 three-pointers and could join Michelle Nason as the only players in program history with 70 or more three-pointers in a season. Nelson has 90 career made three-pointers and is now 10th in school history. She is second on the team in three-point field goal percentage, shooting 40.7 percent (66-for-162) from beyond the arc and has made 34-of-76 three-point attempts (.447) in

Bradley's 12 home games and is averaging 2.8 makes from beyond the arc in home contests. Nelson is shooting just 32-for-86 (37.2 percent) from long range in games away from home and is averaging 2.3 trey's per road tilt.

Three-Point FGs Made (Season)

3FG Name............................................ Season

87 Michelle Nason................................ 1994-95

71 Michelle Nason................................ 1993-94

66 Erika Nelson.................................. 2006-07

64 Heather Best.................................... 1998-99

60 Genny Mueller................................. 2003-04

Jen Brown Sweeps Awards

Senior Jen Brown earned a trio of honors for the week of Feb. 12, earning State Farm/MVC Player of the Week, Prairie Farms/MVC Scholar-Athlete of the Week and Bradley's Country Insurance and Financial Services Scholar-Athlete of the Week honors. Brown was the first Brave to earn MVC Player of the Week distinction since Dena Williams on Feb. 14, 2005 after averaging 20.5 points, 2.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.5 steals per game in a pair of road games as the Braves nearly upset league-leading Southern Illinois (50-55) on Feb. 9 and downed Evansville in overtime (82-76) on Feb. 11. Brown shot 61 percent from the field and 58.3 percent (7-for-12) from three-point range in the pair of games. She entered the week averaging 6.2 points and 2.9 assists per game while shooting 30.5 percent from the field and 27.3 percent from beyond the arc, but opened the week with a 17-point, two-assist and two-steal effort in the Braves near upset of league leading Southern Illinois. Brown capped the week with a career-best 24 points in Bradley's overtime victory at Evansville, hitting 5-of-6 three-pointers to become the eighth player in program history to hit 100 career trey's.

Brown Knocks Down 100th Trey

Senior guard Jen Brown knocked down her 100th career three-pointer in Bradley's overtime win at Evansville (Feb. 11), making her the eighth player in program history with 100 or more career trey's. Brown, who had been shooting 24.3 percent from long range after the first 20 games of the season, has hit 13 of her last 28 three-point attempts and is now seventh with 106 career trey's. Fellow senior Erika Nelson broke into Bradley's career top 10 for three's Feb. 15 against Missouri State and is currently 10th with 90 career three-pointers.

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. Jen Brown (2003-present)..................... 106

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

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

10. Erika Nelson (2003-present)................... 90

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

12. Va'Nicia Waterman (2001-05)..................... 84

Braves Take Down Aces In OT

Bradley's overtime victory against Evansville (Feb. 11) was a rare occurrence for the Braves. Bradley had lost four straight overtime road games in conference play dating back to a triple overtime victory at Eastern Illinois on Feb. 1, 1992. The Braves have played just eight overtime games in 213 conference road tilts and are 4-4 in those contests, but own a 4-7 all-time mark in overtime league games at home.

Home Sweet Home

Bradley played eight of its first 13 Missouri Valley Conference games on the road and will be looking to close the regular-season on a high note as the Braves will play four of its final five games at Robertson Memorial Field House. Bradley is 3-5 on the road in Valley play with one road game remaining on the schedule. The Braves are 7-5 in home games (including a 4-3 conference home record) this season, compared to just 3-10 in road games. The three MVC road wins are the most since the 2004-05 squad went 4-5 in league road games. Bradley will finish at least .500 in home games this season, marking the fifth straight year the Braves were .500 or better in home contests. BU had not had five straight seasons with .500 or better records at home since the 1987-88 through 1991-92 seasons when Bradley was a combined 39-21 (.650).

Braves Get Rare Sweep Of Bulldogs

Bradley posted a 58-51 victory against Drake on Feb. 3 to complete the Braves first regular-season series sweep of the Bulldogs since the 1991-92 season. The sweep by the Braves, marked just the second time in now 24 years of being members of the same conference that Bradley swept the regular-season series from Drake. The Bulldogs had won five consecutive games against the Braves and 24 of the last 25 in the series heading into this season. Bradley surrendered a total of 108 points to Drake in their two meetings this season, including a season-low for a BU opponent 51 in Saturday's win in Peoria. The 51 points were the fewest scored by Drake in the 51 meetings between the two opponents.

Brown Joins MVC Elite

Senior guard Jen Brown broke into the Missouri Valley Conference career assist chart and is currently tied for 17th in league history with 428 career assists. Brown, who is third in school history in assists, needs five assists to move into sole possession of 16th in Valley history. 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)..................... 428

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

MVC's Career Assists Leaders

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

1. Melanie Boeglin, Indiana State (2003-06).... 685

2. Tina Robbins, Missouri State (1991-94)..... 657

3. Pam Tanner, Illinois State (1986-89).......... 546

Stephanie Schmitz, Drake (1999-02).......... 546

5. Joe Hanig, Western Illinois (1988-91)......... 542

Krissy Holden, Indiana State (1994-97)...... 542

15. Secilia Winkfield, Missouri State (1990-93).. 455

16. LuAnn Robinson, Illinois State (1988-91).... 432

17. Latasha Austin, Evansville (1999-02)........ 428

Jen Brown, Bradley (2003-present)....... 428

18. Loretha Mosley, Northern Iowa (1988-91).. 425

Peters Finding The Range

Senior Amy Peters has connected on eight of her last 14 three-point attempts and is now shooting a team-best 41.4 percent from three-point range on the season. Peters opened the season shooting 24 percent from beyond the arc, hitting just 6-of-24 attempts to begin the year, but broke out of her shooting slump by connecting on 4-of-6 three-point attempts against Missouri State (Jan. 21) and has now hit 18 of her last 34 shots from beyond the arc (52.9 percent).

Home Struggles Against Bluejays Continue

Bradley's home loss against Creighton (Feb. 1) was the 16th consecutive home loss in the series with the Bluejays for the Braves. Bradley is a 1-16 in home games against Creighton with the lone Braves home victory in the series coming in the Bluejays first trip to Peoria on Dec. 2, 1989.

February Much Kinder To The Braves

Seventh-year Bradley head coach Paula Buscher and the Braves were happy the team entered the final full month of the regular-season as the Braves have had much more success in the month of February than they have in January during Buscher's tenure. Bradley finished the first month of the new year with a 3-5 mark, giving the Braves a combined 19-33 (.365) record in the month of January under Buscher. The Braves own a 12-13 home mark in January in that time. February has been kinder to Bradley as they have gone 22-26 (.458) with Buscher as head coach in the second month of the year, including a 17-10 (.630) mark at home in February under Buscher.

Brown Starts 100th Game

Senior guard Jen Brown made the 100th start of her career against Indiana State on Jan. 25, making her the fourth player in program history with 100 starts or more since the 1984-85 season when records of starts were first available. Brown has started 107 games in her near four years on The Hilltop and will likely tie the career mark of 108 starts held by Dawn Cartwright Friday night against Illinois State. Senior Erika Nelson is eighth all-time in starts with 80 and needs just two starts to move into seventh place in front Val Wancket.

Bradley's Career Starts Leaders Since 1984-85

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

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

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

Jen Brown (2003-present)..................... 107

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

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

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

7. Val Wancket (1987-91).............................. 81

8. Erika Nelson (2003-present)................... 80

9. Jenn Jolley (1997-01)............................... 79

10. Eileen Yerkes (1988-92)............................ 78

Peters Back In The Starting Lineup

Senior Amy Peters has started each of the last nine games after appearing in four consecutive games off the bench and is averaging 13.2 points and 6.9 rebounds per game during that stretch. Peters is also averaging 1.2 assists and shooting 54.5 percent (18-for-33) from three-point range during that stretch. Prior to her recent tear, she was averaging 8.9 points and 5.5 rebounds per game and was shooting 25 percent (6-for-25) from three-point range in the first 17 games of the season.

Flanagan Breaks Out Of Scoring Funk

Junior Devyn Flanagan broke out of a recent slump with a 17-point, eight-assist effort on 6-of-9 shooting against Wichita State Saturday. Flanagan had struggled scoring prior to her outburst against the Shockers, averaging 9.1 points on 31 percent shooting in the 10 games prior to the Wichita State contest. She had made 7-of-33 three-point attempts during that 10-game stretch, but made 2-of-3 from beyond the arc against WSU. While Flanagan's shots may not had fallen, she stepped up her game in other areas, averaging 6.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 0.7 blocks and 1.5 steals per game over those same 10 games.

Braves Off To Good Start In Valley Play

Bradley opened Missouri Valley Conference play with a 3-4 record, despite playing five of its first seven league games on the road and currently own a 7-8

league mark. The Braves have already picked up three MVC road wins, after going 1-8 in conference road games last season. The 3-4 start to league play, marks the 12th time in 24 years of conference affiliation that Bradley has gone 3-4 or better in the first seven games of league play, but just the second time in the last 10 years the Braves have opened Valley play at 3-4 or better.

Nelson Torches Shockers For 31

Senior Erika Nelson single handedly kept Bradley in the game at Wichita State at Jan. 19, scoring 52 percent of the Braves points with a career-high 31 against the Shockers. Nelson, who hit 10-of-14 shots (including 7-of-9 three-pointers), had the first 30-point outing by a Bradley player since Genny Mueller scored 33 against Indiana State on March 6, 2004. Her 7-of-9 shooting beyond the arc also ranks as the second best three-point field goal percentage in school history (minimum five made three-pointers).

Nelson Ties Career High

Senior Erika Nelson connected on 7-of-9 three-point attempts in the game at Wichita State (Jan. 19), marking the second time this season the guard has hit seven three-pointers in a game. Nelson joined Andrea McAllister as the only Brave to hit seven or more three-pointers in a pair of games. Earlier this season Nelson made 7-of-11 trey's against Northern Illinois, tying a Robertson Field House record. For the season, she has hit 58 three-pointers which is tied for the fifth best season total in school history.

Braves Earn First Ever Win At Knapp Center

Bradley picked up its first-ever victory at the Drake Knapp Center, defeating the Bulldogs (62-57) on Jan. 8. The Braves had never won a game at the Knapp Center, which opened in 1993-94, going 0-13 in road games against Drake since defeating the Bulldogs in Des Moines, Iowa, on Feb. 25, 1993. Bradley also lost a pair of State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Tournament games at the Knapp Center as the Braves ended a 15-game losing streak in Des Moines with Monday's victory.

Braves End Nine-Game Road Skid

Bradley ended a nine-game road losing streak with a 62-57 victory at Drake on Jan. 8. The Braves entered the game 0-7 on the season on the road and the road losing skid dated back to a win at Creighton on March 2, 2006. The nine-game road losing streak was the longest for the Braves since dropping 18 consecutive road games between the 1998-99 and 1999-2000 seasons.

First Half In The Books

Bradley's game against Southern Illinois (Jan. 11) marked the halfway point of the regular-season for the Braves, and Bradley finished the first-half of the year with a 5-10 mark. The Braves currently have a 6-5 record in the second half of the regular-season and have three regular-season games remaining on the schedule before the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference tournament (March 8-11). Bradley has posted a 5-8 record in the second half of the regular season in five of Paula Buscher's six seasons on The Hilltop, but play two of the last three games at home and have a chance to have its best second half since going 8-5 in 2002-03. Below is a year-by-year comparison of the Braves record in the first-half and second-half of the regular season under head coach Paula Buscher. Please note that the numbers will not add up as the final record includes games in the State Farm MVC Tournament.

Year 1st Half 2nd Half Final Record

2006-07 5-10 6-5 ????

2005-06 4-10 5-8 9-19

2004-05 10-4 5-8 15-13

2003-04 4-10 5-8 9-19

2002-03 5-9 8-5 13-15

2001-02 11-3 5-8 16-12

2000-01 5-8 5-8 10-17

Peters' Streak Comes To An End

Senior center Amy Peters had her streak of 24 consecutive free throw made snapped at Creighton (Jan. 6) when she missed her first attempt from the line against the Bluejays. Peters, who is shooting 90.2 percent from the line this season, made her first 24 attempts of the year and is now 46-of-51 from the line in 2006-07. Her 24 consecutive free throws made is the longest streak for a Brave since Genny Mueller converted 33 consecutive free throws between the end of the 2001-02 season and beginning of the 2002-03 campaign.

0-2, Nothing New

Bradley's 0-2 start to Missouri Valley Conference play was nothing new for the Braves. Bradley has opened league play with a pair of losses for the second straight year and the ninth time in the last 10 seasons. The lone exception during that time is the 2004-05 season, when the Braves opened Valley play with a 1-1 record. In addition Bradley opened Valley play 1-3 for the third time in the last five season and has opened league action 1-3 or worse eight times in the last 10 years counting this season. Bradley has opened Valley play with a 2-2 mark just twice (2001-02 & 2004-05) since a 3-1 start to the 1996-97 campaign.

Bradley, The Opening Opponent Of Choice

The Bradley women's basketball team was the first MVC women's basketball squad to visit the McLeod Center, but the Braves weren't the first BU team to visit the facility which opened in November. The Bradley volleyball team was the first opponent of any kind to play at the McLeod Center, losing to the Panthers in the first athletic event held in the facility in November. The Bradley men's basketball was the first MVC men's basketball team to play at the McLeod Center, last week. Unfortunately for Bradley fans, Northern Iowa swept the three contests, completing the sweep with a 74-47 victory against the women's basketball team last week.

Braves Wrap Up Non-Conference Play Bradley is 35-29 (.547) in non-conference games under head coach Paula Buscher. Since the Braves began playing a round-robin conference schedule in 1983-84, Bradley has posted a 117-96 (.549) record in non-conference games. The Braves are 17-10 (.630) in non-conference home games under Buscher. Only Lisa Boyer owned a better non-conference home winning percentage at Bradley with a 22-8 (.733) record from 1986-96. The Braves are 56-30 (.651) at home against non-conference foes since the start of the 1983-84 campaign.

Nelson Ties Field House Record For Three-Pointers

Senior guard Erika Nelson tied a Robertson Memorial Field House record with seven three-point field goals against Northern Illinois (Dec. 17). Nelson, who hit 7-of-11 three-point attempts, is the fourth Bradley player and sixth person to connect on seven three-pointers in a game at the Field House and finished with a career-high 25 points against the Huskies. She joined former Braves Genny Mueller, Michelle Nason and Nancy Zoros, along with Evansville's Alissa Kirby and Creighton's Missy Miller as the only players to hit seven three-pointers in a game at the Field House. Nelson's seven three-point baskets is tied for the second best single-game total in school history, behind Andrea McAllister's school mark of eight three-pointers set during the 1989-90 season.

Three-Pointers (Robertson Field House Single Game Mark)

3-FG Name (Team)...................................... Date

7 Erika Nelson (Bradley).................. 12/17/06

7 Genny Mueller (Bradley)..................... 3/6/04

7 Alissa Kirby (Evansville)..................... 2/2/04

7 Michelle Nason (Bradley)................... 1/26/95

7 Missy Miller (Creighton)...................... 1/7/93

7 Nancy Zoros (Bradley)...................... 2/13/88

Deadly Accurate From The Line

For the season, Bradley is shooting 75.3 percent from the charity stripe as a squad to rank second in the Missouri Valley Conference. 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, and Bradley has just seven seasons on record shooting better than 70 percent from the free throw line as a team. Bradley shot 92.9 percent from the free throw line in the loss at Illinois-Chicago on Dec. 15, hitting 13-of-14 free throw attempts, which 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. Three players currently rank among the school's career leaders in free throw percentage with senior Erika Nelson leading the way with a 77.2 career free throw percentage.

BU Career Free Throw Percentage

FG% Name (Years)................................. FT-FTA

.870 Genny Mueller (2001-05)................... 235-270

.841 Carolyn Hagerty (1993-95)................ 143-170

.787 Carol Baresch (1986-89, 90-91).......... 300-381

.772 Erika Nelson (2003-present)............ 179-232

.7692 Liza Reed (1991-95)......................... 120-156

.7688 Amy Peters (2003-present).............. 143-186

.7683 Ashley Chelleen (2002-present)...... 199-259

.756 Heather Best (1995-99)...................... 276-365

.735 Jenn Jolley (1997-01)....................... 253-344

.721 Carrie Coffman (1991-95).................. 199-276

.7198 Sara Bailey (1999-2003).................... 262-364

.7197 Devyn Flanagan (2006-present)....... 113-157

Double Trouble

Sophomore Kelly Krumwiede posted her sixth double-double of the season with a 10-point, 13-rebound effort at Drake on Jan. 8 and is currently tied for fourth in the MVC with six double-doubles this season. Her six double-doubles are the most by a Brave since Dena Williams posted eight double-doubles in 2004-05. Krumwiede ranks fifth on the team in scoring at 8.2 points per game and leads the team in rebounding (6.6 per game) and field goal percentage (.484). She has scored in double figures 10 times this season and has seven outings with 10 or more rebounds in 2006-07.

10+ Rebound Games (Season)

No. Name............................................ Season

19 Carrie Coffman................................ 1994-95

14 Roxanne Grabow............................ 1982-83

13 Eileen Yerkes.................................. 1991-92

11 Dena Williams.................................. 2004-05

11 Dena Williams.................................. 2003-04

11 Val Wancket.................................... 1990-91

11 Roxanne Grabow............................ 1981-82

10 Val Wancket.................................... 1988-89

8 Sheila Jenkins................................. 1989-90

7 Kelly Krumwiede........................... 2006-07

7 Karin Nichols................................... 1988-89

7 Lora Weber..................................... 2000-01

7 Felicia Brown.................................. 1984-85

Finding The Range

Senior Erika Nelson has connected on a team and career-high 66 three-pointers after 26 games and has already more nearly tripled her career total for made three-pointers from her first three seasons. Nelson 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 66 of 155 three-point attempts this season (40.7 percent) to raise her career three-point shooting percentage to 38.6 percent.

Bradley & Instate Foes

Bradley's game at Illinois State (Jan. 28) marked the ninth different instate opponent for the Braves in 2006-07. Bradley played seven teams from the Prairie State, wrapping up its non-conference schedule with four consecutive games against team's from the state of Illinois. Adding in the MVC games against Southern Illinois and Illinois State, the Braves will play a total of nine opponents and 11 games against teams that hail from the Land of Lincoln. Bradley is 3-7 against instate foes this season and owns a 32-23 (.582) 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.

Krumwiede Named Scholar-Athlete of the Week

Sophomore Kelly Krumwiede was named the Prairie Farms/Missouri Valley Conference Scholar-Athlete of the week for the week of Dec. 7. A business management and administration major, she owns a 3.76 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 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 And Peters Crack Top 20

Seniors Ashley Chelleen and Amy Peters have both cracked into Bradley's career top 20 for scoring and are one of five current Braves to rank among the top 28 in scoring in program history. Chelleen is 16th all-time with 849 career points and is followed by Peters in 17th place with 837 points. Seniors Jen Brown (774 points) and Erika Nelson (763 points) and junior Devyn Flanagan (725 points) all recently ecplipsed the 700-point mark. With a minimum of four games remaining in the season, Nelson and Brown are both on pace to finish the season with over 800 career points. Below is a look at the Braves all-time leading scorers. The numbers in parenthesis () is the point total the active individuals are on pace to finish the season.

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. Ashley Chelleen (2002-present).... 849 (883)

17. Amy Peters (2003-present)............ 837 (879)

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

T19. Maureen Hogan (1978-82)....................... 831

T19. Michelle Nason (1993-95)........................ 831

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

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

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

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

25. Jen Brown (2003-present)............. 774 (806)

T26. Tammy Van Oppen (1995-97).................. 763

T26. Erika Nelson (2003-present).......... 763 (818)

28. Devyn Flanagan (2004-present)..... 725 (771)

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

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.

Chelleen Moves Into Sixth On Blocks List

Senior Ashley Chelleen is also climbing the career blocks list and is currently sixth in school history with 80 career rejections. Chelleen has a career-best 32 blocked shots on the year, which is four blocks short of a tie for 10th on Bradley's season blocked shots list, and is now six blocks short of tying Tami Van Galder for fifth place all time in Braves history.

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).............. 80

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

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 and just six returning letterwinners, 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 146 points (5.6 points per game) or 8.5 percent of the offense and 161 rebounds (16.7 percent).

Chelleen & Peters On FG% List

Seniors Ashley Chelleen and Amy Peters both rank as two of the most accurate shooters in school history as both rank among the Braves career top 12 in field goal percentage. Chelleen entered the year second in career field goal percentage but has made 80-of-184 shots (43.5 percent) to open the season and has slipped into fifth place in school history at 50.6 percent. Peters is shooting 43.7 percent from the field this season and is currently 12th all-time in shooting accuracy at 46 percent.

BU Career Field Goal Percentage

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

.563 Roxanne Grabow (1979-83).............. 311-552

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

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

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

.506 Ashley Chelleen (2002-present)...... 322-636

.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