Women's Basketball Game Notes at Southern Illinois (Feb. 9) & at Evansville (Feb. 11)

Women's Basketball Game Notes at Southern Illinois (Feb. 9) & at Evansville (Feb. 11)

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

The SIU Matchup

Bradley will open a two-game Valley road swing looking to win back-to-back games for the first time this season heading into Friday's game at co-league leader Southern Illinois. The Braves begin the week alone in seventh place and hold a 1/2 game lead on Wichita State for eighth place.

Southern Illinois has won seven of its last eight games and is coming off a 79-66 road win at co-league leading Illinois State. The Salukis are 13-9 overall and are tied for first in the Valley with a 9-2 conference record.

The top defensive team in the conference, SIU is surrendering a league-low 63.7 points per game and just 60.4 points per game in league play. The Salukis are also efficient on offensive, as they lead the Valley in field goal percentage at 47.3 percent and are averaging 67.4 points per game as a team.

Senior forward Carlai Moore is fifth in the conference in scoring at 15.5 points per game and is second in the Valley in field goal percentage, shooting 58.9 percent from the floor. Junior guard Jayme Sweere is also scoring in double figures, tossing in 11.5 points per game. Junior Debbie Burris is scoring 9.6 points per game and is one of the top three-point threats in the conference shooting, 41.7 percent beyond the arc. Freshman Dana Olsen is third in the conference in field goal percentage (56.8 percent) and is scoring 9.1 points per tilt.

Bradley has held five consecutive opponents and eight of the last nine foes to 69 points or less, surrendering 62.8 points per game during that stretch. The Braves snapped a three-game losing skid last time out with a 58-51 victory against Drake, sweeping the regular-season series from Drake for the first time since the 1991-92 season.

Senior Erika Nelson is the team's leading scorer at 13.5 points per game and is averaging a Missouri Valley Conference best 2.5 three-pointers per game. She has more than doubled her career three-point total entering the season and her 297 points on the year is 11 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 11.8 per tilt. Flanagan has struggled offensively of late, scoring 9.2 points per game on just 29.5 percent shooting over the last six games, but has picked up her all-around game averaging 7.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 0.7 blocks and 2.2 steals per game during that stretch.

Senior forward Amy Peters has helped pick up the scoring slack, averaging 12.5 points per game and shooting 55.6 percent (10-for-18) from three-point range during that same time frame. Peters is averaging 10.0 points per game on the year and is second on the team in rebounding at 6.0 rpg. Sophomore Kelly Krumwiede is the team's leading rebounder at 6.6 rebounds per game and also leads the team in field goal shooting at 48 percent, while averaging 8.8 points per game.

Bradley's six returning players have combined for 1278 of the 1410 points (90.6 percent) this season and are shooting 40.2 percent (459-1143) from the field, while the six newcomers have combined to average 6.0 points per game and shoot 27.0 percent from the field.

About Evansville

Evansville enters Thursday's home game against Northern Iowa with a 14-8 overall record and is tied for third in the Valley standings with the Panthers. The Purple Aces enter the week with a 3-3 home record in conference play and have lost three of the last four at home, but are 4-1 on the road in league play. Evansville is second in the conference in scoring at 74.7 points per game and leads the Valley in free throw percentage at 78.9 while attempting a league-best 24 free throws per game. The Purple Aces also lead the conference in steals (11.59) and own a Valley best +4.23 turnover margin.

Junior Rebekah Parker leads Evansville in scoring (15.3 ppg), rebounding (5.5 rpg), assists (3.4 apg) and steals (2.18 spg). Senior guard Ashli Senff is averaging 10.4 points per game in just 15.9 minutes per tilt and is shooting 51.5 percent from beyond the three-point arc. Junior Courtney Felke is also scoring in double figures, averaging 10.3 points per game.

Southern Illinois Series

Bradley will hit the road again to face co-league leader Southern Illinois Friday in Carbondale, Ill. The Salukis lead the all-time series 39-11 and have won two of the last three in the series after defeating the Braves 64-40 earlier this season in Peoria. Despite SIU's recent surge, Bradley has won nine of the last 12 in the series dating back to Jan. 2001, including five of the last six games in Carbondale, Ill. Southern Illinois owns a 20-5 edge in the series in games played in Carbondale.

Evansville Series

Bradley holds a slim 13-12 lead in the series with the Purple Aces after posting a 67-65 victory against Evansville on Jan. 13. The Purple Aces enter the week tied for third place in the Valley standings at 7-4. Evansville holds an 8-4 lead in the series in games played in Evansville, Ind. The regular-season series has resulted in a sweep each of the last four years and five of the last six seasons. In fact only the 1995-96, 1997-98, 1999-2000 and 2001-02 seasons have resulted in a split of the regular-season series.

The Coaches

Paula Buscher (Missouri State, ?86) is in her seventh year at Bradley and has a record of 80-109 (.423) 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 123-147 (.456) 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.

Dana Eikenberg (Penn State ?92) is in her third season as head coach at Southern Illinois and seventh season overall as a Division I head coach. Eikenberg has led the Salukis to a 26-51 (.338) record, including a 13-9 mark this season and owns a career record of 64-125 (.339). Last season's 10-18 record was the best record for the Salukis since the 1997-98 season. She led UMKC to second place finishes in the Mid-Continent Conference each of her last two seasons at UMKC prior to arriving in Carbondale.

Tricia Cullop (Purdue ?93) is in her seventh season as head coach at Evansville and as a collegiate head coach. Cullop owns a 97-94 (.508) record as head coach of the Purple Aces. She took over the head coaching duties at Evansville following a four-year stint as an assistant coach at Xavier. The Purple Aces have finished tied for fifth or better four times under Cullop and own a 28-19 (.596) record in Valley play since the start of the 2004-05 season.

Stats At A Glance

Bradley...................................... Southern Illinois

64.1................... Points Per Game................... 67.4

69.5............. Points Allowed Per Game............. 63.7

.387................ Field Goal Percentage................ .473

.430.......... Field Goal Percentage Defense.......... .443

.330........................ 3-Pt. FG%........................ .347

.744...................... Free Throw%..................... .704

37.7................. Rebounds Per Game................ 33.1

13.0............. Offensive Reb. Per Game............. 11.0

+1.2.................... Rebound Margin.................... +2.5

14.0................... Assists Per Game.................. 13.2

17.5................ Turnovers Per Game................ 15.4

2.7..................... Blocks Per Game.................... 2.7

7.5..................... Steals Per Game..................... 7.6

Stats At A Glance

Bradley............................................... Evansville*

64.1................... Points Per Game................... 74.7

69.5............. Points Allowed Per Game............. 69.9

.387................ Field Goal Percentage................ .413

.430.......... Field Goal Percentage Defense.......... .434

.330........................ 3-Pt. FG%........................ .355

.744...................... Free Throw%..................... .789

37.7................. Rebounds Per Game................ 36.5

13.0............. Offensive Reb. Per Game............. 13.7

+1.2.................... Rebound Margin.................... -0.6

14.0................... Assists Per Game.................. 12.2

17.5................ Turnovers Per Game................ 16.5

2.7..................... Blocks Per Game.................... 2.9

7.5..................... Steals Per Game................... 11.6

* - stats prior to games played after Feb. 7

Braves Get Rare Sweep Of Bulldogs

Bradley posted a 58-51 victory Saturday to complete the Braves first regular-season series sweep of Drake 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 with Drake's Kristin Santa for 19th in league history with 412 career assists. Brown, who is third in school history in assists, needs 21 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)..................... 412

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

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

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

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

19. Kristin Santa, Drake (1998-01).................. 412

Jen Brown, Bradley (2003-present)....... 412

Close Calls A Little Kinder

Saturday's seven-point victory against Drake improved the Braves to 5-2 this season in games decided by eight points or less. Bradley was 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. Six of the last nine games have been decided by eight points or less and the Braves are 4-5 during that stretch after opening the season with a 4-9 record.

Peters Finding The Range

Senior Amy Peters connected on all three of her three-point attempts in the Braves victory against Drake Saturday, pushing her season three-point percentage to .381. 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 and has now hit 10 of her last 17 shots from beyond the arc (58.9 percent).

Nelson Climbing Three-Point List

Senior guard Erika Nelson has continued her impressive outside shooting this season and her 55 three-pointers this season now ranks as the eighth best season total in school history and the most by a Brave since Genny Mueller hit 60 in 2003-04. With at least eight games remaining, Nelson is on pace to finish the season with 75 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 79 career made three-pointers and needs six trey's to break into Bradley's career top 10. Nelson also leads the team in three-point field goal percentage, shooting 39.3 percent (55-for-140) from beyond the arc and has made 26-of-63 three-point attempts (.413) in Bradley's nine home games and is averaging 2.6 makes from beyond the arc in home contests. Nelson is shooting just 29-for-77 (37.7 percent) from long range in games away from home and is averaging 2.42 trey's per road tilt.

Three-Point FGs Made (Season)

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

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

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

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

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

58 Erika Grogg..................................... 1992-93

58 Dawn Cartwright.............................. 1995-96

56 Carolyn Hagerty.............................. 1994-95

55 Erika Nelson.................................. 2006-07

54 Genny Mueller................................. 2004-05

54 Andrea McAllister............................. 1991-92

Getting Defensive

Bradley has held eight of its last nine opponents to 68 points or less, surrendering an average of 62.8 points per game during that stretch, but have struggled offensively, scoring just 58.3 points per game during that same time frame. Prior to the recent defensive turnaround, the Braves had been giving up an average of 74.1 points per game, but had been scoring 68.1 points per game on the offensive end. Bradley held just four of its first 13 points under 68 points and was 3-1 when doing so, but just 1-8 when allowing more than 68 points. The Braves are 4-5 over the last nine games.

Up Next

Bradley will return home to open a closing stretch in which the Braves will play four of the final five regular-season games at home, beginning Thursday against Missouri State. Bradley trails the all-time series with Missouri State 15-38 after defeating the Bears earlier this season in Springfield, Mo. The Braves have won two of the last three meetings and three of the last five in the all-time series with Missouri State. The Bears hold a 14-9 edge in games played in Peoria, however and have won 13 of the last 15 times in Peoria. The Bradley-Missouri State series is the second most played series in school history behind the Illinois State series.

Home Struggles Against Bluejays Continue

Thursday's home loss against Creighton 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 will be happy the team is entering 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 19-25 (.432) with Buscher as head coach, including a 15-10 (.600) mark at home after Saturday's 58-51 win against Drake.

Peters Back In The Starting Lineup

Senior Amy Peters has started each of the last five games after appearing in four consecutive games off the bench and is averaging 13.6 points and 8.0 rebounds per game during that stretch. Peters is also averaging 1.6 assists and shooting 58.8 percent (10-for-17) 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.

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 103 games in her near four years on The Hilltop and is fourth in school history. Dawn Cartwright (1992-96) holds the school record for starts with 108. Senior Erika Nelson is tied for 10th all-time in starts with Sara Bailey at 76.

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. Jen Brown (2003-present)..................... 103

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

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

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

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

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

10. Sara Bailey (1999-03)............................... 76

Erika Nelson (2003-present)................... 76

Flanagan Stepping Up All Around Play

While junior guard Devyn Flanagan has averaged 9.2 points per game over the last six games, she has struggled offensively, shooting 29.5 percent during that stretch, including 15.0 percent (3-for-20) from beyond the arc. While Flanagan's outside shots may not be falling, she has certainly stepped up in other areas, averaging 7.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 0.7 blocks and 2.2 steals per game over those same five games. She had averaged 3.9 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 0.1 blocks and 1.7 steals per game in the first 17 games of the season.

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 4-7 league mark. The Braves have already picked up two 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).

Home Sweet Home

Bradley opened Missouri Valley Conference play with five of its first seven games on the road and played 12 of the first 20 games overall away from home. The Braves, which enter this week's action in seventh in the Valley standings, will play four of the final five games at home where Bradley owns a 5-5 record this season.

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 55 three-pointers which ranks as the eighth best season total in school history.

Peters From Long Range

One of the reasons Bradley hit a season-high 11 three-pointers in the team's win at Missouri State on Jan. 21, was the long range shooting of senior center Amy Peters. She entered the game with just six made three-pointers on the year and was shooting 24 percent, but hit 4-of-6 attempts beyond the arc and scored a season-high 18 points. Peters has made 10 of her last 17 three-point attempts after the rough start to the year. She set a school season mark for three-point field goal percentage last year, shooting 42.2 percent (27-for-64) from beyond the arc.

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 3-4 record in the second half of the regular-season and have seven 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 four of the next seven 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 3-4 ????

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

Four Seniors All In Century Club

Senior Ashley Chelleen heads into this week's two-game road swing two games short of tying the school record for games played. Chelleen has appeared in 100 games in her career, two short of the school career mark shared by Genny Mueller and Dena Williams. Chelleen is one of four active players to have appeared in more than 100 games. Jen Brown has played in 106 games heading into Friday's contest at Southern Illinois and needs two games to move into a tie for 10th place. Erika Nelson has seen action in 105 games and senior Amy Peters is also a member of the century club, having played in 102 contests. With at least eight games remaining on the schedule, Chelleen, Brown and Nelson each have a chance to surpass the current career record for games played.

Games Played (Career)

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

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

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

110 Ashley Chelleen.................... 2002-present

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

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

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

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 37-of-41 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.

Road Weary

For the first time in program history Bradley opened Missouri Valley Conference play with three consecutive road games. The Braves played six of their 11 non-conference games away from home and began MVC play with five of the first seven league games on the road, giving Bradley 11 of its first 18 games away from Robertson Memorial Field House. The Braves, who are just 2-8 on the road after defeating Drake on Jan. 8, ended a nine-game losing skid against the Bulldogs. Bradley will close the season with seven of the final 11 games at Robertson Memorial Field House.

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 74.4 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, 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 77.0 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

.770 Erika Nelson (2003-present)............ 167-217

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

.762 Amy Peters (2003-present).............. 138-181

.758 Ashley Chelleen (2002-present)...... 185-244

.75616 Heather Best (1995-99)...................... 276-365

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

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

.720 Sara Bailey (1999-2003).................... 191-270

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 third 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 fourth on the team in scoring at 9.0 points per game and leads the team in rebounding (6.7 per game) and field goal percentage (.480). 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 55 three-pointers after 22 games and has already more than doubled 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 55 of 140 three-point attempts this season (39.3 percent) to raise her career three-point shooting percentage to 37.4 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 3-6 against instate foes this season and owns a 32-22 (.593) 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 Cracks Top 20 In Scoring

Senior Ashley Chelleen broke into Bradley's career top 20 in scoring with her six-point effort against Drake Saturday and is one of five active players climbing the Braves career scoring chart. Chelleen is 20th with 805 career points, while senior Amy Peters currently ranks 23rd behind Karen Richardson with 786 points. Seniors Erika Nelson (704 points) and Jen Brown (701) just eclipsed the 700-point mark and junior Devyn Flanagan needs 17 points to due so, having scored 683 career points. With a minimum of eight games remaining in the season, three of the five players are 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. Roxanne Grabow (1979-83).................... 836

T17. Maureen Hogan (1978-82)....................... 831

T17. Michelle Nason (1993-95)........................ 831

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

20. Ashley Chelleen (2002-present).... 805 (868)

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

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

23. Amy Peters (2003-present)............ 786 (866)

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

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

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

27. Erika Nelson (2003-present).......... 704 (812)

28. Jen Brown (2003-present)............. 701 (750)

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

30. Devyn Flanagan (2004-present)..... 683 (777)

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

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 has blocked a total of seven shots in the last four games and has a team-best 28 rejections this season. She enters Friday's game at Southern Illinois in sixth on Bradley's career blocked shot list with 76 and is currently 10 blocks behind Tami Van Galder for fifth place all-time.

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).............. 76

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 132 points (6.0 points per game) or 9.4 percent of the offense and 139 rebounds (16.8 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 65-of-152 shots (42.8 percent) to open the season and has slipped into fifth place in school history at 50.8 percent. Peters is shooting 42.4 percent from the field this season and is currently 12th all-time in shooting accuracy at 45.7 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

.508 Ashley Chelleen (2002-present)...... 307-604

.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

.457 Amy Peters (2003-present).............. 301-658

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 (Dec. 3) and is now alone in ninth place with 97 career trey's. Brown, who has averaged 25.3 three-pointers per season, could become just the eighth player to make 100 three-pointers in a career, needing three trey's. Senior Erika Nelson is nearing the top 10, owning 79 career three-pointers, while junior Devyn Flanagan has made 69 trey's in her career.

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. Jen Brown (2003-present)...................... 97

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