For Starters

    Bradley is coming off a 52-51 home win against Creighton and will be attempting to end a seven-game road losing streak when the Braves visit defending regular-season Missouri Valley Conference champion Southern Illinois Thursday for a 12:05 p.m. game.  The Braves will close out the road portion of their schedule on Saturday with a 2:05 p.m. game at Evansville.

    Currently ninth in the MVC standings, the Braves will attempt to win back-to-back games for the first time since early February.  Bradley has lost eight consecutive conference road games dating back to Feb. 11, 2007 when the Braves downed Evansville 82-76 in overtime in Evansville, Ind.

    Bradley enters this week's action with a 10-16 overall record and have lost four of the last five games.

    Southern Illinois is 8-16 overall and currently eighth in the Valley with a 4-10 league mark.  The Salukis have lost three in a row and seven of the last eight games heading into Thursday's game.  The Braves won the earlier meeting this season and are looking for their first regular-season sweep of the series since the 2004-05 season.

    Evansville heads into Thursday's home game against Northern Iowa second in the Valley standings at 11-3.  The Purple Aces opened the season with a 6-7 record but have won 11 of the last 12 games prior to Thursday's game and have won six consecutive home games.

About Southern Illinois

    Southern Illinois has lost three consecutive games and seven of its last eight overall heading into Thursday's afternoon tilt at SIU Arena.

    The Salukis are 1/2 game ahead of the Braves in the standings with a 4-10 league mark and are 8-16 overall.  SIU is 6-6 at home this season, including a 3-4 home record in conference play. 

    The defending regular-season conference champions, Southern Illinois returned eight of 10 letterwinners, including three starters from last year's team that finished 21-11 overall and was 16-2 in league play.  The Salukis appeared in the postseason a year ago, going 1-1 in the WNIT.

    One of the top three-point shooting teams in the Valley, the Salukis are second in the conference in three-point field goal percentage (.351) and rank third in the league in field goal percentage (.408) and assist-to-turnover ratio (0.89).

    Junior forward Jasmine Gibson returned to the lineup last week against Evansville after missing 11 games and is averaging a team-best 16.5 points per game.  Senior guard Jayme Sweere is fifth in the MVC in scoring at 14.3 points per game and is tied for fifth in the league at 6.9 rebounds per contest.

    Freshman guard Ellen Young is tossing in 12.5 points per game and shooting better than 40 percent from beyond the three-point arc, while junior Erica Smith is scoring 11.0 points per game and is also hauling down 6.9 rebounds per game to help lead the Salukis.

About Evansville

    Evansville is one of the hottest teams in the Missouri Valley Conference, having won 11 of its last 12 games heading into Thursday's home contest against Northern Iowa.  The Purple Aces had a 10-game win streak snapped at Creighton on Feb. 17, but posted a 71-61 victory at Southern Illinois to get back in the win column. 

    UE is an impressive 10-1 at home this season with the lone loss coming in the Purple Aces MVC opener against league-leading Illinois State.  Evansville has won six consecutive home games heading prior to Thursday's game against the Panthers.

    The Purple Aces finished the 2006-07 season with a 19-12 overall record and were fourth in the Valley standings with an 11-7 league mark.  Evansville returned 11 of 14 letterwinners, including all five starters from last year's squad.

    The experienced starting five has helped the Purple Aces to a league-vest +4.52 turnover margin and Evansville also leads the conference in offensive rebounding at 15.36 offensive boards per game.  The Aces are second in the conference in scoring at 71.4 points per game and are tossing in 72.9 points per game in conference play. 

    Leading the way for Evansville is senior guard Rebekah Parker who is fourth in the Valley in scoring at 14.5 points per game.  Parker also leads the Purple Aces in assists at 3.7 per tilt.  Junior center Shannon Novosel is the top rebounder at the team at 6.5 boards per game and is scoring 11.5 points per game.

    Senior guard Courtney Felke is tossing in 11.1 points per game and is second in the MVC in three-point field goals per game averaging 2.40 trey's per contest.  Junior guard Ashley Austin is the only other Evansville player scoring more than eight points per game, averaging 9.6 points per game. 

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

    The Braves will be a bit shorthanded in the middle, as junior transfer Monica Rogers will miss the remainder of the season after rupturing the Achilles tendon in her left leg against Illinois State (Jan. 13).  Rogers was leading Bradley in scoring and rebounding, averaging 12.5 points and 6.5 rebounds per game in 12 games this season.  She was also shooting a team-best 54.1 percent from the field and had scored in double figures nine times.

    Sophomore guard Skye Johnson is averaging 9.3 points, 3.2 assists and is also averaging a league best  3.0 steals per game after missing last season.  Johnson has averaged 10.6 points, 2.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 4.0 steals per game over the last 10 outings.

    Senior guard Devyn Flanagan is the Braves top returning scorer and active career scoring leader.  Flanagan is currently 15th in career scoring at Bradley with 962 career points and is now averaging 8.4 points per game, while also dishing out 2.6 assists per tilt. 

    Junior Kelly Krumwiede has been the most productive player in conference play for the Braves, averaging 10.7 points and 7.3 rebounds while shooting 50 percent from the field against Valley opponents.  She has averaged 11.2 points, 7.8 boards, 1.8 assists and 1.6 steals per game over the last nine contests.

    The Braves are averaging 62.3 points per game and have reached 70 points just five times this season.  BU ranks as one the top defensive squads in the Missouri Valley Conference, however, giving up an average of 64.5 points per game on the season to rank fifth in the MVC in scoring defense.  Bradley leads the MVC in steals, coming away with 11.27 steals per game and force a league-best 20.8 turnovers per ball game.

Bradley is second in the conference in assists per game (14.92) and ranks fourth in the league in field goal percentage (.407).

Southern Illinois Series

    Bradley opens its final road swing of the regular season Thursday at defending regular-season Missouri Valley Conference champion Southern Illinois.  The Braves won the season's first meeting in Peoria, 76-59, but the Salukis have won two of the last three meetings in the series and three of the last five games in the series.  Southern Illinois holds a 40-12 edge in the series, but Bradley is 10-4 against the Salukis over the last 14 meetings.  SIU leads the all-time series in Carbondale, Ill., 21-5, but BU is 5-2 in its last seven visits to SIU Arena.

Evansville Series

    Bradley holds a slim 14-13 lead in the all-time series with Evansville after the Purple Aces defeated BU 71-50 earlier this season at Robertson Field House.  The Braves have won two of the last three games in the series and have also won two of the last three meetings in Evansville, Ind.  The Purple Aces hold an 8-5 lead in the all-time series in games played at Roberts Stadium.  Bradley has won four of the last seven contests overall in the series.

The Coaches

    Paula Buscher (Missouri State, ?86) is in her eighth year at Bradley and has a record of 94-130 (.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 137-168 (.449) 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.

    Dana Eikenberg (Penn State ?92) is in her fourth season as head coach at Southern Illinois and eighth season overall as a Division I head coach.  The 2007-08 Missouri Valley Conference Coach of the Year, Eikenberg has led the Salukis to a 42-68 (.382) record, including a 21-11 record last season and regular-season Missouri Valley Conference title.  The Salukis went 1-1 in the WNIT last season in the team's first postseason appearance in 15 years.  She owns a 80-142 (.360) career record, after a four-year stint as head coach at UMKC. 

    Tricia Cullop (Purdue ?93) is in her eighth season as head coach at Evansville and as a collegiate head coach.  Cullop owns a 119-106 (.529) 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 five times under Cullop and own a 43-25 (.632) record in Valley play since the start of the 2004-05 season.

Harris Named MVC Newcomer of the Week

    Freshman Sonya Harris was named the Missouri Valley Conference Newcomer of the Week for the week of Feb. 25 after averaging a double-double, 10.5 points and 10 rebounds per game, as Bradley split a pair of home games.  She hit 6-of-11 shots and finished with team-highs of 15 points and 10 rebounds in just 17 minutes of play off the bench in the Braves loss to Drake.  Harris had six points, 10 rebounds and three steals in Bradley's win against Creighton.  With BU trailing by three points and just under one minute to play, Harris had a steal and a layup to cut Creighton's lead to one point.  After Bradley took the lead on a pair of free throws, she hauled down a defensive board with 5.6 seconds left to help Bradley seal the win and end a 17-game home losing streak in the series with Creighton.

Braves Break Streak Against CU

    Saturday's 52-51 victory against Creighton ended a 17-game home losing streak in the series with the Bluejays for Bradley.  Creighton, which was making its final trip to Robertson Memorial Field House, lost its first ever game in the facility on Dec. 2, 1989 when Bradley prevailed 107-68.  The Braves went on to lose 17 consecutive home games in the series with Creighton, before Saturday's victory.  The win also snapped a six-game losing streak in games decided by six points or less and was the Braves first one-point win since Jan. 17, 2004.

Merriman Dishes Out 100th Assist

    Senior Rachel Merriman dished out her 100th assist of the season Saturday against Creighton, making her the first Bradley player to reach 100 assists in a season since Jen Brown dished out 139 in 2004-05.  Merriman is currently fifth in the Valley in assists (4.00 per game) and is third in the Valley in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.93).  In fact, after a slow start to the season she is averaging 4.2 assists per game and boasts an impressive 2.26 assist-to-turnover ratio over the last 19 games.  In addition to Merriman's court presence, Bradley has also benefited from the return of sophomore Skye Johnson.  She is averaging 3.5 assists per game with a 1.16 assist-to-turnover ratio in Missouri Valley Conference play after averaging 2.7 assists with a 0.83 assist-to-turnover ratio in non-conference games.

Final Road Swing

    Bradley will kick off its last two-game road swing of the season Thursday at Southern Illinois and will be looking to end a seven-game road losing streak.  The Braves have a little history on their side as Bradley has at least split games on the final two-game road swing of the season in each of the last six seasons.  The Braves swept the final road swing of the year in 2002-03 and again in 2004-05, while splitting games in 2001-02, 2003-04, 2005-06 and 2006-07.  The Southern Illinois-Evansville road games have been the Braves final Valley road swing of the year in five of the last seven years counting this season.

Stealing The Night Away

    Sophomore Skye Johnson averaged 7.0 steals per game last week and is averaging 5.5 steals per contest over the last four outings.  The top thief in the Missouri Valley Conference, she tied a then career-high six steals Thursday against Drake and followed that with a career-best eight steals in the Braves 52-51 home win against Creighton.  With 77 steals on the season, she has already set the school mark for steals by a sophomore and her season total is the eighth best in school history.  Johnson's 77 steals is the most by a Bradley player since Tammy Van Oppen had 80 steals in 1996-97.

Steals In A Season

Flanagan Knocks Down 100th Trey

    Senior Devyn Flanagan hit her 100th three-pointer as a Brave last Thursday against Drake.  The 10th player in school history to knock down 100 trey's in a Bradley uniform, she needs three 3-point baskets to pass former teammate Erika Nelson for ninth place on the BU career list.  Flanagan is also one of the most accurate long range bombers in school history, shooting 34.8 percent (100-for-287) from behind the arc during her Bradley career.  She currently ranks in three-point field goal percentage at BU. 

BU's Career Three-Point FG Leaders

BU's Career Three-Point FG% Leaders

Close Calls On The Road

    Last week's 52-51 victory against Creighton may have ended a six-game losing streak in games decided by six points or fewer, but Bradley has yet to win a close road game during the 2007-08 season.  The Braves enter the final road swing of the regular-season with an 0-7 Valley road record with six of the BU MVC road losses coming by a total of 25 points.  Bradley is 2-9 in true road games this season with seven of those nine losses coming by seven points or less.  The Braves are 3-9 in games decided by 10 points or less this season.  Last season Bradley was 6-2 in games decided by seven points or less and the Braves were 8-8 overall in games in which the final margin was 10 points or fewer.

Double Trouble

    Junior Kelly Krumwiede has posted double-doubles in two of the last six games and scored in double figures in six of the last seven outings.  Krumwiede has three double-doubles on the year to lead the Braves and now has 10 career double-doubles.  Bradley's active career leader in rebounds with 489 boards, Krumwiede's 10 career double-doubles is tied for 10th in school history.  She leads the Braves in rebounding at 6.0 boards per game and is Bradley's top scorer in conference play at 10.7 points per game.

Flanagan Nears 1,000 Points

    Senior Devyn Flanagan enters Thursday's game at Southern Illinois with 962 career points, needing just 38 points to become the 14th player in program history with 1,000 career points.  She is currently 15th in school history and is 18 points behind Andrea McAllister for 14th.  If Flanagan reaches the 1,000-point mark, she would be the first Bradley player since Dena Williams in 2004-05 to score 1,000 points in a career.  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 currently 36th on Bradley's career scoring list with 619 career points and is 26 points from moving up three spots on the Braves all-time scoring list.

Bradley's Career Scoring Leaders

Field House Finale Approaching

    The March 8 home game against Northern Iowa will not only wrap up the regular-season for the Braves, but it will also be the final game held at historic 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 is 8-5 at home this season and owns a 208-170 (.551) all-time record at the facility heading into this week's action.  BU has finished .500 or better in 24 of 32 seasons playing in the building, including this season.  The Braves are 55-47 (.539) at Robertson Field House under head coach Paula Buscher and own a 57-47 (.548) home record during eight years, having won two games played at Carver Arena.

Braves Have Luck During Think Pink

    Bradley has had luck during its “Hoops for the Cure” events, going 4-1 in those contests over the past five seasons after a 62-50 win against Indiana State on Feb. 7.  Head Coach Paula Buscher sponsored a Coach's Challenge, pledging $25 per BU three-pointer in each of the previous five events.  The Braves have been more than up for the challenge, connecting on 45.3 percent (34-for-75) from long range in the prior Hoops for the Cure events.  Bradley helped raise nearly two thousand dollars at its fifth annual event against the Sycamores and have helped raise over $35,000 for the Susan G. Komen Foundation over the past five seasons.

Conference Play Turnaround

    Junior Kelly Krumwiede has taken her game to another level since Missouri Valley Conference play has started.  After averaging 5.8 points and 4.3 rebounds per game while shooting 42.6 percent in non-conference action, Krumwiede is averaging 10.7 points and 7.3 rebounds while shooting 50 percent from the field in Missouri Valley Conference play.  In fact, she is averaging 11.4 points and 8.1 rebounds per game over the last 11 contests.

Krumwiede Stats Comparison

                Non-Conference Play         MVC Play

Points pg               5.8                           10.7

Rebounds pg         4.3                            7.3

Field Goal%           .426                          .500

Free Throw%         .500                          .722

Assist pg                0.5                            1.4

Steals pg                0.5                            1.3

Braves End Losing Streak To Indiana State

    Bradley's victory against Indiana State (Feb. 7) not only gave the Braves back-to-back Missouri Valley Conference wins for the first time since winning three straight league tilts in February 2007, but it ended an eight-game losing streak in the series with Indiana State.  The Braves had not beaten the Sycamores since March 6, 2004.  Northern Iowa takes over the longest active winning streak against BU, having won seven consecutive games in the series.

Braves Shoot Lights Out vs. SIU

    Bradley turned in one of the most efficient offensive outings in school history against Southern Illinois (Feb. 2), shooting a season-best 60.7 percent from the field.  The Braves shot over 60 percent in a game for the first time since the 1991-92 season and the 60.7 field goal percentage tied for the fifth-best field goal percentage in school history.  Bradley did go 0-for-3 from beyond the three-point arc, however, marking the first time the Braves did not connect on a three-pointer in a game since going 0-for-10 from long range against UNI on Jan. 8, 2005.  The Braves rank fourth in the Valley in field goal percentage, shooting 40.7 percent on the season.

 Team FG Percentage (Single Game)

Harris & Johnson Have Hot Hands Against Salukis

    Sophomore Skye Johnson and freshman Sonya Harris had the hot hands for the Braves against the Southern Illinois (Feb. 2) combining for 37 of BU's 76 points and hitting 18-of-21 shots from the field (85.7 percent).  Harris hit 8-of-9 shots and finished with a season-high 17 points, while Johnson was 10-for-12 from the field and tied a career-high with 20 points.  Harris' .889 field goal percentage is tied for the sixth best single game field goal percentage in school history, while Johnson's .833 percentage is tied for the 12th best effort in school history.

 Individual FG Percentage (Single Game)

.917    Roxanne Grabow (11-12) at Chicago St.           11/27/82

.900    Amy Peters (9-10) vs. SIU                    1/7/06

          Shelli Braud (9-10) at UIC                     1/27/87

.889    Sonya Harris (8-9) vs. SIU                   2/2/08

          Jaime Lugge (8-9) vs. SIU                   1/31/03

          Genny Mueller (8-9) vs. UMKC          11/29/01

          Dena Williams (8-9) vs. Fresno St.        12/1/01

.833    Skye Johnson (10-12) vs. SIU              2/2/08

          Jenn Jolley (10-12) vs. Illinois St.           3/1/01

          Sheila Jenkins (10-12) vs. Drake            1/4/90

Stepping Up

    With junior Monica Rogers sidelined for the remainder of the season the Braves have turned to freshman Sonya Harris to help fill the void.  Harris has responded thus far, averaging 8.0 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.3 blocked shots per game while shooting 53.2 percent from the field over the last 12 contests.  In fact, Harris has averaged 8.1 points, 7.1 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game while shooting over 55 percent from the field (27-for-49) over the last eight games, which include a pair of double-doubles.  She averaged 2.6 points and 2.2 rebounds per game over the first 14 games of the season. 

Krumwiede Joins 500-400 Club

    Junior forward Kelly Krumwiede became the 21st player in program history to collect 500 points and 400 rebounds in a Bradley uniform with her 10-point, 10-rebound effort against Missouri State (Jan. 19).  The 44th player in school history to score 500 points, Krumwiede has 619 points and 489 boards as a Brave.  On pace to finish the season with at least 500 rebounds, she would be the 14th player in school history to score 600 points and grab 500 rebounds.  Senior Devyn Flanagan needs 38 points and six rebounds to become the 11th player in program history with 1,000 points and 400 rebounds as a Brave.

Braves Pick Up First Conference Win

    Bradley picked up its first Missouri Valley Conference victory of the season downing Wichita State 66-54 (Jan. 17) after an 0-3 start to conference play.  The 0-3 start to Valley play marked the 10th time in 25 years of conference play the Braves opened league action with three straight losses.  Bradley has opened conference play with four or more consecutive losses seven previous times.  The victory snapped a three-game losing streak and also brought to an end a six-game regular-season Missouri Valley Conference losing skid that dated back to the Braves Feb. 17, 2007 home win against Wichita State. 

Tammy Van Oppen Inducted Into BU Hall Of Fame

    Former Bradley standout Tammy Van Oppen was inducted into the school's Hall of Fame Saturday, making her the 13th former women's basketball player in the BU Hall of Fame.  A transfer from South Florida, Van Oppen averaged 15.0 points per game in her two years with the Braves and led the team in scoring and rebounding both of her seasons in a Bradley uniform.  The Limestone, Ill., native has one of two triple-doubles in program history and was a two-time first-team All-MVC selection. 

Jenny On The Spot

    Sophomore forward Jenny Van Kirk has emerged as one of the Braves top scoring threats after seeing very little time as a freshman.  Van Kirk scored nine points as a freshman, but has started the last 21 games and is averaging 7.1 points per game on the season.  Over the last 22 contests, Van Kirk is shooting 46 percent from the field (63-for-137) and averaging 7.2 points per game.  She has also heated up from long range, hitting 17 of her last 41 three-point attempts (41.5 percent).

Flanagan Joins Century Club

    Bradley's game against Missouri State on Jan. 19 marked the 100th career game for senior Devyn Flanagan.  She is the 25th player in school history to appear in 100 games in a Bradley uniform.  Flanagan has started 82 of the 109 games she has appeared in at BU, including 79 of the last 83 games, and is closing in on Bradley's career top 10 for games played and starts.  With at least four games remaining, she is currently 10th in games played and her 83 starts is eighth all-time in school history.

BU's Career Starts

Reserves Continue To Shine

    Bradley's reserves have played a key part in the Braves success this season, averaging 24.7 points per game this season.  The BU bench has outscored the opponents reserves by an average of +4.4 points per game and have out-produced the opponents counterparts in all but 10 games this season.  Bradley is 10-5 on the season when the Braves reserves outscore the opponents bench, but 0-11 when the opponents bench outscores Bradley's reserves.

Rogers To Miss Remainder of 2007-08 Season

    Junior Monica Rogers will miss the remainder of the 2007-08 season after rupturing the Achilles tendon in her left leg during the second half of the Braves MVC home opener against Illinois State (Jan. 13).  A transfer from Hampton University, Rogers was leading the Braves in scoring (12.5 ppg) and rebounding (6.5 rpg), while shooting 54.1 percent from the field.  She sat out the 2006-07 season due to NCAA Division I transfer rules and then missed the first two games of the regular season due to a knee injury.  She had started three games this season, but was averaging 14.3 points and 7.1 rebounds while shooting nearly 60 percent from the field in the nine games she played in off the bench.  Rogers had surgery on Jan. 16 and will be sidelined six to nine months.  She will have one year of eligibility remaining.

Braves Draw Second Largest Crowd

    The first meeting in the annual I-74 rivalry between Bradley and Illinois State drew the second largest home crowd in Bradley women's basketball history when the two teams met Sunday at Robertson Memorial Field House.  A season-best 3,004 fans were on hand to witness the final between the two programs at historic Robertson Memorial Field House.  The Illinois State crowd was second only to the 3,128 fans that came out for the Jan. 6, 2002 home game against Illinois State, in which the Braves downed the Redbirds 71-36. 

Merriman Ties School Record

    Senior point guard Rachel Merriman tied the school record for most assists without a turnover at Indiana State (Jan. 10), dishing out eight assists in the Braves' 65-70 loss to the Sycamores.  In her first season as Bradley's starting point guard, Merriman has already passed her season total from last year and is one of three players (Jen Brown & Eileen Yerkes) in school history to have two or more games with six assists or better and no turnovers.

Most Assists With No Turnovers

Ast.    Player.............................. Opponent & Date

8        Rachel Merriman.... at Indiana State 1/10/08

8        Jen Brown........................ at Creighton 3/2/06

8        Jen Brown................. vs. Indiana State 3/6/04

8        Eileen Yerkes......... vs. Eastern Illinois 2/27/92

Hot Or Cold

    Bradley has proved to be very streaky when it comes to shooting from beyond the three-point arc this season.  The Braves currently rank ninth in the Missouri Valley Conference, shooting 31.9 percent from three-point range, but have failed to find any consistency.  Bradley has shot under 30 percent from long range 13 out of 25 games, but have shot 50 percent or better from three-point territory three times.  In fact, the Braves have turned in two of the top four three-point shooting performances in school history this season.  BU shot 64.3 percent (9-for-14) from beyond the arc against Eastern Illinois and nailed 7-of-11 trey's (63.6 percent) at Indiana State.  The Braves also have two games in which they failed to shoot better than 10 percent from three-point range.  Bradley was 0-for-3 from long range against Southern Illinois (Feb. 2), failing to hit a three-pointer for the first time since an 0-for-10 shooting performance against Northern Iowa on Jan. 8, 2005 and also made just one of 11 trey's at Creighton.

Team 3-Point FG Percentage (Single Game)

Braves Four-Game Win Streaks Snapped

    Bradley had a four-game win streak snapped in the Missouri Valley Conference opener, suffering a 64-62 loss at Northern Iowa (Jan. 3).  The four-game win streak was the longest since winning four consecutive games in December 2004.  Bradley also had a four-game home win streak snapped by I-74 rival Illinois State (Jan. 13).  The four-game home win streak was the longest since winning five consecutive home games between the end of the 2005-06 season and the start of the 2006-07 campaign.

Rogers Named MVC Newcomer Of The Week

    Junior forward Monica Rogers was named the Missouri Valley Conference Newcomer of the Week for the week of Dec. 31 after helping Bradley to a 79-70 home win against UC Davis to wrap up the non-conference schedule.  Rogers scored a team-high 17 points on 7-of-13 shooting off the bench to pace the Braves against the Aggies.  She scored 11 points in the second half and corralled three rebounds in the final 20 minutes or play.  She also added one assist and two steals in 25 minutes of play in the contest. 

Braves Wrap Up Non-Conference Slate With Winning Mark

    Bradley posted a 79-70 win against UC Davis to wrap up the non-conference portion of the schedule.  The Braves finished the non-conference slate with a winning record (6-5 overall) for the first time since going 7-2 in 2004-05 and finished better than .500 against non-league opponents for just the second time in the last six years.  In 25 years of conference membership, Bradley has finished the non-conference slate with a winning record 13 times.

Blowout Streak Ends

    Bradley's 79-70 victory against UC Davis ended a string of blowouts for the Braves.  The Braves had won three consecutive games by 21 points prior to the nine-point win and each of the previous six games had been decided by an average margin of 23.8 points per game.  The Braves won consecutive road games by 20 or more points for the first time since the 1985-86 season and were the victors in three consecutive games overall by 20 or more for the first time since February 1980.

Up Next

    Bradley will close out the regular season Saturday, March 8 at Robertson Memorial Field House against Northern Iowa.  Bradley leads the all-time series with Northern Iowa 30-20 after UNI edged the Braves 64-62 in the Missouri Valley Conference opener for both teams earlier this season in Cedar Falls, Iowa.  The Panthers have won seven consecutive games in the all-time series, including each of the last three games at Robertson Memorial Field House.  Bradley is 18-6 all-time in home games in the series.

Flanagan In Rare Air

    Senior Devyn Flanagan was already in elite company to open the season, starting the year in 28th place on the career scoring list.  The senior has since joined an even more elite group as she is one of six players in program history with 900 points, 350 rebounds, 200 assists and 100 steals in a career.  She currently has 962 points, 394 rebounds, 262 assists and 148 steals during her time as a Brave.  Flanagan is 38 points and six rebounds short of becoming the 11th player in school history with 1,000 points and 400 rebounds and has already joined Heather Best as the only players in school history with 900 points, 350 rebounds, 200 assists, 100 steals and 100 made three-pointers.

Frericks Ties School Record

    Sophomore guard Renee Frericks tied a school record with eight three-point baskets in the Braves 83-57 victory against Eastern Illinois (Nov. 27).  Frericks entered the game with nine career points and was 1-for-11 in her career from three-point range, but connected on 8-of-11 trey's against the Panthers to tie Andrea McAllister's school record of eight three-pointers set Jan. 27, 1990.  The eight trey's also broke a Robertson Memorial Field House record, which was held by six individuals (including four former Bradley players) and is tied for the third highest game total in Missouri Valley Conference history.  Frericks finished the game with a career-best 26 points, crushing her previous career high of four points.  She has hit 28 of her last 74 three-point attempts (37.8 percent).

In-State Foes

    Thursday's game at Southern Illinois will be the ninth and final scheduled game against teams from the state of Illinois.  The Braves are 5-3 against in-state opponents, after going 3-9 against teams from the Prairie State last year.  Bradley ended a nine-game losing streak to in-state opponents that dated back to last December's home win against Loyola with a 69-62 victory over Illinois-Chicago earlier this season.  The Braves are now 37-27 (.578) against teams from the Land of Lincoln under eighth-year head coach Paula Buscher.  Bradley is 120-140 (.462) against Division I teams from Illinois all-time, but owns an 85-60 (.586) mark against Division I non-conference foes from Illinois.

Braves Top 70 For First Time

    Bradley scored a season-high 83 points against Eastern Illinois on Nov. 27, ending a streak of 10 consecutive games in which the Braves didn't reach the 70-point mark dating back to last season.  The 10-game stretch under 70 points was the first for the Braves since failing to score 70 or more in the first 35 games of intercollegiate competition.  Bradley was held to under 70 points for the entire 1975-76 (11 games) and 1976-77 (18 games) seasons in addition to the first six games of the 1977-78 campaign.  

Braves Finish Horizon League Tour

    Bradley's game at Loyola-Chicago (Dec. 5) marked the Braves' fourth and final game against Horizon League opponents.  The Braves finished 2-2 against Horizon League teams this season, posting wins against Illinois-Chicago and Loyola.  BU is 37-21 (.638) against current members of the Horizon League, including a 28-18 (.609) record against this year's Horizon League foes.  Bradley is 15-7 (.682) against current members of the Horizon League under eighth-year head coach Paula Buscher.

Braves Make Trek North To Alaska                         

    The Bradley women's basketball team finished fourth at the annual Carrs/Safeway Great Alaska Shootout in Anchorage, Alaska, losing to Santa Clara (61-69) and Cleveland State (61-82).  Tournament host Alaska Anchorage won its second consecutive tournament title.  The Braves were the first Missouri Valley Conference women's team to participate in the Great Alaska 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 compete in Alaska, taking part in the 1979 tournament. 

Buscher Coaches 300th Game

    Bradley's game against Indiana State (Feb. 7) was head coach Paula Buscher's 300th game as a collegiate head coach.  Buscher coached her 200th game at Bradley earlier this season in the Braves home opener against Butler on Nov. 13.  She enters Thursday's contest at Southern Illinois with a record of 94-130 (.420) at BU, including a 41-34 (.547) 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.  She owns a 137-168 (.449) career coaching mark in her 11th season as a collegiate head coach. 

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 are available at the Bradley Athletics Ticket Office for $40.  For ticket information, contact the Bradley Athletics Ticket Office at (309) 677-2625.