For Starters

    Bradley will play game of the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Tournament in St. Charles, Mo., after finishing eighth in the final regular-season standings.  The Braves will face #9 seed Southern Illinois in the opening round with the winner advancing to face regular-season tri-champion and #1 seed Illinois State Friday at noon.

    BU has won three of its last four games heading into the conference tournament, which includes a road win at Southern Illinois.  The Braves are 5-5 in their last 10 games after going 1-7 in the month of January.

    The Braves swept the regular-season series from the Salukis, defeating SIU at home 76-59 and topping the Salukis 77-72 in Carbondale, Ill., and are attempting to win three games against one team for just the second time in program history.  Last season Bradley won all three meetings with Missouri State.

    Southern Illinois has lost five of six games heading into Thursday's contest with the lone victory coming at regular-season tri-champion Illinois State last Friday.  The Salukis are attempting to break a six-game losing streak in Missouri Valley Conference Tournament games which dates back to the 1996-97 tournament.

    SIU finished ninth in the final Valley standings with a 5-13 league mark and bring a 9-19 overall record into Thursday's tilt.

About Southern Illinois

    Southern Illinois has dropped six of its last seven games and is 2-10 in its last 12 contests after opening conference play with a 3-3 record.

    The Salukis are 0-2 in neutral site games, falling in a pair of games at the George Washington Tournament in Washington D.C., and are 3-11 away from home this season overall.

    An experienced team, SIU returned eight of 10 letterwinners from last year's team that finished 21-11, won the MVC regular-season title and went 1-1 in the WNIT.

    Leading the way for the Salukis is senior guard Jayme Sweere.  She is fourth in the Valley in scoring at 15.6 points per game and is tied with teammate Erica Smith for fifth in rebounding at 6.8 boards per game.  Sweere also leads the team in assists at 3.14 per tilt and is tied for the team lead with 17 blocked shots.

    Junior forward Jasmine Gibson missed 11 games due to injury, but has returned to the lineup for the last five games and is averaging 14.7 points per game this season while shooting nearly 50 percent from the field.  Freshman Ellen Young is tossing in 12 points per game and is third in the MVC in three-point field goal percentage at 41.1 percent beyond the arc.

    Junior guard Erica Smith is also scoring in double figures at 10.3 points per game and is one of the top defensive players in the conference, averaging nearly two steals per game.

    The Salukis are fourth in the conference in field goal percentage, shooting 41.4 percent as a team and rank third in the Valley in three-point field goal percentage at almost 35 percent.  SIU has held opponents to 30.9 percent shooting from beyond the arc and also rank second in the conference in turnover margin, averaging just 14.9 turnovers per game.  Southern Illinois is third in the league in both steals (8.07 per game) and assist-to-turnover ratio (0.89).

About Bradley

    Bradley returned 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 returned just one of their top five scorers, however, from last year in senior Devyn Flanagan.

    The Braves have been shorthanded in the middle, after junior transfer Monica Rogers ruptured the Achilles tendon in her left leg against Illinois State (Jan. 13) and is sidelined for the remainder of the season.  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 9.4 points, 3.3 assists and is also averaging a league best 2.8 steals per game after missing last season.  Johnson has averaged 10.5 points, 3.8 assists and 3.5 steals per game over the last 13 outings and needs just five steals to break the Bradley season record of 86 steals set by Kathy Stokes during the 1979-80 season.

    Senior guard Devyn Flanagan is the Braves top returning scorer and active career scoring leader.  Flanagan became the 14th player in program history with 1,000 points, reaching the mark Saturday against Northern Iowa and enters Thursday's game with 1,013 career points.  Flanagan is shooting nearly 69 percent from the field and averaging 17.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.3 steals per game over the last three games.

    Junior Kelly Krumwiede has been the most productive player in conference play for the Braves, averaging 10.3 points and 7.3 rebounds while shooting 50.7 percent from the field against Valley opponents.  She has averaged 10.4 points, 7.8 boards, 1.7 assists and 1.3 steals per game over the last 12 contests.

    Freshman Raisa Taylor is averaging 6.7 points per game off the bench and has scored in double figures in each of the 16.8 points per game during that stretch.

Fellow freshman Sonya Harris is averaging 8.5 points and 6.7 rebounds per game in Missouri Valley Conference play and posted double-doubles in three of the last five games where she is averaging 12.2 points, 10.4 rebounds, 2.2 blocks and 1.4 steals per game during that stretch.

    The Braves are averaging 63.7 points per game and have reached 70 points just eight times this season.  BU ranks as one the top defensive squads in the Missouri Valley Conference, however, giving up an average of 65.2 points per game on the season to rank fourth in the MVC in scoring defense.  Bradley leads the MVC in steals, coming away with nearly 11 steals per game and force a league-best 20.1 turnovers per ball game.  Bradley is second in the conference in assists per game (14.7) and also ranks third in the league in field goal percentage (.419), rebounding defense (35.1 rpg) and rebounding margin (+1.1).

    Bradley is 0-2 in neutral site games and own a 3-12 record this season away from Robertson Memorial Field House.

Southern Illinois Series

    Bradley will face Southern Illinois in the opening round of the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Tournament Thursday in a 6:05 p.m. contest.  The Braves swept the regular-season series from the Salukis, but trail the all-time series 13-40.  Bradley has won 11 of the last 15 meetings in the series, however.  Thursday's game will be the first neutral site contest in the series which dates back to the 1982-83 season.  The Braves and Salukis will be meeting in a conference tournament for the fourth time.  SIU won each of the last three meetings in conference tournament action, winning three home games against the Braves as part of the Gateway Conference Tournament (1983, 1987 and 1990).

The Coaches

    Paula Buscher (Missouri State, ?86) is in her eighth year at Bradley and has a record of 96-131 (.423) at BU.  Buscher led teams to improved records in each of her first five seasons as a collegiate head coach and eight of her 11 seasons overall.  Buscher owns a 139-169 (.451) 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 43-71 (.377) 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 an 81-145 (.358) career record, after a four-year stint as head coach at UMKC. 

MVC Tournament History

    Bradley will be the #8 seed for this week's State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Tournament and will face #9 Southern Illinois in the opening round Thursday.  The Braves ended a seven-game losing streak in the conference tournament last season with a first-round victory against Missouri State.  Bradley is 2-16 (.111) all-time in conference tournament play after going 1-1 last season.  The Braves are 1-8 in neutral site games at the MVC Tournament, picking up the only win last season against Missouri State in Des Moines, Iowa.

Flanagan Scores 1,000th Point

    As if playing the last home game of your career in the final game in a facility which has housed well over 1,000 Bradley Athletic Events since 1949, senior Devyn Flanagan made her senior day even more memorable by scoring the 1,000th point of her career in the Braves regular-season finale Saturday against Northern Iowa.  The 14th player in program history to reach the 1,000 point mark, she scored a game-high 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting and hit a buzzer-beating shot from beyond half court to give the Braves a 20-point lead at the half.  Flanagan is 14th on the Braves career scoring chart and needs six points to move into 13th and is just 18 points from passing former teammate Dena Williams for 12th place.   Junior Kelly Krumwiede is currently 34th in scoring with 643 points and needs 11 points to move into 32nd place.

Bradley's Career Scoring Leaders

Harris Makes First Start

    Freshman Sonya Harris made her first career start in the Braves regular-season finale against Northern Iowa and responded with 14 points and a season-high 14 rebounds to go along with three blocked shots.  Harris has a team-high four double-doubles on the year and has had double-doubles in three of the last five outings, averaging 12.2 points, 10.4 rebounds, 2.2 blocked shots and 1.4 steals per game while shooting 54 percent from the field during that stretch.  She has blocked a team-high 28 shots this season which ranks as the fourth best season total for a BU freshman and most by a BU frosh since Dena Williams swatted 52 shots as a freshman in 2001-02.

Getting Defensive

    Sophomore Skye Johnson is closing in on Bradley's season record for steals, needing five takeaways to break Kathy Stokes season mark of 86 steals set in 1979-80. The MVC leader with 82 steals this season, Johnson needs six steals to break into the Valley's single season marks and has the most steals in the MVC since Melanie Boeglin had 110 in 2005-06.  Johnson has helped the Braves to league-best 10.93 steals per game.  Bradley's 317 steals on the season is the highest season total since the 1986-87 season.

Steals In A Season (Individual)

Steals In A Season (Team)

Harris Earns MVC Newcomer Of The Week Twice

    Freshman forward Sonya Harris ended the season on a high note, capturing Missouri Valley Conference Newcomer of the Week honors twice in the last three weeks of the regular season.  Harris earned the honor this week after scoring 14 points and grabbing 14 rebounds in the Braves home win against Northern Iowa.  She also earned the award 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.  Harris is the first player in school history to earn MVC Newcomer of the Week honors twice in a season. 

Smart Cookies

    Bradley had three players receive honorable mention Missouri Valley Conference Scholar-Athlete recognition, with junior Kelly Krumwiede and sophomores Skye Johnson and Jenny Van Kirk earning the distinction.  A Business Management and Administration major with a 3.78 cumulative grade point average, Krumwiede is averaging 8.6 points and a team-best 6.2 rebounds per game.  Johnson is majoring in health science and has a 3.32 cumulative grade point average, while leading the team in scoring (9.4 ppg) and leads the MVC in steals at 2.8 per game.  A chemistry major with a 4.00 grade point average, Van Kirk has started 23 games this season and is averaging 6.3 points per game after scoring nine points as a freshman.

Field House Farewell

    Saturday's regular-season finale against Northern Iowa was the last scheduled event for Bradley's 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.  Robertson Field House is scheduled for demolition sometime during April 2008.  The Braves finished the home slate with a 9-5 mark home this season, marking the most home victories since going 9-3 during the 2001-02 campaign.  The Bradley women's basketball team finished with a 209-170 (.551) all-time record at the facility and finished .500 or better in 24 of 32 seasons playing in the building, including this season.  The Braves were 56-47 (.544) at Robertson Field House under head coach Paula Buscher and own a 58-47 (.552) home record during eight years, having won two games played at Carver Arena.

Up Next

    The winner of Thursday's game between Bradley and Southern Illinois will advance to Friday's quarterfinals and will face #1 seed and regular-season tri-champion Illinois State.  The Braves lost both games to the Redbirds this season and have lost six consecutive games in the series.  Illinois State topped Bradley in the quarterfinals of the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament last season in Des Moines, Iowa, ending the Braves season.  The Redbirds have won both previous meetings on a neutral court, downing Bradley last season and also posting an 80-75 overtime win against the Braves at the 1996 conference tournament in Des Moines, Iowa.  Illinois State holds a 40-23 lead in the all-time series and has won both previous meetings in the MVC Tournament.

Braves End Road Skid

    Bradley's 77-72 road win at Southern Illinois (Feb. 28) was not only the Braves first road win in Missouri Valley Conference play, but it helped end a seven-game road losing streak for BU.  Bradley had not won a road game since topping Chicago State 70-44 on Dec. 20, 2007 and the win against the Salukis also snapped an eight-game MVC road losing streak which dated back to Feb. 11, 2007 when BU defeated Evansville 82-76 in overtime at Roberts Stadium last season.  The Braves have lost three consecutive neutral site games dating back to last year's 65-56 win against Missouri State in Des Moines, Iowa, in the first round of the MVC Tournament.

Taylor Torches Salukis

    Freshman Raisa Taylor scored a season-best 28 points on 10-of-15 to help Bradley to a 77-72 victory at Southern Illinois.  The 28 points were the most by a Brave this season and best BU scoring output since Erika Nelson had 31 points at Wichita State on Jan. 19, 2007.  In addition, Taylor's 28 is the most points in a game by a Bradley freshman since Heather Best tossed in 31 points in a 96-90 overtime victory against Indiana State on Feb. 29, 1996.  In two meetings with Southern Illinois, the freshman guard is averaging 21.5 points and 5.5 rebounds while shooting 65.2 percent (15-for-23) from the field.

Braves Break Streak Against CU

    Bradley's 52-51 victory against Creighton (Feb. 23) 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 the season's home 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 against Creighton (Feb. 23), making her the first Bradley player to reach 100 assists in a season since Jen Brown dished out 139 in 2004-05.  Sophmore Skye Johnson is closing in on the mark as well, needing four assists to reach 100 this season.  If Johnson should reach 100 assists, Bradley would boast a pair of players with 100 or more assists for the first time since the 2001-02 season when Lora Weber had 121 as a senior and current Southern Illinois assistant coach Rasheeda Love dished out 107 assists during her junior season at Bradley.  Merriman is currently fifth in the Valley in assists (3.66 per game) and also fifth in the Valley in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.66).  Johnson has averaged a team-best 3.67 assists in conference play and is ninth in the league with a 3.31 assists per game average this season.

Flanagan Knocks Down 100th Trey

    Senior Devyn Flanagan hit her 100th three-pointer as a Brave against Drake (Feb. 21).  The 10th player in school history to knock down 100 trey's in a Bradley uniform, she has made eight of her last 12 three-point attempts and is shooting a team-best 40.9 percent from beyond the arc.  Flanagan is currently tied with Dana Anderson for eighth in school history with 104 made three-point baskets.  She is also one of the most accurate long range bombers in school history, shooting 35.5 percent (104-for-293) from behind the arc during her Bradley career.  She currently ranks eighth 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

    Bradley finished up its Missouri Valley Conference road schedule with a 1-8 record, but had many close calls along the way.  Eight of BU's nine conference road tilts were decided by 10 points or fewer, including six games that had a final margin of five points or less.  Bradley is 3-10 in true road games this season with seven of those 10 losses coming by seven points or less.  The Braves are 4-10 overall 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.

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 averaged 10.3 points and 7.3 rebounds while shooting 50.7 percent from the field in Missouri Valley Conference play.  In fact, she is averaging 10.4 points and 7.8 rebounds per game over the last 12 contests.

Krumwiede Stats Comparison

                Non-Conference Play         MVC Play

Points pg               5.8                           10.3

Rebounds pg         4.3                            7.3

Field Goal%           .426                          .507

Free Throw%         .500                          .741

Assist pg                0.5                            1.4

Steals pg                0.5                            1.1

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.  Bradley also ended a seven-game losing streak in the series with Northern Iowa with last week's home win against the Panthers.  Illinois State owns the longest active win streak against Bradley, having won six consecutive games in the series.

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 9.1 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.7 blocked shots per game while shooting 54.1 percent from the field over the last 15 contests.  In fact, Harris has averaged 9.5 points, 8.1 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game while shooting 55.6 percent from the field (45-for-81) over the last 11 games, which includes four double-double performances.  She averaged 2.6 points and 2.2 rebounds per game over the first 14 games of the season. 

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 third in the Valley in field goal percentage, shooting 41.8 percent on the season and boasted a 42.8 percent field goal percentage in Missouri Valley Conference play.

 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

Krumwiede Joins 600-500 Club

    Junior forward Kelly Krumwiede became the 14th player in program history to collect 600 points and 500 rebounds in a Bradley uniform, pulling down her 500th career rebound at Evansville on March 1.  The 36th player in school history to score 600 points, Krumwiede has 643 points and 512 boards as a Brave.  She needs 57 points and 88 rebounds to become just the 10th player with 700 points and 600 rebounds in a career.  Senior Devyn Flanagan also joined elite company recently, becoming 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.  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 23 of the last 24 games and is averaging 6.3 points per game on the season.  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 and has started 85 of the 112 games she has appeared in at BU, including 82 of the last 86 contests overall.  Flanagan heads into this week's action among Bradley's career top 10 for games played and starts.  With at least one game remaining, she is currently tied with former teammates Genny Mueller and Dena Williams for fourth in games played (112) and her 85 starts is tied for seventh all-time in school history.

BU's Career Games Played

BU's Career Starts

Reserves Continue To Shine

    Bradley's reserves have played a key part in the Braves success this season, averaging 25.2 points per game this season.  The BU bench has outscored the opponents reserves by an average of +5.6 points per game and have out-produced the opponents counterparts in all but 11 games this season.  Bradley is 12-6 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.

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 dished out a team-best 106 assists 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 seventh in the Missouri Valley Conference, shooting 32.2 percent from three-point range, but have failed to find any consistency.  Bradley has shot under 30 percent from long range 13 out of 29 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.

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 1,000 points, 400 rebounds, 200 assists and 100 steals in a career.  She currently has 1,013 points, 406 rebounds, 273 assists and 155 steals during her time as a Brave.  The 11th player in school history with 1,000 points and 400 rebounds, she joined Heather Best as the only players in school history to also have 250 assists, 150 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 76 three-point attempts (36.8 percent).

In-State Foes

    Thursday's game against Southern Illinois will be the 10th game against teams from the state of Illinois.  The Braves are 6-3 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 38-27 (.585) against teams from the Land of Lincoln under eighth-year head coach Paula Buscher.  Bradley is 121-140 (.464) 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 against Southern Illinois with a record of 96-131 (.423) 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 139-169 (.451) 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.