For Starters

    Bradley looks to rebound from its first loss in over a month when the Braves continue a three-game Missouri Valley Conference road swing at Drake (Friday) and Creighton (Sunday).  Friday's game at Drake will be televised in the Peoria area on Fox Sports Midwest as part of the MVC television package.  The Braves have matched the best start in program history at 13-3 and find themselves in a four-way tie for first-place in the Missouri Valley Conference at 4-1.  Drake and Creighton are both riding four-game win streaks heading into this week's action and are tied for fifth in the Valley at 4-2.  Drake is 6-1 at home this season and boasts a 10-7 overall record.  Creighton (9-8 overall) is 5-3 at home heading into Friday's home game against Northern Iowa.  Creighton and Drake rank first and second, respectively, in the MVC in points allowed per game.

About Drake

    Drake has won four straight games and is 9-5 in its last 14 games heading into Friday's meeting.  The Bulldogs (10-7 overall) were picked third in the preseason Valley poll and are currently tied for fifth in the MVC standings at 4-2.

    DU returned nine of 13 letterwinners, including three starters from last year's squad which finished 23-11 last year and won a share of the regular-season Valley title with a 13-5 league mark.  Drake is the first of three consecutive postseason opponents for the Braves.  The Bulldogs went 1-1 in last season's WNIT.

    Sophomore guard Kristin Turk leads the Bulldogs in scoring at 13.0 points per game and leads Drake in three-point field goals.  Junior guard Jordann Plummer is also scoring in double figures at 10.8 points per game and is one of two players to start all 17 games.

    Senior forward Lauren Dybing leads the squad in rebounding at 5.3 boards per game and adds 8.6 points per game.

    The Bulldogs average just 60.8 points per game, but rank as one of the top defensive teams in the Missouri Valley Conference.  Drake gives up just 58.8 points per game and limit foes to 38.7 percent shooting. 

About Creighton

    After an 2-6 start to the season, Creighton has won seven of the last nine overall and is 9-8 overall heading into Friday's home game against Northern Iowa.  The Bluejays are tied with Drake for fifth in the MVC standings at 4-2.

    Creighton was picked second in the MVC preseason poll and returned eight off 11 letterwinners from last year's team which finished 21-12.  The Bluejays, which advanced to the WNIT, finished fourth in The Valley at 12-6. 

    Junior guard Chevelle Herring is one of three players scoring in double figures, averaging a team-best 14.6 points per game.  Herring averages 37.2 minutes per game.

    Sophomore guard Kelsey Woodard is one of the top three-point threats in the MVC, shooting 40 percent from beyond the arc and is scoring 13.0 points per game. 

    Junior forward Megan Neuvirth is tossing in 12.4 points per game and leads Creighton in rebounding (9.7 rpg), assists (3.3 apg), blocks (1.5 bpg) and steals (2.5 spg). 

    Creighton leads the MVC in three-point field goal percentage (38.9 percent) and make a league-best 7.1 three-pointers per game.  The Bluejays score 60 points per game, but have given up just 58.5 points per game and have limited each of the last three opponents to 47 points or less.

About Bradley

    Bradley features one of the most experienced rosters in the Missouri Valley Conference, returning eight letterwinners from last year's squad.  The Braves roster includes six of the top seven scorers from 2007-08, but also features eight newcomers (seven freshmen and one sophomore).

    Senior Monica Rogers has scored in double figures in 10 of 15 games this season and leads the team in scoring at 11.9 points per game, while ranking third in the MVC in rebounding at 8.5 boards per game.  Rogers missed the Dec. 28 home game against Air Force, but has started 13 of the 15 games she has played in and has posted a team-best six double-doubles this season.

    Freshman guard Michelle Lund has been named MVC Newcomer of the Week three times this season and is second in scoring at 11.3 points per game.

She is tied for second on the squad in assists (2.2 apg) and is shooting 43.8 percent from three-point range.  Lund has already surpassed the Bradley freshman record for three-pointers with her 49 triples and ranks in the top 10 nationally in three-point field goals per game.

    Junior guard Skye Johnson has taken over the primary ball-handling duties this year and is tossing in 9.3 points per game, while leading the team in assists (5.6 apg) and steals (2.1 spg).  The 2007-08 MVC Defensive Player of the Year is also averaging 1.3 blocks per tilt.

    Sophomore Sonya Harris missed two games due to injury but has returned to the lineup to play in the last nine contests and is now averaging 9.5 points, 7.2 rebounds.  Harris leads the MVC in field goal percentage and is second in The Valley in blocks (2.3 bpg).

    BU has dominated the glass so far this season, outrebounding its opponents by better than 10 boards per game and ranks 11th in the nation in rebounding margin through games of Jan. 18.  The Braves have outrebounded 15 of 16 opponents this season.  In addition to leading the MVC in rebounding margin, Bradley is second in The Valley in three-point field goal percentage (38.7) a year removed from shooting 32.4 percent from beyond the arc.

The Coaches

    Paula Buscher (Missouri State, ?86) is in her ninth year at Bradley and has a record of 109-135 (.447) at BU.  The dean of Missouri Valley Conference women's basketball coaches, 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 152-173 (.468) career record and is in her 12th 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.

    Amy Stephens (Nebraska ?91) is in her sixth year as head coach at Drake and 14th season as a collegiate head coach.  She has led the Bulldogs to a 94-79 (.543) record in her time in Des Moines, Iowa, and three consecutive postseason appearances.  Stephens owns a 291-122 (.705) career record, which includes eight seasons as head coach at Nebraska-Kearney.

    Jim Flanery (Creighton ?87) is in his seventh season as head coach at his alma mater and as a collegiate head coach.  Flanery has led the Bluejays to a 118-88 (.573) record in that time.  Creighton has advanced to the postseason in four of his six seasons as head coach.

Drake Series

    Bradley continues its three-game Valley road swing Friday at Drake in the Braves first appearance on Fox Sports Net since the 2005-06 season.  Drake holds a 42-11 lead in the all-time series with the Braves after sweeping the regular-season series last year.  The Braves and Bulldogs have split the last four meetings, but Drake is 7-2 in the last nine games between the two programs.  Drake holds a 21-4 advantage in games played in Des Moines, Iowa.  Bradley is 3-16 against Drake under head coach Paula Buscher.

Last Time Out

    Bradley's seven-game win streak came to an end Saturday with a 76-92 loss at Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, Iowa.  The hot-shooting Panthers shot 50 percent from the field and made 9-of-21 from beyond the arc.  Senior Monica Rogers had a season-high 26 points and also added 11 rebounds for her team-best sixth double-double of the year.  Junior Skye Johnson had 16 points and five assists, while Raisa Taylor (14 points) and Sonya Harris (12 points) also scored in double figures.  UNI led by as many as 20 points in the first half and held a 50-36 advantage at halftime, but Bradley trimmed the Panthers lead to seven points with two minutes to play.  The Braves scored just two points in the final two minutes in the 76-92 setback.

    Friday's game at Drake will be televised on Fox Sports Midwest, Fox Sports Kansas City, Fox College Sports, Comcast SportsNet Chicago and Metro Sports as part of the Missouri Valley Conference television package.  The Braves will appear on the MVC's television package for the first time since defeating Illinois State 71-63 on Jan. 15, 2006.  BU has not had a road game televised on regional cable since the 2003-04 season and the Braves are 2-3 in Valley television games under head coach Paula Buscher. 

Win Streak Ends At Seven

    Bradley had its season-long seven-game win streak snapped Saturday with a 76-92 loss at Northern Iowa.  The seven-game win streak tied for the third longest in program history and was the longest win streak since the Braves opened the 2001-02 season with a school-record nine consecutive victories.  Bradley has two win streaks of four games or more this season, marking the first time BU has had two win streaks of four or more games in the same season since the 1981-82 campaign. 

Year              Win Streak         Final Record

2001-02        9                          16-12

1981-82        8                          19-8

2008-09        7                          ??                    

1996-97        7                          16-12  

Creighton Series

    The three-game Valley road swing concludes Sunday at Creighton.  The Bluejays hold a 31-5 advantage in the series, but the Braves have won two of the last five games overall.  Bradley split the regular-season series with Creighton last season, edging the Bluejays 52-51 in the last meeting in Peoria, Ill.  The last three games in the series have been decided by a total of eight points.  The Braves are 3-14 in road games in the series with Creighton.  BU is 2-14 against Creighton under head coach Paula Buscher. 

Braves Open Valley Play With 4-0 Mark

    Bradley opened Missouri Valley Conference play with four consecutive wins, marking the first 4-0 start to league play in program history.  The 4-0 start surpassed two previous 3-0 starts (1990-91 & 1988-89) to conference play.  Prior to Saturday's loss at UNI, Bradley had won five consecutive regular-season Missouri Valley Conference games dating back to last season's 79-63 home win against UNI in the regular-season finale, marking the first five-game win streak in regular season conference games in program history.  Including the loss at UNI, the Braves have won seven of their last nine regular-season conference games.

Year       MVC Start            Final MVC Record    Place

2008-09 4-0           

1990-91 3-0            9-9                               T5th

1988-89 3-0            6-12                               6th

Rare Feat

    Despite Saturday's loss at Northern Iowa, Bradley is off to a Missouri Valley Conference best 13-3 start to the season.  The 13-3 record matches the 1979-80 for the best start through 16 games in program history.     The Braves have already surpassed last season's win total and the 13 victories are the most since the 2004-05 team finished 15-13 overall.  BU's four road wins are the most since 2004-05 when Bradley finished 7-6 in road contests.  The Braves have won 19 or more games each of the three previous times BU has opened the season with a 12-4 record or better and the only other time Bradley started a year with a 13-3 mark resulted in the only 20-win season in program history.

Year       Start   Final Record MVC Record

2008-09  13-3    ??                  4-1

1979-80  13-3    20-9                N/A

1981-82  12-4    19-8                N/A

1980-81  12-4    19-8                N/A

Road Warriors

    The Braves will open Missouri Valley Conference play with five of their first seven league games on the road.  Bradley is 4-3 in true road games, joining Illinois State as the only two Valley members with winning road marks.  BU is 6-3 away from home, including two neutral site victories.  The six wins away from home are second only to preseason MVC favorite Illinois State's eight wins (five road and three neutral).

Blocking The Night Away

    Sophomore Sonya Harris is averaging 3.4 blocked shots per game in Missouri Valley Conference play and is just three rejections away from passing her season total from 2007-08.  Harris has had four blocked shots in each of the last two games and has helped the Braves to a league-best 5.3 blocks per game this season.  Bradley's 85 blocked shots on the year is already the 10th best season total in school history and BU is on pace to shatter the school record of 134 blocks set by the 2004-05 squad.

Taking Care Of The Ball

    Bradley averaged 22.4 turnovers per game through the first 13 games of the season, but has done a much better job of taking care of the ball in the last two games.  The Braves have averaged just 15.3 turnovers per game over the last three games.  BU has forced an average of just 13.0 turnovers per game in the three losses this season, compared to 19.5 turnovers in the 13 wins.

Balanced Attack

    One of the reasons for the Braves success this season has been its balanced attack.  BU has seven players averaging 5.3 points per game or more and have had an impressive 12 different players score in double figures in at least one game in 2008-09.  The Braves have had three or more players in double figures in all but two games this season - a 71-69 home win against Ohio Valley Conference favorite Eastern Illinois and the 61-72 loss at Illinois-Chicago.  Junior guard Renee Frericks and freshman Darcel Retreage are the only two players who have seen action this year who have not scored in double figures. 

Braves Lose Rebounding Battle For First Time

    For the first time in 2008-09 Bradley lost the rebounding battle as Evansville outrebounded the Braves 47-35 in the Jan. 11 home game.  BU outrebounded each of the first 14 opponents it faced this season and came into the contest ranked sixth in the nation in rebounding margin according to the NCAA National Statistical leaders through games of Jan. 8.  Bradley has outboarded 15 of 16 opponents to date and lead the MVC in rebounding margin at +10.1.

Home Win Streak At Nine

    Despite not having a true home court to call their own, the Braves have had no trouble winning on whichever court has served as Bradley's home court so far this season.  BU is 6-0 at Illinois Central College and 1-0 at Richwoods High School, pushing the Braves home win streak to nine games.  The nine-game home win streak is the longest since winning 10 consecutive home contests between the 1980-81 and 1981-82 seasons and is the third longest home winning streak in program history.

Lund Sets Underclassmen 3FG Mark

    Freshman guard Michelle Lund had already surpassed the school record for three-pointers by a freshman in the Braves Missouri Valley Conference opener at Wichita State, but the sharp-shooting guard has also set the mark for three-point field goals by an underclassmen.  Andrea McAllister hit 43 three-pointers as a sophomore in 1989-90 to set the underclassmen record.  Lund, whose 49 three-pointers is 11th among Valley freshman all-time, is second in the nation in three-point field goals per game (3.1 per game) to Indiana State's Kelsey Luna.  She is shooting 43.8 percent (49-for-112) from beyond the arc.  Lund is the first freshman in school history to hit more than five three-pointers in a game, knocking down six trey's on two occasions.

3-Point Field Goals By A Freshman (MVC)

Lund Earns Third Newcomer of the Week Award

    Freshman guard Michelle Lund has earned Missouri Valley Conference Newcomer of the Week honors three times this season.  She is the first Bradley player to win MVC Newcomer of the Week three times and is second only to Missouri State's Casey Garrison in the league this season, who has earned MVC Newcomer of the Week four times.

Nationally Ranked

    The Braves rank as one of the top rebounding team's in the country according to the NCAA National Statistics through games of Jan. 18.  Bradley is 11th in the nation in rebounding margin at +10.1 boards per game.  After ranking sixth in the MVC in three-point field goal percentage last year, Bradley enters this week's play in 12th place in the nation in three-point field goal percentage at 38.7 percent from beyond the arc.  As a team, Bradley is 20th nationally in assists (16.3 apg) and 18th in blocked shots (5.3 bpg).  Through Sunday's games, freshman guard Michelle Lund is second in the country in three-point field goals per game (3.1 per contest) and also ranked 16th nationally in three-point field goal percentage (43.8 percent).  Junior guard Skye Johnson is ranked 20th in the country in assists per game (5.6 apg) while sophomore Sonya Harris is 32nd in blocked shots (2.3 per game) in the latest national leaders report.

Non-Conference Streaks

    Bradley went undefeated in five non-conference home games this season, extending the Braves home win streak against non-conference foes to nine games.   The nine-game non-conference home win streak is the longest since Bradley joined the Gateway Conference for the 1983-84 season.  In addition, Bradley has also won seven consecutive home games against in-state non-conference opponents.  The Braves are 27-11 (.711) at home against non-conference opponents under head coach Paula Buscher. 

Braves Tie School Mark For Non-Conference Wins

    Bradley finished the non-conference portion of the schedule with a Missouri Valley Conference best 9-2 record and matched the school mark for non-conference victories.  The nine victories is tied for the most non-conference wins for the Braves since joining the Gateway Conference for the 1983-84 season.  Bradley finished the 2001-02 non-conference slate with a perfect 9-0 record.

Harris With The Block

    Sophomore Sonya Harris jumped up three spots on Bradley's career blocked shots list thanks in part to her six-block effort at Missouri State (Jan. 4).  Harris ranks seventh in school history with 66 career rejections and is currently second in the MVC with a 2.3 blocked shots per game average.  She needs 21 blocked shots to pass Tami Van Galder for sixth place at Bradley and is just three blocks from passing her season total from 2007-08.  Below is a list of Bradley's top 10 in career blocked shots.

BRADLEY CAREER BLOCKED SHOTS LEADERS

Second City Is Second Home For Braves

    Bradley posted a 71-53 victory against Illinois Dec. 6 at the United Center in Chicago, ending a five-game Illinois win streak in games played in the facility.  Chicago has been a bit of a second home for the Braves over the years.  BU is 7-3 all-time in Chicago under head coach Paula Buscher and the Braves are 24-15 (.615) all-time in the “Second City”.  The Braves 18-point win against Illinois is the worst loss for the Illini in games played at the United Center.

Defending Her Title

    Junior guard Skye Johnson is making an early bid to repeat as Missouri Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Year.  Johnson currently ranks among the league leaders in both steals and blocked shots after leading the MVC with 82 steals last season.  She currently leads the Braves in steals (34) and is second in blocked shots (20).  Her 20 blocks on the year is already a career high.  Johnson ranks fifth in the MVC in steals per game and is sixth in The Valley in blocked shots per game.

Skye Johnson Earns Trio Of Honors

    Junior guard Skye Johnson was named the Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Week for the week of Dec. 8, marking the first time a Bradley player earned the award since Jen Brown in February 2007.  In addition she was also selected as the MVC's and Bradley's Scholar-Athletes of the Week.  Johnson turned in one of the best all-around performances of her career, helping Bradley to a 71-53 victory against in-state foe Illinois at the United Center.  Johnson, who had just one turnover in the game, had 13 points and matched a career-best nine assists against the Illini.  She also collected four steals and recorded a then career-high four blocked shots.  Johnson had five points, two boards, five assists, three blocks and three steals in the first half, helping Bradley to a 40-27 lead at the break. 

Braves Win NAU Thanksgiving Classic

    The Braves won both games at the Northern Arizona Thanksgiving Classic in Flagstaff, Ariz., topping tournament-host NAU (83-66) and preseason Big West Conference favorite UC Riverside (59-56) to win the tournament title.  Bradley won an in-season tournament for the first time since claiming the Dead River Classic in Orono, Maine, in 2001-02 in addition to snapping a five-game neutral site losing streak with the wins.  The Braves are now 4-0 all-time in the state of Arizona, having also claimed the tournament title at the Sun Devil Classic in Tempe, Ariz., during the 1996-97 season.  Freshman guard Michelle Lund was named the tournament MVP and junior guard Skye Johnson joined Lund on the all-tournament team.

Buscher Gets 100th Win Against Familiar Foe

    Ninth-year Bradley head coach Paula Buscher picked up her 100th win as head coach of the Braves Friday against Northern Arizona and earned the milestone victory against a familiar face.  Northern Arizona head coach Laurie Kelly was a graduate assistant under Buscher at Minnesota State-Mankato.  Buscher is second in school history with 109 wins, needing just 16 victories to pass Lisa Boyer.  Boyer was 124-149 (.454) as Bradley head coach from 1986-87 through the 1995-96 season.  Buscher's 100th win at Bradley also marked the 400th win in program history. 

BRADLEY CAREER COACHING VICTORIES

Bench Coming Up Big

    Bradley's reserves played a big role in the Braves wins against Northern Arizona and UC Riverside and have been a big part of BU's success this season.  The bench combined for 64 points (32.0 points per game) in the two games in Flagstaff, Ariz., on 50 percent shooting, while the starters averaged 37.5 points per game and shot 46.7 percent from the field.  BU's reserves have outscored their counterparts in 13 of 16 games this season and have outdone the opponents' reserves by an average margin of +9.8 points per game.  In fact Bradley's bench has outscored the opponents reserves 136-71 over the last six games and boasts a +11.9 margin in bench scoring over the last seven ball games.

Braves End Several Streaks

    Several streaks came to an end for the Braves with the pair of wins at the Northern Arizona Thanksgiving Classic.  Bradley ended a four-game losing streak in non-conference games outside the state of Illinois, dating back to the Braves win against San Jose State in Dallas, Texas on Nov. 25, 2006.  Bradley also picked up its first non-conference road win outside the state of Illinois since the 2004-05 campaign.  The Braves had lost five consecutive non-conference road games outside of the Land of Lincoln dating back to an 86-56 road win at Saint Louis on Dec. 21, 2004.  The win against UC Riverside in the championship game also snapped a four-game losing skid in games played at neutral sites.

Bucking The Trend

    Bradley rallied to win after trailing at halftime in each of the first two games of the 2008-09 season.  The Braves were 1-29 when trailing at halftime over the previous two seasons (2007-08 & 2006-07) and have not won two games in the same season when losing at the break since the 2005-06 campaign.  BU is now 3-3 when losing at halftime after erasing a four-point halftime deficit against Evansville on Jan. 11.  BU trailed Loyola by 11 points at the break in the season opener, before coming back to win,  marking the first time BU came back from a double-digit halftime deficit to win since topping St. Mary's (Calif.) 64-57 in overtime on Nov. 28, 2003.  The 11-point comeback is the largest halftime deficit in a Bradley win since trailing 32-19 at Illinois State on Feb. 12, 2000 in an eventual 61-60 BU victory.

Crashing The Boards

    A year removed from ranking eighth in the Missouri Valley Conference in rebounds per game, the Braves have hit the boards early on in 2008-09, currently ranking first in The Valley at 42.7 rebounds per game.  In addition to the impressive +10.1 average rebound margin, Bradley is averaging 15.5 offensive boards per contest despite owning the second best field goal percentage in the league.  Senior Monica Rogers is third in the MVC in rebounding at 8.5 per game and is one of three Bradley players averaging 5.3 or more rebounds per outing.  BU is the only school in the conference to have three players ranked in the top 10 in offensive rebounds per game. 

In-State Opponents

    Bradley's first four opponents of the 2008-09 season each call the state of Illinois home, marking the first time the Braves open a season with four consecutive in-state opponents since the 1976-77 season.  Bradley is 25-14 (.641) against in-state non-conference opponents under ninth-year head coach Paula Buscher.  BU is 43-30 (.589) against in-state foes during Buscher's tenure, which includes an 19-16 mark against Illinois State and Southern Illinois.

Lund Starts Season Opener

    Freshman guard Michelle Lund started the Braves season opener, making her the 13th freshman since the start of the 1981-82 season to start in a season opener for Bradley.  Lund is the third freshmen to start a season opener under ninth-year head coach Paula Buscher, joining Jen Brown and Jaime Lugge.  Below is a list of freshmen to start in a season opener for the Braves along with their points, rebounds and assists for that outing.

Name                Date               Pts.      Reb.     Ast.

Michelle Lund   11/15/08            3          6          5

Jen Brown          11/21/03            5          3          5

Jaime Lugge       11/16/01            3          4          4

Sarah Sommer  11/20/99            7          6          1

Lynn Pastucha  11/20/99            8          8          0

Heather Best       11/24/95            9          1          5

Dawn Cartwright 12/1/92              3          6          4

Liza Reed          11/25/91            2          5          1

Dawyel Jones     11/24/89            6          3          2

Kelly Mazza       11/26/88            7          1          3

Karin Nicholls   11/28/86            6          6          0

Kelly Miller         11/28/83           12          3          1

Judy Burns       11/20/81           23          2          2

* Bold indicates home games.

Up Next

    Bradley returns home to face I74 rival and preseason MVC favorite Illinois State Friday at Lorene Ramsey Gym.  The Braves will try to end a six-game losing streak in the series with the Redbirds.  Illinois State holds a 40-23 lead in the all-time series with Bradley.  The Braves are 13-17 in home games in the series, but have won six of the last eight home contests in the series.  BU is 7-10 against Illinois State under head coach Paula Buscher.

Braves Picked Eighth In Preseason Poll

    Bradley was picked eighth in the preseason Missouri Valley Conference poll, after finishing eighth in the 2007-08 regular-season race.  Bradley's roster featured eight of 13 letterwinners from last year, including six of the top seven scorers.  Illinois State was the unanimous choice to win the 2008-09 regular-season crown.  The Braves were five points behind Indiana State for seventh place. 

2008-09 MVC Preseason Poll

Rank Team (First-Place Votes)         Points

1.       Illinois State (40)                               400

2.       Creighton                                          310

3.       Drake                                               297

4.       Evansville                                         251

5.       Northern Iowa                                  245

6.       Missouri State                                   215

7.       Indiana State                                     166

8.       BRADLEY                                        161

9.       Southern Illinois                                108

10.     Wichita State                                        47

Returning Numbers

    Despite losing five letterwinners from last year's team, Bradley boasts one of the more experienced teams in the Missouri Valley Conference heading into the 2008-09 campaign.  The Braves return six of their top seven scorers from last year and are one of just three teams in the league which is returning over 70 percent of both its scoring and rebounding from the previous years.  The only other teams to join BU in that elite company are Northern Iowa and defending regular-season co-champion Illinois State.  The chart below takes a look at the returning numbers for all 10 league members.

Youth Movement

    While the Braves have a strong group of returning players, Bradley also has a lot of youth on its roster.  The Braves 16-player roster includes eight newcomers, the most newcomers to the team since welcoming nine new faces for the 2001-02 season when Bradley finished 16-12 overall.  This year's newcomers include seven freshmen and one sophomore, giving the Braves 10 underclassmen.  Northern Iowa is the only other team in The Valley that can match Bradley's 10 underclassmen and Southern Illinois and Indiana State are the only MVC schools to welcome eight newcomers for the 2008-09 season.  Bradley is the only team in the conference to welcome more than six newcomers, while returning eight letterwinners from last year.  The Braves' 16-player roster is the largest for the program since the 1997-98 campaign. 

Home Sweet Home

    Bradley will play its home games at several different venues during the 2008-09 since Robertson Memorial Field House was razed in May to make room for a new facility which is currently under construction and schedule for completion during the 2009-10 school year.  The Braves closed out Robertson Field House with a 79-63 victory against Northern Iowa in the 2007-008 regular-season finale and won four of the last five games on the historic raised floor to finish with a 209-170 (.551) all-time record at the facility.  Bradley will play the bulk of its games in 2008-09 at Illinois Central College's Lorene Ramsey Gym, and own a 7-0 record at home this season which includes a 6-0 mark at Lorene Ramsey Gym and a 1-0 record at Richwoods High School.

Krumwiede Joins 600-500 Club

    Senior forward Kelly Krumwiede is 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 last March.  The 36th player in school history to score 600 points, Krumwiede is the Braves active career scoring leader with 698 points and also ranks as the active career leader in rebounding with 566 career boards.  She needs two points and 34 rebounds to become just the 10th player with 700 points and 600 rebounds in a career and is just seven boards short of cracking BU's career top 10.

REBOUNDS (CAREER)

Team Captains

    Junior forward Jenny Van Kirk and freshman Hanna Muegge have been voted team captains for the 2008-09 season. 

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.bradleybraves.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.  Junior Jenny Van Kirk will be blogging throughout the 2008-09 season on the Bradley Athletics website at www.bradleybraves.com