For Starters

    Bradley (13-6 overall, 4-4 MVC) will attempt to get back on the winning track Sunday against co-league leader Indiana State.  The first 400 fans will receive a set of women's basketball trading cards.  The Braves have lost four consecutive games and are coming off their first home loss of the season.  Bradley fell 74-58 to preseason conference favorite Illinois State Friday night, as the Redbirds ended BU's nine-game home win streak.  Indiana State (11-8 overall, 7-1 MVC) has won three consecutive games after posting a 66-59 victory at Northern Iowa Friday night.  The Sycamores are tied with Illinois State for first place in the Valley standings and have won eight of the last nine games overall.

About Indiana State

    After opening the season with a 3-7 record, Indiana State (11-8 overall, 7-1 MVC) is one of the hottest teams in the MVC having won eight of its last nine games.  The Sycamores are 5-5 on the road this season and have won three of their last four road contests.  Picked to finish sixth in the preseason MVC poll, Indiana State is currently tied for first in the MVC with a 7-1 league mark.

    Indiana State returned six of 10 letterwinners, including three starters from last year's team which finished 14-15 overall and was sixth in The Valley at 8-10. 

    The Sycamores are without two starters as senior guard Leah Phillips and freshman Deja Mattox both suffered season-ending injuries earlier this season.  Phillips started 12 games and was averaging 10.7 points per game.  Mattox started each of the first 17 games of the season and was averaging 8.4 points per game before having her season ended last week.

    Junior guard Kelsey Luna leads the Sycamores in scoring at 15.7 points per game and leads the nation in three-point field goals per game at 3.3 per game.  Luna also leads the team in assists (2.7 apg) and steals (2.2 spg). 

    Sophomore forward Kelsie Cooley is adding 8.3 points per game and leads Indiana State in field goal percentage, shooting 50.8 percent from the field. 

    Freshman guard Bianca Jarrett is the only other Indiana State player scoring more than six points per game, as she averages 6.7 points per contest.

    Senior Kara Schilli leads the Sycamores in rebounding at 6.2 boards per game and is scoring 5.1 points per tilt.

    Indiana State is seventh in the MVC in scoring at 60.7 points per game, but rank third in The Valley in scoring defense - surrendering 61.5 points per game and has held each of the last three opponents to less than 60 points.

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 11 of 18 games she has played in this season and leads the team in scoring at 11.0 points per game, while ranking fourth in the MVC in rebounding at 7.9 boards per game.  Rogers missed the Dec. 28 home game against Air Force, but has started 16 of the 18 games she has played in and has posted a team-best seven 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 10.1 points per game.

She is third on the team in assists (1.9 apg) and is shooting 41.7 percent from three-point range.  Lund has already surpassed the Bradley freshman record for three-pointers with her 53 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 8.9 points per game, while leading the team in assists (5.8 apg) and steals (2.1 spg).  The 2007-08 MVC Defensive Player of the Year is also averaging 1.2 blocks per tilt.

    Sophomore Sonya Harris missed two games due to injury but has returned to the lineup to play in the last 12 contests and is now averaging 9.9 points and 8.1 rebounds.  Harris leads the MVC in blocked shots (2.5 bpg) and also ranks third in The Valley in recounding. 

    BU has dominated the glass so far this season, outrebounding its opponents by eight boards per game and ranks 16th in the nation in rebounding margin through games of Jan. 25.  The Braves have outrebounded 15 of 19 opponents this season.  In addition to leading the MVC in rebounding margin, Bradley is second in The Valley in field goal percentage (.421) and three-point field goal percentage (36.9) 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 109-138 (.441) 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 152-176 (.463) 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.

    Jim Wiedie (Kent State ?88) is in his ninth season as head coach at Indiana State and as a collegiate head coach.  The two-time Rawlings Missouri Valley Conference Coach of the Year, Wiedie and the Sycamores have a 152-100 (.603) record since he took over as interim head coach for the 2000-01 season.  Wiedie led Indiana State to the 2005-06 regular-season Valley Championship and a share of the 2002-03 Valley regular-season title and has led to the Sycamores to WNIT appearances in three of the last six years.

Indiana State Series

    Bradley trails the all-time series with Sycamores 35-19, but ended an eight-game losing streak in the series with a 62-50 home win in the last meeting.  BU is 12-14 all-time in home games against Indiana State.  The Braves are 3-14 against the Sycamores under head coach Paula Buscher. 

Last Time Out

    Bradley suffered its four consecutive loss and first home loss of the year, falling 74-58 Friday night against I-74 rival Illinois State.  The Braves struggled offensively, shooting 33.9 percent, while the Redbirds made 45.5 percent from the field.  Senior Monica Rogers notched her team-best seventh double-double of the year with 12 points and 10 rebounds.  Sophomore Sonya Harris added a double-double with 11 points and a career-high 16 rebounds, while also collecting four blocked shots.  Sophomore Raisa Taylor scored 10 points and matched a career-high eight rebounds off the bench.

Home Win Streak Ends At Nine

    Bradley's home loss to I-74 rival Illinois State was the Braves first home loss of the year and ended a nine-game home win streak for BU.  The Braves are now 7-1 at home this year.  The nine-game home win streak was the longest since winning 10 consecutive home contests between the 1980-81 and 1981-82 seasons and is the third longest home win streak in program history. 

Tough Stretch

    The Braves wrap up arguably the toughest stretch of the season Sunday against Indiana State.  The Sycamores will be the fourth consecutive opponent with a winning record and third straight opponent ranked in the top 100 of the RPI.  Bradley's last four opponents have combined for a 27-7 record (.794) in Missouri Valley Conference play through Saturday's games and all sit in the top four in The Valley standings.

Trading Card Give Away

    The first 400 fans for Sunday's home game against Indiana State (2:05 p.m.) will receive a set of Bradley women's basketball trading cards.

Four Game Losing Skid

    Bradley looks to end a four-game losing streak Sunday against Indiana State.  The Braves opened the season with a 13-2 record and had not lost back-to-back games prior to the current four-game losing skid.  Bradley's four-game losing streak is the longest streak since dropping four straight last February.  BU had not gone into January without back-to-back losses since the 1995-96. 

Home, Sweet Home

    Bradley opened the season with three of the first four games at home ending with a Nov. 25 home game Northern Illinois.  In the two months since that stretch, the Braves have played just five home games with two home dates in December and three in January.  BU's eight home games is tied for the second-lowest in the MVC.  Only Illinois State has played fewer home dates to date, owning a 7-0 home record.

Halfway Point Of Valley Slate

    Sunday's game against Indiana State will mark the halfway point of the regular-season Missouri Valley Conference schedule.  The Braves bring a 4-4 league record into the game against the Sycamores and will be attempting to end the first-half of conference play with a winning record for the first time since the 1996-97 season.  Bradley has finished the first half of league action with a winning record eight times in 25 years of conference membership.  The Braves have finished .500 or better in conference action five of the eight times BU had a winning record halfway through the conference season. 

Krumwiede Cracks Top 10 In Rebounding

    Senior forward Kelly Krumwiede pulled down three rebounds in the Braves home loss to Illinois State (Jan. 30) to move into 10th place on Bradley's career rebounding list.  BU's active career leader in both scoring and rebounding, she passed Sara Bailey for 10th on the all-time list and is currently 10th all-time with 574 career boards.  Krumwiede needs 27 rebounds to pass Connie Griffith for ninth place.

REBOUNDS (CAREER)

Dishing The Rock

    With at least 11 games remaining in the season, junior guard Skye Johnson has already dished out a career-high 111 assists and currently ranks third in the MVC in assists per game (5.8).  Johnson, who had a career-best 11 assists at Drake, is just the sixth junior in school history to dish out 100 assists in a season.  Skye is averaging 6.8 assists per game over the last nine contests and needs 37 assists to move into 10th on Bradley's career assist chart.  She is the first player to dish out 10 assists in at least two games in the same season since Jen Brown had four 10-assist outings in 2004-05.  Johnson's 111 assists are the most by a Bradley junior since 1992-93 and ranks as the fifth best season total by a BU junior.

ASSISTS BY A JUNIOR

Harris With The Block

    Sophomore Sonya Harris leads the MVC in blocked shots, averaging 2.5 per tilt.  Her 42 blocked shots this season is tied for the most by a BU sophomore and is tied for the sixth best season total in school history.  Harris is currently seventh all-time with 76 career rejections and needs 11 blocked shots to pass Tami Van Galder for sixth place at Bradley.  Below is a list of Bradley's career blocked shots leaders.

BRADLEY CAREER BLOCKED SHOTS LEADERS

BRADLEY SEASON BLOCKED SHOTS LEADERS

46      Dena Williams                              2003-04

42      Sonya Harris                             2008-09

          Heather Best                               1998-99

BRADLEY BLOCKED SHOTS BY A SOPHOMORE

Up Next

    Bradley kicks off the second half of Missouri Valley Conference play on the road with a Thursday night game against Southern Illinois.  The Salukis hold a 41-14 lead in the all-time series, but the Braves have won 12 of the last 17 meetings, including each of the last three regular-season contests between the two programs.  SIU holds a 21-6 lead in games played in Carbondale, Ill., but BU has won six of the last games at SIU Arena.  Bradley is 12-6 against Southern Illinois under head coach Paula Buscher.

Win Streak Ends At Seven

    Bradley had its season-long seven-game win streak snapped with a 76-92 loss at Northern Iowa to open a three-game MVC road swing.  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   

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 the 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. 

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

13-6 Starts

    Despite the Braves current four-game losing streak, Bradley is still off to one of the best starts in program history.  In fact the 13-6 record is tied for the fifth best start through 19 games in school history.  BU has not opened a season with a 13-6 mark since the 2001-02 season and have just six seasons in which the squad opened with 13 victories in the first 19 games.    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. 

13-6 Starts

Year       Start   Final Record MVC Record

1981-82  17-4    19-8                N/A

1980-81  14-5    19-8                N/A

1979-80  14-5    20-9                N/A

1977-78  14-5    14-5                N/A

2008-09  13-6    ??                  4-4

2001-02  13-6    16-12              2-5

Road Warriors

    The Braves opened Missouri Valley Conference play with five of their first seven league games on the road.  Bradley is 4-5 in true road games and 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 nine wins (six 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 has already passed her season total from 2007-08.  Harris has had four blocked shots in four of the last five games and has helped the Braves to a league-best 5.3 blocks per game this season.  Bradley's 101 blocked shots on the year is already the sixth best season total in school history and the most since BU had a school-record 134 blocks in 2004-05.  Bradley is on pace to finish the regular season with 154 blocked shots.

BRADLEY BLOCKED SHOTS IN A SEASON

Turnovers Are Key

    Turnovers have been a key stat for the Braves this season.    BU is committing 21.1 turnovers per game and forcing 17.4 opponent turnovers per contest.  While the Braves do a slightly better job of handling the ball in wins (20.8 turnovers per game) compared to losses (22.4 turnovers per game), the telling stat has been opponent turnovers.  BU has forced an average of 19.5 opponent turnovers in 13 victories this season, but just 12.8 turnovers in the six losses.  Foes have committed 15 or less turnovers in each of the six losses this season and BU is just 3-6 when forcing 15 or less turnovers in a game.

Balanced Attack

    One of the reasons for the Braves success this season has been its balanced attack.  BU has six players averaging 5.6 points per game or more and has had an impressive 13 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 four games this season, with three of those outings resulting in losses.  Freshman walk-on Darcel Retreage is the only player who has seen action this year who has not scored in double figures. 

Battle Of The Boards

    Bradley dominated the glass early this season, outrebounding each of the first 14 opponents and boasted one of the top rebounding margins in the nation at +12.1 boards per game during that stretch.  The Braves have been outrebounded by three of the last five opponents, however, and have a -3.6 rebounding margin over that time. 

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 53 three-pointers is tied for seventh among Valley freshman all-time, is ninth in the nation in three-point field goals per game (2.8 per game) through Thursday's games.  She is shooting 41.7 percent (53-for-127) 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. 29.  Bradley was 15th in the nation in rebounding margin at +8.4 boards per game.  After ranking sixth in the MVC in three-point field goal percentage last year, Bradley entered this week's games in 17th place in the nation in three-point field goal percentage at 37.2 percent from beyond the arc.  As a team, Bradley is 19th nationally in blocked shots (5.3 bpg) and 29th in assists (15.8 apg).  Prior to Friday's game, freshman guard Michelle Lund was ninth in the country in three-point field goals per game (2.8 per contest) and also ranked 24th nationally in three-point field goal percentage (42.5 percent).  Junior guard Skye Johnson was ranked 16th in the country in assists per game (5.7 apg) while sophomore Sonya Harris was 23rd in blocked shots (2.4 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.

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 (39) and is second in blocked shots (23).  Her 23 blocks on the year is already a career high.  Johnson is tied for third in the MVC in steals and is sixth in The Valley in blocked shots per game.  She is one of two players to rank in the top 10 in the MVC in both steals and blocks. 

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 have also been a big reason for the Braves success this season.  BU's reserves are averaging 24.1 points per game and have outscored their counterparts by an average margin of +9.2 points per contest.  Bradley's bench has outscored the opponent's reserves in 15 of 19 games, and boasts a 12-3 record when BU's reserves out score the opponents.  The Braves are 1-3 when the bench fails to outscore the opponents reserves.  In the victories this season, BU's bench has averaged 25.6 points per game and boasted a +12.5 margin.  In the losses, Bradley's reserves are scoring 20.8 points per game, but have outscored the opponents reserves by an average margin of +2.2 points per game.

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 3-6 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 41.8 rebounds per game.  In addition to the impressive +8.0 average rebound margin, Bradley is averaging 14.9 offensive boards per contest despite owning the second best field goal percentage in the league.  Sophomore Sonya Harris ranks third in the MVC in rebounding at 8.1 boards per game, while senior Monica Rogers is third in The Valley in rebounding at 7.9 caroms per contest.

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 44-31 (.587) against in-state foes during Buscher's tenure, which includes an 19-17 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.

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 Away From 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 7-1 record at home this season which includes a 6-1 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 30th player in school history to score 700 points, Krumwiede is the Braves active career scoring leader with 707 points and also ranks as the active career leader in rebounding with 574 career boards.  She needs 27 rebounds to become just the 10th player with 700 points and 600 rebounds in a 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