For Starters
Bradley (3-6 overall) continues a season-long five-game road swing at Saint Louis (Dec. 29). The Braves ended a three-game losing streak with a 62-45 victory at Air Force (Dec. 19) and are looking to win back-to-back games for the first time this season.
Tuesday's game against the Billikens is the final non-conference game on the slate for BU, which will open Missouri Valley Conference play Thursday at Missouri State. Bradley is 2-3 in road games this season with both victories coming on the floor of Mountain West Conference opponents.
Saint Louis (5-7 overall) has won two of its last three games, but has lost four of its last six overall. The Billikens have played four of the last six games on the road and will be playing back-to-back games at home for the first time this season, following last week's 78-58 home win against Tennessee Tech.
Bradley is the fifth Missouri Valley Conference team on the schedule for the Billikens. Saint Louis is 1-3 against Valley teams, having defeated Southern Illinois (71-45) in the season opener and dropping road games at Missouri State (59-75), Creighton (58-69) and Evansville (69-76). The Billikens are 3-2 at home this season.
On The Air
Tuesday's game at Saint Louis will be broadcast in the Peoria area on 96.5 FM ESPN Radio. Brian Bedo (play-by-play) and Jim Rea (analyst) will call the action. The pre-game show will start at 5:20 p.m. with tip-off scheduled for 5:35 p.m.
About Saint Louis
Saint Louis is off to a 5-7 start to the season after returning seven off 11 letterwinners, including two starters from last year's team which posted a 12-18 overall record and was ninth in the Atlantic 10 Conference with a 6-8 league mark.
The Billikens graduated three of their top five scorers from last year's team, including first-team all-conference pick Theresa Lisch (19.1 ppg).
Senior center Amanda Kemezys leads the team in scoring (16.0 ppg) and rebounding (10.3 rpg), while shooting 57 percent from the field.
Junior forward Lauren Woods is adding 14.5 points per contest, while senior Katie Paganelli is also in double figures at 11.4 points per outing.
Freshman Jacy Bradley is emerging as one of the Billikens' top outside scoring threats, shooting 44 percent from beyond the arc and is scoring 8.2 points per game. Sophomore guard Janisha Gearlds leads the squad in assists (3.3 apg) while scoring 4.7 points per game.
Saint Louis is averaging 65.5 points per game and owns a +2.3 average rebounding margin.
About Bradley
A year removed from featuring one of the most experienced rosters in the Missouri Valley Conference, youth is prevalent on the 2009-10 roster for the Bradley Women's Basketball.
Despite returning four of its top eight scorers from 2008-09 and one of the top inside players in the Missouri Valley Conference, the Braves roster features just two seniors and a total of four upperclassmen (two juniors) to go along with five sophomores and three freshmen.
Headlining a group which represents 50 percent of last year's scoring and 56 percent of the rebounding is junior forward Sonya Harris. A game-changer on both ends of the floor, Harris averaged 9.3 points per game and was third in the MVC in rebounding at 8.5 boards per game as a sophomore in 2008-09. She earned Second-Team All-MVC honors after posting a league-leading and school-season record 79 blocked shots and was second on the team in steals with 36, while garnering MVC All-Defensive Team honors. This season, she is averaging 8.3 points, 11.2 rebounds and 1.9 blocked shots per game on the young season after reaching double figures in rebounds in seven of the first nine games. Harris leads the MVC in rebounding and is second in blocked shots.
Freshman Katie Yohn has led the team in scoring in three of her first nine games and has started six contests. A versatile player with the ability to shoot from the outside or penetrate, she is averaging a team-best 9.6 points per outing.
Junior Raisa Taylor is shooting a team-best 52.3 percent from the field and is third on the team in scoring at 6.9 points per outing. Taylor is 8-for-9 from the field over the last two games.
Morton, Ill., native Brooke Bisping is fourth on the team in scoring at 6.1 ppg and is shooting 40 percent from beyond the three-point arc.
Bradley picked up where it left off last year, outrebounding seven of the first nine opponents on the schedule by an average margin of +4.8. The Braves have been held below their scoring average each of the last four games and score 62.6 points per game. BU has held their last four opponents to an average of 57.5 points per game and opponents are averaging 66.1 ppg on the year.
The Coaches
The dean of Missouri Valley Conference Women's Basketball coaches, Paula Buscher (Missouri State, '86) is in her 10th year at Bradley and has a record of 120-148 (.448) at BU. Buscher led teams to improved records in each of her first five seasons as a collegiate head coach and 10 of her 13 seasons overall culminating in last year's 21-10 season. The 2008-09 Rawlings Missouri Valley Conference Coach of the Year, Buscher owns a 163-186 (.467) career record and is in her 13th year as a collegiate head coach. She is the second winningest coach in school history with 120 wins and needs just four wins to pass Lisa Boyer. Last season she led Bradley to a school-record 21 victories (21-10 overall) and best conference finish (11-7 MVC; 4th place) since tying for third in 1991-92. 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.
Shimmy Gray-Miller (Michigan '94) is in her fifth season as head coach at Saint Louis, where she owns a 47-82 (.364) record. Gray-Miller was an assistant coach in the Pac-10 for five years prior to taking over the Billikens. She was an assistant coach at Arizona for two years and spent three years on the bench at Washington.
Saint Louis Series
Bradley will have the next week off for Christmas, before returning to action Tuesday, Dec. 29 at Saint Louis. Tuesday's meeting will be the first between the two programs since 2005-06 and just the 10th in the all-time series. The Braves hold a 6-3 advantage in the all-time series, including a 3-2 record at SLU. BU has won each of the last two meetings overall and is 3-1 in its last four road games in the series.
BU Against The Atlantic 10 Conference
Bradley is a combined 10-8 against current members of the Atlantic 10, including a 6-3 mark against Saint Louis. The Braves are 4-4 all-time in road games against A-10 schools. Half of BU's games vs. Atlantic 10 schools (nine of 18) have come against Saint Louis. Bradley has faced only four of the 14 schools which currently make up the A-10 and Saint Louis is the only member the Braves have a winning record against. BU has split the all-time series with Dayton (2-2) and Duquesne (1-1), while Xavier (1-2) is the only Atlantic 10 school to lead the all-time series with Bradley.
Happy Holidays
The holidays have generally been happy for the Braves, as Bradley improved to 24-10 overall (.706) in the final game before the Christmas break after Saturday's 62-45 victory at Air Force. BU has won its first game after Christmas each of the last two seasons, but is just 11-23 (.324) all-time in the first game played after Dec. 25.
Non-Conference Finale
Ending the non-conference schedule on a high note has been a habit for the Braves. Bradley has won its final non-conference game five of the last six years and boast a 7-2 record in the final non-conference game of the season under head coach Paula Buscher. In fact BU is 15-3 (.833) in the final non-league game of the season over the last 18 years and 20-6 (.769) overall since joining the Gateway Conference for the 1983-84 season.
Colorado Recap
Bradley kicked off a season-long five-game road swing by splitting a pair of road games. The Braves fell at Northern Colorado (58-75), before topping Air Force 62-45. Northern Colorado closed out the game with a 14-4 run to break open a close game. Sophomore Leah Kassing led Bradley in scoring with 13 points off the bench. The Braves ended a three-game losing streak with a 62-45 win at Air Force. BU held Air Force to 29.3 percent shooting and outrebounded the Falcons 53-36. Sophomore MacKenzie Westcott led Bradley in scoring with a career-high 15 points off the bench and junior Raisa Taylor was a perfect 6-for-6 from the field en route to 13 points.
Success Against The Mountain West
Bradley is 2-3 on the road this season, with both wins coming on the home courts of Mountain West Conference foes after a 62-45 victory at Air Force (Dec. 19). The Braves have won four consecutive games against current members of the Mountain West Conference and own a 4-1 overall record against the league.
Getting Defensive
Bradley limited Air Force to 29.3 percent shooting and the Falcons managed just 45 points. Air Force is the second opponent this season to shoot under 30 percent against the Braves. BU has not held two opponents to less than 30 percent shooting in the same season since 2002-03. The 45 points by the Falcons are the fewest surrendered by the Braves since posting a 70-44 victory at Chicago State on Dec. 20, 2007. Bradley has limited its last four opponents to 57.5 points per game and 35.7 percent shooting.
Five-Game Road Swing
Tuesday's game at Saint Louis is the third game of a season-long five-game road swing which will end Jan. 7 with the Braves' Missouri Valley Conference home opener against Evansville. The five-game road swing is the first since playing five consecutive games away from home during the 1993-94 season. and is the seventh in program history. The Braves were 3-2 on the last five-game road swing in 1993-94, picking up wins at Saint Louis and Stetson and a neutral court victory against Eastern Kentucky. In addition, the five-game road swing features five consecutive games on an opponent's home court. The last time Bradley played five consecutive true road contests was the 1977-78 season.
Tinkering With The Lineup
Sophomore Leah Kassing became the ninth different player to start a game for the Braves this season, earning her first career start at Air Force on Dec. 19. Kassing's start, ended a streak of 29 consecutive starts for Sonya Harris, and gave the Braves five different starting lineups through the first nine games of the season.
Cleaning The Glass
Junior Sonya Harris corralled 13 rebounds in just 13 minutes of play at Air Force (Dec. 19). Harris pushed her career rebounding total to 485 and is just 15 rebounds short of becoming the 15th player in program history to pull down 500 career boards.
Hot Hand
Junior Raisa Taylor was a perfect 6-for-6 from the field last game and is a combined 8-for-9 in Bradley's last two outings Taylor is 14-of-21 (.667) over the last five games and is a combined 16-for-24 (.667) in BU's five road games. This season she is shooting a team-best 52.3 percent from the field.
From Long Range
Freshman Katie Yohn has connected on a team-leading 17 three-pointers and is the Braves top scorer at 9.6 points per outing. Yohn's 17 trey's is the seventh best total by a BU freshman and she is just three triples away from tying for fourth on the Bradley freshman list.
Stingy Defense
Bradley limited Missouri to 26.9 percent shooting when the two teams met earlier this month, but fell to the Tigers 52-46. The 26.9 percent field goal percentage is the lowest for a BU opponent since Southern Illinois shot 23.4 percent from the field on Jan. 31, 2003. The loss to the Tigers is the first time Bradley held an opponent under 27 percent shooting and lost. The 52 points surrendered were a then season low and also marked the fewest points surrendered in a loss since falling to Evansville 51-49 on Feb. 4, 2005.
Bench Coming Up Big
Bradley has had at least one player come off the bench and score in double figures in six of nine games this season. BU's reserves have accounted for 52 percent of the team's offense this season and the Braves' bench has been outscored by the opponent's counterparts just once (at UNLV by one point). The Bradley bench is averaging 32.4 points per game and boast an average scoring margin of +15.3 per game compared to the opponents reserves.
Non-Conference Home Win Streak Snapped
Arkansas-Little Rock snapped Bradley's 10-game non-conference home win streak with a 58-51 victory against the Braves on Dec. 5 at Woodruff High School. The 10-game non-conference home win streak is the longest since Bradley joined the Gateway Conference for the 1983-84 season. The Braves still boast an eight-game home win streak against in-state non-conference foes. Bradley is 28-13 (.683) at home against non-conference opponents under 10th-year head coach Paula Buscher.
Shooting The Long Ball
Freshman Katie Yohn knocked down 6-of-9 three-point attempts in the Braves win at UNLV (Nov. 29) and fellow freshman Brooke Bisping was 3-for-6 from beyond the arc as the duo helped Bradley hit a season-high 11 three-pointers against the Rebels. BU's 11 trey's is tied for the fifth best total in school history and is the most by the Braves since hitting 11 three-pointers at Missouri State on Jan. 21, 2007. Yohn's six three-pointers is tied for the 10th-best single-game effort in school history. Bradley entered the game against UNLV shooting 29.6 percent from three-point range and was 12-for-45 (26.7 percent) from beyond the arc in the two previous games, before connecting on 11-of-21 trey's (52.4 percent) vs. the Rebels.
Rebounding Streak Ends
Washington State outrebounded the Braves 46-39 in BU's first game at the Lady Rebel Round-Up on Nov. 28, ending a streak of 14 consecutive non-conference games in which Bradley outrebounded the opposition. The Braves had played 18 consecutive non-conference games since an opponent held an edge on the boards (Bradley matched UC Davis in rebounding 32-32 in the final non-conference game of the season in 2007-08). The last non-conference foe to outrebound Bradley prior to Washington State was Arkansas-Little Rock on Dec. 1, 2007.
The Young And The Restless
Through nine games, Bradley has had seven different players lead the squad in scoring. All three freshmen have paced the Braves in scoring at least once and frosh Katie Yohn is the only player on the roster to lead the team in scoring more than twice. Three of Bradley's top six scorers are freshmen, led by Yohn's team-best 9.6 points per game scoring average. Brooke Bisping has improved her scoring average to 6.1 per outing and Olivia Allen is adding 6.9 points per game. The Braves' freshmen class has combined for 34.8 percent of the team's scoring.
Pounding The Boards
After having a 14-game streak of outrebounding opponents in non-conference games snapped against Washington State (Nov. 28), Bradley pounded the glass in the next outing against UNLV (Nov. 29). The Braves held a 48-27 edge on the glass against the Rebels, marking BU's biggest advantage on the boards since owning a +24 advantage at Eastern Illinois on Nov. 20, 2001. Bradley is averaging a league-best 43.0 rebounds per game and is third in the league in rebounding margin (+4.7).
High Scoring Freshman
Freshman Katie Yohn scored a team-best 25 points to help lead Bradley to a victory at UNLV (Nov. 29). Yohn's 25 points is the most scored by a BU freshman since Raisa Taylor had 28 at Southern Illinois on Feb. 28, 2008 and is the second most points contributed by a freshman under head coach Paula Buscher. Judy Burns scored 25 or more points twice as a freshman in 1981-82. Since Burns freshman season, only five different BU freshman have scored 25 or more points in a game.
Lund Takes Leave
Sophomore guard Michelle Lund has taken a leave of absence from the team citing personal reasons. Lund missed the Braves first exhibition game with the flu and sat out the season opener at Northern Illinois, before returning to the lineup and averaging 6.0 points per game in two appearances.
Buscher Nearing School Wins Record
Head coach Paula Buscher is in her 10th season on The Hilltop and needs just four victories to pass Lisa Boyer as the winningest coach in program history. The 2008-09 Missouri Valley Conference Coach of the Year, Buscher owns a 120-148 (.448) record at Bradley and led the Braves to a school-record 21 victories (21-10 overall) last year. Boyer was 123-150 (.451) as Bradley head coach from 1986-87 through the 1995-96 season. Buscher will match Boyer as the longest tenured coach in program history following the 2009-10 campaign and the duo has combined for 243 of Bradley's 419 all-time wins (58 percent).
In-State Opponents
Bradley opened the season with three consecutive games against in-state opponents, marking the second consecutive year the Braves started a season with three in-state foes. BU is 26-16 (.619) against in-state non-conference opponents under 10th-year head coach Paula Buscher, including a 10-4 (.714) mark since the start of the 2007-08 season.
Yohn Named MVC Newcomer of the Week
Freshman Katie Yohn was named the Missouri Valley Conference Newcomer of the Week for the week of Nov. 16 after scoring in double figures in each of her first two games. She led the Braves in scoring in the first outing of her career, finishing with 16 points and a game-high five assists off the bench in the season opener at Northern Illinois. Yohn made her first career start Sunday against Illinois-Chicago and responded by making 6-of-10 shots. In addition to dishing out a game-high five assists, she contributed 13 points, five rebounds, one block and one steal as she helped the Braves to a 79-64 win against the Flames. Yohn averaged 14.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 5.0 assists over her first two games and is the first Bradley freshman to score in double figures in her first two games since Judy Burns in 1981-82.
Double Trouble
Junior Sonya Harris opened the season with back-to-back double-doubles, pushing her career total to 16. Harris, who had eight double-doubles last year as a sophomore, is sixth in school history with her 16 career double-doubles. She has the most double-doubles by a Bradley player since Dena Williams collected 19 from 2001-05. Harris nearly averaged a double-double in Missouri Valley Conference play in 2008-09, scoring 9.7 points per game while grabbing 10.1 boards per contest and is contributing 8.3 points and a Missouri Valley Conference best 11.2 rebounds per game this season.
Strong Debuts
Freshmen guards Katie Yohn and Olivia Allen both reached double figures in scoring in each of their first two games. Just the ninth and 10th freshman in school history to score 10 or more points in their debut, they joined Judy Burns as the only players to score in double figures in each of their first two outings as a Brave. Burns accomplished the feat during the 1981-82 season. Yohn leads the team in scoring at 9.6 points per game, while Allen is third on the team in scoring at 6.9 points per game. Yohn's 16 points in the season opener against NIU ranks as the third best scoring output by a freshman in their first game and Allen's 15 points vs. the Huskies is the fourth-highest point-total in a debut since 1981-82. Below is a chart detailing the top-10 scoring efforts by Bradley freshman in their debuts.
10 Or More Boards
Junior Sonya Harris is one of the top returning rebounders in the Missouri Valley Conference and she picked up where she left off in 2008-09, pulling down a league-best 11.2 boards per game this season. She has reached double digits in rebounds in 25 games in her two-plus seasons, including seven of nine games to open the 2009-10 slate. Her 25 career double-digit rebounding efforts is tied for the fourth most in program history and just seven short of Dena Williams' career mark of 32. Harris had 12 outings with or more boards in 2008-09 and averaged better than 10 rebounds per game in Missouri Valley Conference play last year.
Home Away From Home
The Braves will once again call Illinois Central College's Lorene Ramsey Gym home as construction of a new on-campus facility continues and will be completed this spring. The Braves boasted an 11-2 record at Lorene Ramsey Gym last year and finished the season with a 12-2 home mark, including an 81-65 win against Air Force which was played at Richwoods High School. Bradley tied a school record with 12 home wins last season and the 12-2 home mark is the second-best home winning percentage in school history behind the 1979-80 squad's 10-1 home record. The Braves are an impressive 12-3 (.800) at Lorene Ramsey Gym including this season's 1-1 record in the facility.
Up Next
Bradley will open Missouri Valley Conference on the road for the fourth consecutive year and for the eighth time in the last 10 seasons overall when the Braves play at Missouri State Thursday on New Year's Eve. Missouri State holds a 40-19 all-time lead in the series, including a 25-7 edge in games played in Springfield, Mo. The Braves swept the regular-season series last year and have won five of the last seven overall. Bradley has won five of the last seven regular-season meetings overall. BU is 8-12 vs. the Bears under head coach Paula Buscher, including a 3-7 mark in Springfield, Mo.
Bradley Picked Sixth In MVC Poll
Bradley was picked to finish sixth in the preseason Missouri Valley Conference poll. The sixth-place selection is the highest the Braves have been picked since they were selected to finish sixth in 2002-03. Bradley has finished higher than its predicted finish in each of the last three years and seven of the last nine years under head coach Paula Buscher. The Braves were 36 points behind fifth-place Indiana State and 26 points ahead of seventh-place Missouri State.
2009-10 MVC Preseason Poll
Rank Team (First-Place Votes) Points
1. Creighton (34) 393
2. Illinois State (6) 340
3. Drake 296
4. Northern Iowa 253
5. Indiana State 250
6. BRADLEY 214
7. Missouri State 188
8. Evansville 108
9. Wichita State 97
10. Southern Illinois 61
Braves Break School Record For Wins In 08-09
Bradley is coming off arguably its most successful season since joining the Missouri Valley Conference, after posting a 21-10 record in 2008-09. The 21 victories were a school record and the Braves finished with just the second 20-win season in program history. Bradley's only other 20-win season came in 1979-80, when the Braves posted a 20-9 overall mark. Bradley's 21 victories last year were the most since playing a full NCAA Division I schedule. In addition, the Braves' 11 Missouri Valley Conference wins were the most since finishing 1991-92 with an 11-7 conference mark.
What's Back
Bradley returns 10 of 14 letterwinners, including three starters from last year's team which finished with a school-record 21 victories. The Braves, which feature five of the top eight scorers and three of the top four rebounders from 2008-09, have two returning players that averaged 8.8 points per game or better. Junior forward Sonya Harris was a Second-Team All-MVC selection after averaging 9.3 points and a team-best 8.5 rebounds per game. Harris led The Valley in blocked shots and was third in rebounding in the league, while capturing MVC All-Defensive Team honors in 2008-09. Junior forward Raisa Taylor started 12 games and averaged 8.8 points per contest.
Home, Sweet Home
Despite not having a true home court to call its own last season, Bradley finished the year with the second most home wins in the Missouri Valley Conference and tied the school-record for home victories. The Braves played 13 of 14 home dates in 2008-09 at Illinois Central College's Lorene Ramsey Gym in East Peoria, Ill., while construction of a new on-campus facility began. Bradley went 12-2 (.857) in those 14 games, tying a school-season record for home wins (1981-82 - 12-4) and posting the second-best home winning percentage in program history. The 1979-80 squad, which is the only other 20-win team in program history, boasted a 10-1 (.909) home mark. Bradley will call Lorene Ramsey Gym for 11 of 12 home games this season. The Dec. 5 home against Arkansas-Little Rock was played at Woodruff High School.
Feeling Rejected
Junior Sonya Harris moved up one spot on the Missouri Valley Conference career blocks list into a tie with Shannon Novosel of Evansville for 13th place. Harris is second in the MVC this season in blocked shots, averaging 1.9 per game through the first nine games of the season. Last season, Harris had a school-record 79 blocks and averaged 2.7 per tilt as a sophomore. She is third in school history behind Dena Williams (197) and Heather Best (153).
Braves Have Best Valley Season Since 1991-92
Bradley finished the 2008-09 MVC regular-season slate with an 11-7, marking the best record for the Braves since tying for third place during the 1991-92 season with an identical 11-7 mark. The 11 conference wins is tied for the second most in program history, behind the 1989-90 squad's 12-6 league record. The top four finish was the fifth in program history and first since 1991-92. Below is chart detailing each winning conference mark in program history.
Lowe's Senior CLASS Award
Senior forward Jenny Van Kirk is one of 30 national candidates for the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award. To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as a NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence - classroom, character, community and competition. Van Kirk joins former teammate Kelly Krumwiede as national candidates for the award. Van Kirk owns a 4.0 cumulative grade point average and was a second-team MVC Scholar-Athlete last year. She also was a Second-Team ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District V selection in addition to earning Division I-AAA Athletic Director's Scholar-Athlete honors.
On The Rebound
Junior Sonya Harris ranked third in the Missouri Valley Conference in rebounding last year, pulling down an average of 8.5 boards per game. Her 247 rebounds last season was the best season total by a Bradley player since Carrie Coffman had a school-record 302 boards in 1994-95 and is the most rebounds by an underclassmen in program history. In fact, Harris' 247 rebounds ranks as the sixth best season total in school history. She is the Braves active career rebounding leader with 485 career boards.
