For Starters
Bradley closed out the non-conference portion of the schedule with a 72-66 victory at Saint Louis and is coming off back-to-back wins for the first time this season. The Braves (4-6 overall) will open Missouri Valley Conference play Thursday at Missouri State, before closing out a season-long five-game road swing at Wichita State on Saturday, Jan. 2.
Thursday's game at Missouri State will be the 27th conference opener for the Braves and the third time BU has face the Bears in a league opener. The Braves evened their record on the road this season at 3-3 with Tuesday's win against the Billikens.
Missouri State has won eight of its last 10 and is off to an impressive 8-3 start to the season. The Bears have won four consecutive home games since suffering a 79-55 loss at JQH Arena to open the season and bring a four-game win streak into Thursday's game.
Wichita State also is off to a good start, having won each of its last two games heading into Thursday's MVC opener against Northern Iowa to push its record to 8-3. Saturday's game will be the ninth home contest for the Shockers, who are 6-1 at Charles Koch Arena.
About Missouri State
Missouri State is just two wins short of its win total from the entire 2008-09 season, after going 8-3 against non-conference opponents.
The Bears returned eight of 11 letterwinners, including four starters from last year's squad which finished 10-20 overall and was seventh in the Valley with a 6-12 league mark.
Leading the charge for Missouri State is last year's MVC Freshman of the Year and First-Team All-Valley selection Casey Garrison. She leads the Valley in scoring (18.6 ppg) and assists (6.2 apg), while ranking third in the league in rebounding with an average of 8.0 boards per contest.
Sophomore Jahleshia Roberson is shooting 41.7 percent from three-point range and scoring 12.6 points per outing. Fellow sophomore Jasmine Malone is adding 10.0 points per tilt and is one of six Missouri State players averaging 7.5 points per game or better.
The Bears are the top scoring team in the MVC, averaging an impressive 75.9 points per game and shoot a league-best 44.6 percent from the field. Missouri State also averages a conference-leading 15.4 offensive rebounds per game.
About Wichita State
Wichita State features just three letterwinners, including two starters from last year's squad which was 13-18 overall and tied for ninth in the MVC with a 4-14 league mark. The Shockers roster features eight newcomers (four freshmen and four junior college transfers).
Sophomore guard Haleigh Lankster is Wichita State's leading scorer at 13.6 points per game. The Shockers top outside scoring threat, she has made 20 of Wichita State's 57 three-pointers on the year.
Junior Morgan Boyd is second on the team in scoring at 8.9 points per game, while freshman Jessica Diamond is averaging 8.5 points per outing.
Senior Marisah Henderson led the MVC in assists per game last year, and is averaging 6.0 points and team-highs of 5.7 rebounds and 5.2 assists per tilt.
The Shockers average just 62.0 points per game, but surrender a league-low 58.2 points per outing.
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 8.5 points, 10.8 rebounds and 1.9 blocked shots per game on the young season after reaching double figures in rebounds in seven of the first 10 games. Harris is second in the conference in both rebounding and blocked shots.
Freshman Katie Yohn has led the team in scoring in three of her first 10 games and has started seven contests. A versatile player with the ability to shoot from the outside or penetrate, she is averaging a team-best 8.9 points per outing.
Junior Raisa Taylor is shooting a team-best 53.7 percent from the field and is third on the team in scoring at 7.7 points per outing. Taylor is 14-for-19 from the field over the last three games.
Senior co-captain Jenny Van Kirk leads the team in assists (2.4 apg) and also ranks among the team leaders in scoring (6.6 ppg) and rebounding (4.2 rpg).
Bradley picked up where it left off last year, outrebounding eight of the first 10 opponents on the schedule by an average margin of +5.0.
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 121-148 (.450) 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 164-186 (.469) career record and is in her 13th year as a collegiate head coach. She is the second winningest coach in school history with 121 wins and needs just three 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.
Nyla Milleson (Kansas State '85) is in her third season as head coach at Missouri State. She owns a 29-42 (.408) record as head coach of the Bears. Milleson was head coach at NCAA Division II member Drury University prior to Missouri State and owns a 214-78 (.733) record in her ninth year as a collegiate head coach.
Jodie Adams (Tennessee '94) is in her second season as head coach at Wichita State and has led the Shockers to a 21-21 (.500) record in that time. In her third season as a collegiate head coach, Adams came to Wichita State after one year as head coach at Murray State. She led the Racers to a 24-8 record in her only season and owns a 45-29 (.608) career coaching mark.
Last Time Out
Bradley picked up back-to-back victories for the first time this season, posting a 72-66 win at Saint Louis Tuesday. The Braves shot 47.3 percent from the field and outrebounded the Billikens 44-37. Senior Jenny Van Kirk and junior Raisa Taylor each scored season-highs of 15 points to pace four BU players in double figures. Bradley limited Saint Louis to 32.3 percent shooting and held the Billikens leading scorer to just three points.
Missouri State Series
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.
Wichita State Series
Bradley and Wichita State have split the regular-season series each of the last four years and the Shockers hold a 27-26 edge in the all-time series. The Braves won last year's meeting in Wichita, Kan., but the Shockers have won three of the last four games at Koch Arena. Wichita State holds a 16-10 lead in games played in Wichita. Bradley is 11-7 against the Shockers under head coach Paula Buscher, including a 4-5 mark in Wichita, Kan.
MVC Opener
Bradley will open Missouri Valley Conference play on the road for the fourth consecutive year and will be opening league action away from home for the eighth time in the last 10 seasons. Bradley ended an 11-game losing streak in Missouri Valley Conference openers with last season's 69-49 win at Wichita State to kick off Valley play. The Braves are 9-17 (.346) all-time in conference openers, including a 4-11 (.267) mark when opening league play on the road. BU is 0-2 when opening the Valley slate against Missouri State, with both games coming under head coach Paula Buscher. Bradley opened 2001-02 Valley play with a 77-82 double-overtime loss in Springfield, Mo., and Missouri State topped BU 87-74 in the conference opener for both teams during the 2004-05 season.
New Year's Eve Date
Bradley opens Valley play on New Year's Eve at Missouri State. The Braves are 3-2 in games played on New Year's Eve, including a 1-1 record in road games on the final day of the calendar year.
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 six of the last seven years and boasts an 8-2 record in the final non-conference game of the season under head coach Paula Buscher. In fact BU is 16-3 (.842) in the final non-league game of the season over the last 19 years and 21-6 (.778) overall since joining the Gateway Conference for the 1983-84 season.
Braves Rally For Win
The Braves rallied from a halftime deficit to post a win for the first time this season Tuesday with a 72-66 win at Saint Louis. Bradley, which is now 1-5 when trailing at the half, had lost 35 consecutive road games in which it trailed at the break. BU's last road win in a game in which it trailed at halftime, was a 72-69 victory at Missouri State on March 3, 2005.
Bench Coming Up Big
Bradley has had at least one player come off the bench and score in double figures in seven of 10 games this season. BU's reserves have accounted for 51 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 boasts an average scoring margin of +15.5 per game compared to the opponents reserves.
Hot Hand
Junior Raisa Taylor has had a hot hand as of late, connecting on 14-of-19 (.737) shots from the field over the last three games. Taylor is 20-of-31 (.645) over the last six games and is a combined 22-for-34 (.647) in BU's six road games.
Cleaning The Glass
Junior Sonya Harris is closing in on 500 career rebounds, needing eight boards to reach 500 career boards. She opens Missouri Valley Conference play with a career 7.7 rebounds per game average. She is eight rebounds from becoming the 15th player in program history to pull down 500 career boards and is the Braves active career scoring leader. Harris ranks 46th in school history with 530 career 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 57.8 points per game and 35.0 percent shooting.
Five-Game Road Swing
Thursday's game at Missouri State is the fourth 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 Hanna Muegge became the 10th different player to start a game for the Braves this season, earning her first career start Tuesday at Saint Louis. Head coach Paula Buscher and the Braves have used a total of six different starting lineups through the first 10 games of the season.
From Long Range
Freshman Katie Yohn has connected on a team-leading 18 three-pointers and is the Braves top scorer at 8.9 points per outing. Yohn's 18 trey's is tied for the sixth best total by a BU freshman and she is just three triples away from moving into 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.
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 10 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 seven scorers are freshmen, led by Yohn's team-best 8.9 points per game scoring average. Brooke Bisping has improved her scoring average to 5.5 per outing and Olivia Allen is adding 6.1 points per game. The Braves' freshmen class has combined for 31.3 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 43.1 rebounds per game and is third in the league in rebounding margin (+5.0).
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. She has missed the last seven games.
Buscher Nearing School Wins Record
Head coach Paula Buscher is in her 10th season on The Hilltop and needs just three 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 121-148 (.450) 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 244 of Bradley's 420 all-time wins (58.1 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 8.5 points and 10.8 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 10.8 boards per game this season. She has reached double digits in rebounds in 25 games in her two-plus seasons, including seven of 10 outing 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 play its first home game in nearly a month when Evansville comes to a town Jan. 7 in BU's home conference opener. The Braves and Purple Aces met in last year's MVC Tournament semifinals with UE posting an 84-81 overtime victory. Bradley holds a 16-15 lead in the all-time series after taking two of three meetings last year. The Braves and Aces have alternated regular-season sweeps over the last seven seasons. BU holds a 10-5 edge in games played in Peoria.
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.
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.
