For Starters
Bradley (2-4 overall) is trying to rebound from a 51-58 loss to Sun Belt West Division preseason favorite Arkansas-Little Rock, Tuesday when the Braves play host to Big 12 Conference foe Missouri at Lorene Ramsey Gym. Bradley is 1-1 in home games.
BU had a 10-game non-conference home win streak snapped Saturday against the Trojans. Tuesday's game is the final home non-conference game on the slate as the Braves conclude the non-conference schedule with three consecutive road games.
Missouri is 4-2 on the year after posting a 66-55 home win against Ball State. The Tigers are 1-1 in road games this season, having defeated Indiana (76-71) and losing at Florida State (73-66) in road contests.
On The Air
Tuesday's game against Missouri is the second of three games which will be broadcast on 96.5 FM ESPN Radio. Nathan Baliva (play-by-play) and Adam Franey (analyst) will call the contest against the Tigers.
The non-conference finale against Saint Louis (Dec. 29) is also slated for ESPN Radio.
Bradley will have five games carried on WIRL 1290 AM, beginning with the Jan. 9 home game against Southern Illinois. WIRL's schedule also includes the Jan. 24 game at Drake and the Jan. 28 home game against Indiana State in addition to both meetings in the annual I-74 rivalry.
About Missouri
Missouri returned 12 of 13 letterwinners, including four starters from last year's team which finished 13-17 overall and tied for 10th in the Big 12 Conference with a 4-12 league mark.
The Tigers lost Alyssa Hollins to graduation following the 2008-09 season, after she led Mizzou in scoring at 13.1 points per game. In addition to the loss of Hollins, starter Bekah Mills suffered a season-ending injury in the preseason. Mills averaged 5.9 points and 3.2 rebounds per game as a redshirt freshman.
Senior forward Amanda Hanneman is one of four Missouri players scoring in double figures in 2009-10, leading the squad with a 15.0 points per game average. Hanneman has done the bulk of her scoring from the outside, having knocked down 22-of-53 three-pointers (41.5 percent).
Senior forward Jessra Johnson leads the team in rebounding at 7.3 boards per game and is tossing in 14.7 points per tilt. Six-foot, two-inch junior Shakara Jones is third on the team in scoring (12.8 ppg) and rebounding (6.7 rpg), while shooting 51.5 percent from the field. Junior guard RaeShara Brown is Missouri's leader in assists (4.2 apg) in addition to scoring 11.5 points per game and hauling down 6.8 boards per outing.
The Tigers average just 15.2 turnovers per game and have been outrebounded by an opponent just once this season (Northern Iowa in the season opener). Mizzou has limited foes to just 26.7 percent shooting from beyond the arc and opponents are averaging 3.33 three-point field goals per contest. Missouri's only losses this season are to Memphis (75-74) and a 73-66 loss to Florida State, which is currently 8-0 on the season and was ranked ninth in the country when the two teams played on Nov. 29 in Tallahassee, Fla.
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 five of its top eight scorers from 2008-09 and one of the top inside threats in The Valley, the Braves roster features just two seniors and a total of four upperclassmen (two juniors) to go along with six 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 9.7 points, 10.7 rebounds and 2.5 blocked shots per game on the young season after reaching double figures in rebounds in five of the first six 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 six games and has started each of the last five contests. A versatile player with the ability to shoot from the outside or penetrate, she is averaging a team-best 10.8 points and is tied for second at 2.0 assists per game.
Fellow freshman Olivia Allen has come off the bench in each of the first six games and is averaging 7.5 points per game.
Morton, Ill., native Brooke Bisping has started each of the last two games and is averaging 6.3 points per game, while shooting 42.9 percent from beyond the arc.
Junior Raisa Taylor has come off the bench in each of the last two games and is fourth on the squad in scoring at 6.7 points per game.
Bradley picked up where it left off last year, outrebounding five of the first six opponents on the schedule by an average margin of +4.5. The Braves have averaged 66.2 points per game, but have surrendered an average of 70.5 points.
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 119-146 (.449) 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 162-184 (.468) career record and is in her 13th year as a collegiate head coach. She is the second winningest coach in school history with 119 wins and needs just five 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.
Peoria, Ill., native Cindy Stein (Illinois '84) is in her 12th year as head coach at Missouri. A Richwoods High School graduate, she has led the Tigers to a 177-161 (.524) record in that time. Stein was an assistant coach at Bradley for five seasons and is in her 15th year as a head coach. She has led Mizzou to the postseason seven of the last 10 seasons, including three NCAA Tournament appearances, and owns a 242-184 (.568) career coaching mark.
Missouri Series
Mizzou holds a 7-2 edge in the all-time series after posting an 83-54 victory against the Braves in Columbia, Mo., last season. The Tigers have won five consecutive meetings in the series dating back to an 83-78 BU win on Nov. 27, 1994. Missouri is 3-1 all-time in games played in Peoria, which includes back-to-back wins since an 84-75 Bradley victory on Nov. 28, 1993.
Last Time Out
Bradley fell 58-51 to Sun Belt Conference West Division preseason favorite Arkansas-Little Rock. The Braves made just 1-of-9 field goal attempts to open the game and trailed by as many as 11 points before rallying in the second half. BU whittled the UALR lead to one point (52-51) with 90 seconds to play, but the Trojans scored the final six points of the game to close out a 58-51 win and snap the Braves 10-game non-conference home win streak. Sophomore Leah Kassing had career highs of 16 points and eight rebounds off the bench to lead the Braves.
Last Time vs. Missouri
Missouri ended a four-game win streak for Bradley last season with an 83-54 victory at Mizzou Arena when the two teams met last season on Dec. 9. The Braves committed 31 turnovers against the Tigers and Missouri capitalized at the free throw line, making 22-of-31 from the charity stripe. Mizzou closed the first half of play with a 14-2 run to break open a two-point contest and take a 39-25 lead into the half. Missouri made 6-of-8 three-pointers in the second half and cruised to the 83-54 win. Raisa Taylor led Bradley in scoring with 17 points off the bench. MacKenzie Westcott had 12 points on 4-for-4 shooting from the field and Sonya Harris was also in double figures with 10 points. Jessra Johnson led Missouri with 16 points and seven rebounds. RaeShara Brown added 11 points and four steals.
BU Against The Big 12
Bradley is 2-10 (.167) all-time against members of the Big 12 Conference. The Braves are 1-4 at home against Big 12 teams and have not hosted a Big 12 school since Missouri's last visit to Peoria on Nov. 23, 2003. BU has lost eight consecutive games against Big 12 Conference squads dating back to Bradley's 83-78 win at Mizzou on Nov. 27, 1994. The Braves have only faced three Big 12 Conference teams (Missouri - nine times, Kansas State - twice and Nebraska - once). Bradley is 0-1 against Nebraska and lost a pair of games against Kansas State. K-State's win against the Braves in the 1995-96 season opener was later vacated.
Familiar Foe
Bradley head coach Paula Buscher and 12th-year Missouri head coach Cindy Stein will renew their rivalry which dates back to when they both attended Richwoods High School in Peoria, Ill. Buscher and Stein will square off as head coaches for the fourth time. Stein and her Tigers were victorious in the first three meetings between the two coaches. Stein and Buscher were high school teammates at Richwoods and both went on to play for Bradley Hall of Famer Lorene Ramsey at Illinois Central College, although not at the same time. Stein was an assistant coach at Bradley for five seasons under Lisa Boyer.
Bench Coming Up Big
Sophomore Leah Kassing scored a career-high 16 points off the bench Saturday against Arkansas-Little Rock to pace the Braves. Bradley's reserves outscored the starters for the second time in the last three games and have now accounted for 50.6 percent of the team's scoring this season. BU has received an average of 33.5 points per game from its bench through six games this season.
Non-Conference Home Win Streak Snapped
Arkansas-Little Rock snapped Bradley's 10-game non-conference home win streak Saturday with a 58-51 victory. 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 28-12 (.700) at home against non-conference opponents under 10th-year head coach Paula Buscher.
Non-Conference Home Finale
Tuesday's game is the final non-conference home game of the season as Bradley wraps up the non-conference slate with three consecutive road games. The Braves have had quite a bit of success in the final non-conference home game of the year, boasting a 21-5 (.808) in the final non-league home contest since joining the Gateway Conference for the 1983-84 season. Bradley's three non-conference home games are the fewest since 2003-04. BU is 66-32 (.673) in non-conference home games overall since the start of the 1983-84 season.
Big Road Swing Coming Up
After a week off for finals which begin Thursday, Bradley kicks off a season-long five-game road swing Thursday, Dec. 17 at Northern Colorado. The five-game road swing also includes games at Air Force (Dec. 19), Saint Louis (Dec. 29), Missouri State (Dec. 31) and at Wichita State (Jan. 2) and will wrap up a stretch in which BU will have played eight of 10 on the road. Tuesday's home game against Missouri is the Braves' last home game until the Missouri Valley Conference home opener against Evansville (Jan. 7). The road swing is the longest for BU since a five-game road swing in 1993-94.
From Long Range
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 six games, Bradley has had five 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 once. Three of Bradley's top five scorers are freshmen, led by Yohn's team-best 10.8 points per game scoring average. Olivia Allen is adding 7.5 points per game and Brooke Bisping is tossing in 6.3 points per outing.
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 42.7 rebounds per game and is third in the league in rebounding margin (+4.5).
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 five 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 119-146 (.449) 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 242 of Bradley's 418 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 9.7 points and a Missouri Valley Conference best 10.7 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 10.8 points per game, while Allen is third on the team in scoring at 7.5 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.
Cleaning The Glass
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 10.7 boards per game this season. She has reached double digits in rebounds in 23 games in her two-plus seasons, including five of six games to open the 2009-10 slate. The Bradley career mark for 10+-rebounding efforts is 32 by Dena Williams. 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 12-2 (.857) at Lorene Ramsey Gym including this season's earlier win against Illinois-Chicago.
Up Next
Bradley opens a season-long five-game road swing, Thursday, Dec. 17 at Northern Colorado. The Braves will be facing Northern Colorado for the first time in program history. Bradley is making its second trip to Colorado. The Braves previous trip to the Centennial State was in Paula Buscher's first season (2000-01). BU went 1-1 on that trip, defeating East Tennessee State and losing at Denver.
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.
Youth Movement
Bradley once again features one of the youngest rosters in the Missouri Valley Conference, featuring just two seniors and a total of four upperclassmen. For the second consecutive year, the Braves roster includes 10 underclassmen (three freshmen and seven sophomores). Bradley is not the only team in The Valley relying on youth as six of the 10 teams have nine underclassmen or more on their rosters. Indiana State, Missouri State and Northern Iowa join Bradley with 10 underclassmen, while Drake and Evansville each boast nine underclassmen.
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 six of the top eight scorers and three of the top four rebounders from 2008-09, have three 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 will be played at Woodruff High School.
Feeling Rejected
Junior Sonya Harris is poised to climb a few spots on the Missouri Valley Conference blocked shots list. Harris enters this week's action tied for 14th in Valley history with 128 rejections and needs three blocks to move up one more spot into 13th place. She is second in the MVC this season in blocked shots, averaging 2.5 per game through the first six 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 448 career boards.
