For Starters

   Bradley (20-9 overall, 11-7 MVC) finished fourth in the regular-season Missouri Valley Conference standings and will be the #4 seed in the State Farm MVC Tournament (March 12-15) at The Family Arena in St. Charles, Mo.  The Braves dropped three of four games to conclude the regular-season including a 70-68 home loss to Wichita State in the regular-season finale.

   With its best seeding in the conference tournament since earning the #4 seed for the 1992 Gateway Conference Tournament, Bradley will face #5 seed Indiana State Friday at 2:35 p.m. with the winner advancing to Saturday's 5:05 p.m. semifinal against either Illinois State, Southern Illinois or Evansville. 

   The Sycamores (14-15 overall, 10-8 MVC) lost back-to-back games to finish up the regular season and have dropped five of seven overall, but posted a 62-58 victory against Bradley on March 1 in the final home game of the year for Indiana State. 

   The team's split the regular-season series with the home team winning both contests.  Friday's game will be just the second meeting between the two programs in the MVC tournament.

 

About Indiana State

   Indiana State dropped a pair of road games to conclude the regular season after defeating the Braves 62-58 on March 1.  Picked to finish seventh in the preseason Missouri Valley Conference poll, the Sycamores finished alone in fifth place with a 14-15 overall mark and 10-8 league record. 

   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 battled through several season-ending injuries to post an 8-1 home record in Missouri Valley Conference, including a 72-65 victory against regular-season Missouri Valley Conference champion Illinois State on Jan. 10.

   Four of the Sycamores top five scorers are not expected to dress with three of the five suffering ACL tears, including leading scorer Kelsy Luna (14.5 ppg).  Senior guard Leah Phillips (10.1 ppg) played in Bradley's game in Terre Haute, Ind., on March 1 but has not played since.  Freshman Deja Mattox (8.4 ppg) also suffered a season-ending ACL injury earlier this year.

   Sophomore forward Kelsie Cooley is the top scorer for Indiana State, tossing in 8.6 points per game.  Senior Kara Schilli is the Sycamores top rebounder at 5.8 boards per game and is scoring 6.4 points per contest.  Freshman center Shannon Thomas has started eight games this season and is adding 6.0 points and 5.4 rebounds per tilt. 

   Indiana State ranks third in the MVC in turnover margin (+0.86 per game) and is third in The Valley in fewest turnovers per game (16.1).  The Sycamores are second in the league in three-point field goals per game (6.2 per game) and attempt an average of 19 three's a game. 

 

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 20 of 28 games she has played in this season and leads the team in scoring at 12.9 points per game, while ranking fourth in the MVC in rebounding at 8.1 boards per game.  Rogers missed the Dec. 28 home game against Air Force, but has started 26 of the 28 games she has played in and has posted a team-best nine double-doubles this season.

   Sophomore Sonya Harris missed two games due to injury but has returned to the lineup to play in the last 21 contests and is now averaging 9.8 points and 8.8 rebounds.  Harris leads the MVC in blocked shots (2.9 bpg) and also ranks second in The Valley in rebounding. 

   Freshman guard Michelle Lund has been named MVC Newcomer of the Week three times this season and is third in scoring at 9.0 points per game.  Battling injuries lately, she is second on the team in assists (1.9 apg) and is shooting 40.4 percent from three-point range.  Lund has surpassed the Bradley freshman record for three-pointers with her 69 triples and ranks among the national leaders 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 8.8 points per game, while ranking second in the MVC in assists (6.3 apg).  The 2007-08 MVC Defensive Player of the Year leads the team in steals (2.3 spg) and also averages 1.3 blocks per tilt.

   BU has tied a school-record for wins in a season with 20 and its 11 MVC victories are the most since 1991-92.  Bradley has dominated the glass so far this season, outrebounding its opponents by nearly seven boards per game and ranks 18th in the nation in rebounding margin through games of March 8.  The Braves have outrebounded 22 of 29 opponents this season.  In addition to leading the MVC in rebounding margin, Bradley is second in The Valley in field goal percentage (.431) and leads the league in three-point field goal percentage (36.0) 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 116-141 (.451) 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 159-179 (.470) career record and is in her 12th year as a collegiate head coach.  She is the second winningest coach in school history and this year's 20 victories match a school record and are the most since the 1979-80 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 155-107 (.592) 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 earned the #4 seed for this week's State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Tournament in St. Charles, Mo., and will face #5 seed Indiana State Friday at 2:30 p.m.  The Braves and Sycamores split the regular-season series with the home team winning both contests.  Bradley has won two of the last three meetings, but Indiana State holds a 36-20 lead in the all-time series including a 2-0 lead in neutral site games.  The Braves and Sycamores have met in the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Tournament one other time.  The Sycamores defeated the Braves 83-59 in Normal, Ill., during the 2005 State Farm MVC Tournament in the only conference tournament meeting between the two programs.

 

MVC Tournament History

   Bradley is 2-17 (.105) all-time in State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Tournament games with the lone victories coming in 2007 in Des Moines, Iowa, against #10 seed Missouri State and 1997 when the Braves upset tournament host Missouri State in the opening round.  Bradley is 1-9 in neutral site games at the MVC Tournament after losing to Southern Illinois 65-54 in the first neutral site tournament in MVC history. 

 

How Seed It Is

   Bradley will get to wear its white uniforms at for just the fourth time in the history of the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Tournament after earning the #4 seed for this year's event.  The #4 seed matches the highest seed in school history and is the best for the Braves since earning the #4 seed for the 1987, 1990 and 1992 tournaments.  The Braves are 1-2 all-time as the higher seed in the conference tournament.

 

Braves Tie School Record For Wins

   Bradley tied a school record for wins in a season, picking up the 20th win of the year with an 81-71 victory against Missouri State Thursday.  The Braves tied the school mark of 20 wins set during the 1979-80 season when BU finished 20-9.  Bradley's 20 victories are the most since playing a full NCAA Division I schedule and BU's 11 MVC victories are the most since finishing 1991-92 with an 11-7 conference mark. 

 

20-WIN SEASONS

Year        Start     Final Record   MVC Record

2008-09    20-9      ??                   11-7

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

 

Rogers Named First Team All-Valley; Harris Earns Second-Team

   Senior Monica Rogers was named First-Team All-Missouri Valley Conference, marking the first time a Brave earned the award since Dena Williams in 2004-05.  The Braves leading scorer 12.9 points per game, Rogers is tied for second in the MVC with nine double-doubles and her 8.1 rebounds per game average is fourth in The Valley.  Sophomore forward Sonya Harris was a second-team All-MVC selection, giving the Braves two all-conference performers in the same season for the first time in program history.  The first sophomore to earn all-conference recognition since Sara Bailey in 2000-01, Harris is the fifth Bradley sophomore to earn first or second-team all-conference honors.  Harris leads the league in blocked shots (2.9 per game), while scoring 9.8 points per game and is second in the MVC in rebounding at 8.8 boards per game.  In addition, junior guard Skye Johnson was an honorable mention All-MVC pick.  She is second in The Valley in assists (6.3 per game) and is the only player in MVC history with 150 assists, 30 blocks and 50 steals in a season.

 

Postseason Bound?

   Bradley picked up its 20th victory of the season and the Braves are hoping that mark will help secure the first post-season bed in program history.  Since the start of the 1992-93 season only one 20-win MVC team has been left out of the postseason.  In that time 31 of 32 20-win Valley teams have advanced to the postseason.  The only 20-win Valley team to not make the postseason in that time was the 2004-05 Northern Iowa Panthers.  UNI finished 20-11 overall and was tied for second at 13-5 in the MVC in 2004-05.

 

Braves Have Best Valley Season Since 1991-92

   Bradley finished the MVC regular-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 is the fifth in program history and first since 1991-92.  Below is chart showing the Braves four best conference records.

 

Bradley's Best Valley Records

Year        MVC     Overall Record                  Place

1989-90  12-6    16-12              4th

2008-09    11-7      20-9                 4th

1985-86  11-7    16-12              4th

1991-92  11-7    17-11              T3rd

 

Braves Match School Mark For Home Wins

   A big part of Bradley's success this season is due to the Braves protecting their home court.  BU finished the regular-season with the most home wins in the MVC (12) and second best home record at 12-2 (.857).  The 12 home wins matched a school season record set during the 1981-82 season when the Braves finished 12-4 in home contests. 

 

BEST HOME RECORDS IN PROGRAM HISTORY

Year           Home      Road      Neutral           Final

1979-80     10-1        6-7          4-1               20-9

2008-09        12-2         6-7           2-0                     

1986-87     10-3       5-10         0-0             15-13

1981-82     12-4        5-2          2-2               19-8

 

Van Kirk Named Second Team MVC Scholar-Athlete

   Junior forward Jenny Van Kirk added another academic honor to her list of accomplishments, picking up second-team Missouri Valley Conference scholar-athlete honors this season.  A pre-med major with a 4.0 cumulative GPA, she was one of three Bradley players recognized.  Senior Kelly Krumwiede and junior Skye Johnson each earned honorable mention MVC Scholar-Athlete honors for the second consecutive year.  Van Kirk is the first Bradley to earn first or second-team MVC Scholar-Athlete honors since Genny Mueller in 2004-05.

 

Senior Night Unkind To Braves

   Bradley wrapped up the regular season with a 68-70 home loss to Wichita State.  The Braves have not had much success on Senior Night over the years and are now 12-22 (.353) all-time in the final regular-season home game of the season.  Senior Kelly Krumwiede is the only four-year player on the roster and Bradley went 35-21 (.625) in home games during her time on The Hilltop, but lost two of four Senior Day games in that time. 

 

Getting Defensive

   Junior guard Skye Johnson did not defend her title as Missouri Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Year, but was one of three repeat selections for the Missouri Valley Conference all-defensive squad.  The first two-time All-Defensive team selection in program history, Johnson was joined on the squad by sophomore Sonya Harris.  The Braves had two members of the MVC's All-Defensive team for the first time in program history and Bradley is the first team to have two members named to the squad since Northern Iowa in 2004-05.  One of three players to rank among the league's top 10 in both blocks and steals, Johnson is second in The Valley in steals (2.3 per game) and fifth in blocks (1.3 bpg).  Harris led the league with 78 blocked shots for an average of 2.9 per game and turned back an impressive 3.5 shots per game in Missouri Valley Conference play.

 

Double Trouble

   Senior Monica Rogers and sophomore Sonya Harris enter the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Tournament with and nine and eight double-doubles on the season, respectively.  Rogers, who is currently tied for second in the MVC with her nine double-double performances, has the most double-doubles in a season by a Bradley player since Carrie Coffman had a school season-record 19 in 1994-95.  Harris has 14 career double-doubles which is tied for sixth in school history.

 

BRADLEY DOUBLE-DOUBLES IN A SEASON

9        Monica Rogers                               2008-09

          Val Wancket                              1990-91

          Roxanne Grabow                      1982-83

8        Sonya Harris                                  2008-09

          Dena Williams                           2004-05

 

The Skye's The Limit

   Junior guard Skye Johnson dished out her 150th assist and also collected her 30th blocked shot of the season three week's ago against Creighton.  Johnson, who is second in the MVC in assists per game and also ranks among the top five in The Valley in both steals and blocked shots per game, is the first player in Missouri Valley Conference history with 150 assists, 30 blocks and 50 steals in a season.  She is among Bradley's career top 10 in both assists and blocked shots, while closing in on the Braves top 10 in steals.  Her 184 assists on the year is the fifth best season total in school history and the most by a Brave since 1981-82.  Johnson needs four steals to break into Bradley's career top 10 and would be the only player to rank in the top 10 in program history in assists, blocks and steals.

 

Krumwiede Nearing Career Record

   Senior Kelly Krumwiede is closing in on Bradley's career record for games played.  The only four-year player on the roster, she has appeared in 117 games at BU and is second only in appearances to former teammate Ashley Chelleen who appeared in 119 contests between 2002-07.

 

BRADLEY GAMES PLAYED (CAREER)

 

Blocking The Night Away

   Sophomore Sonya Harris is averaging 3.5 blocked shots per game in Missouri Valley Conference play and is a big reason the Braves have a school-season record 178 blocks on the year.  Bradley leads the MVC in blocked shots per game at 6.1 and the 178 rejections as a squad is the third best season total in Missouri Valley Conference history.  The Braves collected 13 blocks against Creighton (Feb. 19), finishing one rejection short of tying a school and MVC game record 14 blocks.  Bradley is four blocks short of second and 22 blocks away from the MVC season record of 200 blocks held by the 2004-05 Northern Iowa squad.

 

MVC BLOCKED SHOTS IN A SEASON

 

Another Season Blocks Record Falls

   In addition to helping the team break the school-season mark for blocked shots, sophomore forward Sonya Harris has also established a new individual record for blocks in a season.  Harris has turned back 78 shots this season, surpassing Dena William's previous school record of 59 rejections.  The 78 blocked shots are the most in the MVC this season and the fourth best season total in Valley history.

 

MVC SEASON BLOCKED SHOTS LEADERS

75      Sharon Zeilmann (Missouri State) 1984-85

 

Six-Game Valley Win Streak Snapped

   Bradley had a six-game Missouri Valley Conference win streak snapped at Illinois State (Feb. 26).  The six consecutive regular-season Valley victories was the longest conference win streak in program history, surpassing the previous mark of five set earlier this season.  The Braves won their final regular-season game of 2007-08 against UNI and opened the 2008-09 Valley slate with four consecutive victories.

 

Nearing 1,000 Points

   Senior forward Monica Rogers is nearing the 1,000-point mark for her collegiate career.  The Braves leading scorer at 12.9 points per game, she has scored 510 points in a Bradley uniform since transferring from Hampton University.  Rogers, who scored 487 points during her freshman and sophomore seasons with the Pirates, has 997 career points at the NCAA Division I level and needs just three points to reach the 1,000 point mark.  Rogers is averaging 17.3 points per game over the last eight contests.

 

Rogers Repeats As MVC Player of the Week

   Senior forward Monica Rogers was selected as the Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Week in back-to-back weeks, earning the award for the weeks of Feb. 16 and Feb. 23.  The first Bradley player to earn MVC Player of the Week honors in the same season since Carol Baresch in 1988-89, she joined Baresch as the only Brave to earn the award in back-to-back weeks.  Bradley has had three MVC Player of the Week selections in the same season for the first time since 1986-87, with Skye Johnson also earning Player of the Week for the week of Dec. 8.

 

Trio Of Four-Game Win Streaks

   Bradley had a six-game win streak snapped at Illinois State (Feb. 26), but it wasn't the first or even the longest win streak of the season for the Braves.  In fact, Bradley has three win streaks of four or more games in 2008-09, marking the first time BU had three win streaks of four games or more in the same season since the 1979-80 season.  The 1979-80 squad had two four-game win streaks and a six-game win streak en route to the only 20-win season in program history.  This season the Braves have win streaks of four, six and seven games.  Bradley has never had two win streaks of five or more games in the same season prior to this year.

 

Dynamic Duo On The Glass

   Sophomore Sonya Harris and senior Monica Rogers both rank among the top four rebounders in the Missouri Valley Conference entering the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Tournament.  Harris is second in the Valley in rebounding at 8.8 boards per game and Rogers is fourth overall at 8.1 rebounds per tilt.  Harris' 237 boards is the sixth best season total in school history and most by a Bradley player since Carrie Coffman pulled down a school record 302 rebounds in 1994-95.  Bradley is the only team in the MVC with two players averaging 7.0 rebounds or more per game.

 

BRADLEY REBOUNDING (SEASON)

275    Roxanne Grabow                      1981-82

230    Dena Williams                           2003-04

 

Dishing The Rock

   Junior guard Skye Johnson ranks second in the Missouri Valley Conference in assists per game at (6.3 per game) and is averaging 6.9 assists per ball game in Missouri Valley Conference play.  Her career-best 184 assists on the year is the highest total for a Bradley player since Judy Burns had 230 assists in 1981-82 and is the third best season total in school history.  Johnson also ranks among Bradley's career leaders in assists, passing Shelli Braud for ninth on BU's list with her career-best 13-assist effort against Drake (Feb. 21).  Johnson ranks eighth in Bradley history with 314 career assists and needs 17 assists to pass Heather Best for seventh on the Braves all-time list.

 

BRADLEY ASSISTS IN A SEASON

 

BRADLEY CAREER ASSISTS

 

Van Kirk Named Academic All-District

   Junior forward Jenny Van Kirk was named a second-team ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District V selection, making her the first Bradley player to earn the honor since Genny Mueller in 2004-05.  A pre-med major, Van Kirk has been named the Bradley Scholar-Athlete of the Week three times this season and owns a perfect 4.0 cumulative grade point average.

 

Second Half Team

   Bradley has continued what has become a trend of Paula Buscher's tenure with the Braves, boasting a better record in the second half of Missouri Valley Conference play then in the first half of league action.  BU opened MVC play with a 5-4 record, but finished 6-3 during the second half of The Valley slate.  Bradley has a better record in the second half of league play in four consecutive years and the seventh time during Buscher's time on The Hilltop.  In Buscher's nine years as head coach, Bradley has had fewer wins in the second half of conference play just once - 2001-02.  Bradley's winning percentage in the first half of Valley play under Buscher is 26-55 (.321) compared to 39-42 (.481) mark in the second half of play.  Below is a chart comparing the first half of conference play for the Braves to the second half of league action under Buscher.

 

Year-by-Year Breakdown Under Buscher

Year            1st Round    2nd Round Final Record

2008-09        5-4               6-3                     11-7/4th

2007-08      2-7              4-5                  6-12/8th

2006-07      3-6              4-5                  7-11/7th

2005-04      1-8              4-5                5-13/T9th

2004-05      4-5              4-5                8-10/T6th

2003-04      2-7              5-4                7-11/T6th

2002-03      4-5              5-4                    9-9/6th

2001-02      4-5              3-6                7-11/T7th

2000-01      1-8              4-5                  5-13/8th

 

Winning Mark At Halfway Point Of MVC Play

   Bradley's victory against Indiana State (Feb. 1) wrapped up the first half of Missouri Valley Conference play and at 5-4 marked the first time BU finished the first half of league play with a winning record since the 1996-97 season.  Bradley has finished the first half of league action with a winning record just nine times in 25 years of conference membership.  The Braves have finished .500 or better in conference action five of the eight previous times BU had a winning record halfway through the conference season. 

 

Krumwiede Grabs 600th Board

   Senior forward Kelly Krumwiede pulled down her 600th career rebound at Indiana State (March 1) and moved into ninth on the Braves career rebounding list.  BU's active career leader in both scoring and rebounding, she passed Connie Griffith for ninth all-time against the Sycamores and now has 608 career boards.  Krumwiede needs 63 rebounds to pass Heather Best for eighth on Bradley's career rebounding list.

 

REBOUNDS (CAREER)

 

Harris Climbing Career Blocks Chart

   Sophomore Sonya Harris leads the MVC in blocked shots, averaging 2.9 per tilt and has already surpassed Dena William's school season record of 59 rejections.  Harris' 78 blocked shots this season is the most by a BU player in a season and the fourth best season total in MVC history.  Harris has rocketed up Bradley's career blocked shot list into third place.  Just the fifth player in program history with 100 career rejections, Harris is the first player in school history to reach the century mark as a sophomore.  She is the 22nd player in MVC history to record 100 career rejections and is currently 16th in MVC history with 112 career blocks.  Below is a list of Bradley's career blocked shots leaders.

 

BRADLEY CAREER BLOCKED SHOTS LEADERS

 

Up Next

   The winner of Friday's game will advance to Saturday's State Farm Missouri Valley Conference semifinals at 5:05 p.m. at The Family Arena in St. Charles, Mo.  The first of two semifinal games will feature the winner of the #4 Bradley vs. #5 Indiana State game will face one of three possible opponents in #1 seed Illinois State, #8 seed Southern Illinois or #9 seed Evansville.  The Braves swept both Southern Illinois and Evansville this season, but lost both games in the regular-season series with Illinois State.

 

More About Win Streaks

   Bradley's recently ended six-game win streak is tied for the fifth longest in program history.  The Braves also had a seven game win streak earlier this season, which is tied for the third longest win streak in program history.  Bradley head coach Paula Buscher has led the Braves to three of the seven longest win streaks in school history.

 

SIX-GAME WIN STREAKS

Year               Win Streak            Final Record

2001-02        9                          16-12

1981-82        8                          19-8

2008-09          7                           ??                     

1996-97        7                          16-12   

2008-09          6                           ??

1977-78        6                          14-5

1979-80        6                          20-9

 

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.

 

 

 

 

BEST STARTS TO CONFERENCE PLAY

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

 

Road Warriors

   Bradley finished the regular season with a 6-7 record in true road games and an 8-7 mark away from home,

including two neutral site victories.  The eight wins away from home are second only to preseason MVC favorite Illinois State's 13 wins away from (10 road and three neutral) and match Creighton's eight wins away from home. 

 

Turnovers Are Key

   Turnovers have been a key stat for the Braves this season.  BU is committing 19.9 turnovers per game and forcing 17.0 opponent turnovers per contest.  While their is little difference in Bradley's turnovers in wins (20.0 turnovers per game) compared to losses (19.4 turnovers per game), the telling stat has been opponent turnovers.  BU has forced an average of 18.5 opponent turnovers in 20 victories this season, but just 13.7 turnovers in the nine losses.  Foes have committed 15 or less turnovers in seven of the nine losses this season and BU is just 6-7 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.  Bradley has five players averaging 8.1 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.

 

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 69 three-pointers is second

among Valley freshman all-time, is in the top 50 in the nation in both three-point field goal percentage and three-point field goals per game through Sunday's games.  She is shooting 40.4 percent (69-for-171) 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.  Her 69 three-pointers is fourth among Bradley season marks.

 

3-Point Field Goals By A Freshman (MVC)

 

Bradley 3-Point Field Goals Made (Season)

 

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 one of three players to earn MVC Newcomer of the Week three times or more this season.

 

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 March 8.  Bradley was 18th in the nation in rebounding margin at +6.7 boards per game.  After ranking sixth in the MVC in three-point field goal percentage last year, Bradley enters the MVC Tournament in 27th place in the nation in three-point field goal percentage at 36.0 percent.  As a team, Bradley is seventh nationally in blocked shots (6.1 bpg) and 15th in assists (16.1 apg).  Individually, freshman guard Michelle Lund is 39th in the country in three-point field goals per game (2.4 per contest) and also ranked 34th nationally in three-point field goal percentage (40.4 percent) through Sunday.  Junior guard Skye Johnson was ranked ninth in the country in assists per game (6.3 apg) while also ranking 31st in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.75).  Sophomore Sonya Harris is 13th in blocked shots (2.9 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.

 

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 116 wins, needing just nine 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 22.6 points per game and have outscored their counterparts by an average margin of +7.0 points per contest.  Bradley's bench has outscored the opponent's reserves in 22 of 29 games, and BU boasts a 17-5 record when the Braves' reserves out score the opponents.  The Braves are 3-4 when the bench fails to outscore the opponents reserves.  In the victories this season, BU's bench has averaged 24.1 points per game and boasts a +9.5 margin.  In the losses, Bradley's reserves are scoring 19.2 points per game, but have outscored the opponents reserves by an average margin of just +1.4 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 4-9 when losing at halftime after erasing a four-point halftime deficit against Northern Iowa (Feb. 14).  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 leading The Valley at 41.4 rebounds per game.  In addition to the impressive +6.7 average rebound margin, Bradley is averaging 14.6 offensive boards per contest despite owning the second best field goal percentage in the league.  Sophomore Sonya Harris ranks second in the MVC in rebounding at 8.8 boards per game, while senior Monica Rogers is fourth in The Valley in rebounding at 8.1 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 45-32 (.584) against in-state foes during Buscher's tenure, which includes a 20-18 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 an 12-2 record at home this season which includes an 11-2 mark at Lorene Ramsey Gym and a 1-0 record at Richwoods High School.

 

Krumwiede Joins 700-600 Club

   Senior forward Kelly Krumwiede pulled down her 600th career rebound at Indiana State (March 1) as she became just the 10th player in program history with 700 points and 600 rebounds as a Brave.  The 30th player in school history to score 700 points, Krumwiede is the Braves active career scoring leader with 733 points and also ranks as the active career leader in rebounding with 608 career boards. 

 

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