For Starters
Bradley will play its first road game of the season when the Braves visit 22nd-ranked Iowa Tuesday at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
Tuesday's game will be BU's first game against a ranked team since playing at 10th-ranked Ohio State on Nov. 28, 2004 and is the first of back-to-back games against Big Ten Conference teams.
Iowa is the second of four consecutive opponents for the Braves which advanced to the postseason in 2009-10. Tuesday's game will be the home opener for the Hawkeyes, which won the Islander Tip-Off last weekend in Corpus Christi, Texas.
About Iowa
Iowa is ranked in both the Associated Press (#22) and ESPN/USA Today Coaches (#25) preseason polls after finishing 20-14 last year and advancing to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Picked to finish second in the preseason Big Ten polls, the Hawkeyes returned all five starters and the top six scorers from last year's team which finished 10-8 in the Big Ten.
Senior Kachine Alexander leads Iowa in scoring and rebounding (15.0 ppg & 8.5 rpg) and is one of four Hawkeyes averaging in double figures in scoring. Sophomore guard Jaime Printy averaged 12.0 points and 4.5 assists per game, while junior Kamille Wahlin (11.5 ppg) and junior Kelly Krei (11.0 ppg) help pace the Hawkeyes.
Iowa is 2-0 on the season after posting wins against Southern (76-52) and Arkansas State (50-47) at the Islander Tip-Off Tournament in Corpus Christi, Texas.
About The Braves
Bradley returned nine of 12 letterwinners, including three starters from last year's team which tied the school records for conference wins and best league finish in addition to making the first postseason appearance in program history.
The Braves have their top two scorers back from the 2009-10 squad which finished with a 17-14 overall record and advanced to the second round of the inaugural Women's Basketball Invitational. Sophomore guard Katie Yohn had a game-high 16 points in BU's season opener against Butler and led the team in scoring last year as a freshman with a 10.2 points per game average.
Raisa Taylor is the only senior on the team and paced the squad in assists and steals last year while ranking second in scoring (9.7 ppg). Taylor had 13 points and eight rebounds Saturday.
Junior Latasha Hollingshed had a career-best 14 points off the bench in the opener, while Iowa native MacKenzie Westcott (Williamsburg, Iowa) dished out a career-high seven assists in addition to matching career highs of 10 rebounds and three steals.
The Coaches
The dean of Missouri Valley Conference Women's Basketball coaches, Paula Buscher (Missouri State, '86) is in her 11th year at Bradley and has a record of 134-156 (.462) at BU. The 2008-09 Rawlings Missouri Valley Conference Coach of the Year, Buscher owns a 177-194 (.477) career record and is in her 14th year as a collegiate head coach. She is the all-time wins leader in program history with her 134 victories at BU and is 11th all-time in Missouri Valley Conference history in victories. Over the last two years she has led the team to a 23-13 (.639) conference record, marking the most conference wins in consecutive years for BU in program history. 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.
Lisa Bluder (Northern Iowa '83) is in her 11th year as head coach at Iowa and 27th overall as a collegiate head coach. The one-time Drake head coach, owns a 191-123 (.608) career mark as head coach of the Hawkeyes and taken Iowa to seven NCAA Tournaments and two WNIT appearances in her 10 years in Iowa City. Bluder is 547-265 (.674) as a collegiate head coach.
Iowa Series
Tuesday's game against Iowa will be just the fifth meeting between the two program which dates back to the 1982-83 season. The Hawkeyes own a 4-0 record in the all-time series with the last three meetings taking place in Iowa City. Iowa won the first meeting on Nov. 19, 1982 and the Hawkeyes won home games during the 1983-84 and 1985-86 campaigns. The last meeting was in the opening round of the 1999-2000 Hawkeye Challenge with Iowa posting a 92-49 victory.
Last Time Out
Bradley opened the 2010-11 season with a 77-63 victory against Butler in the first regular-season game at Renaissance Coliseum. The Braves limited the Bulldogs to just five first-half field goals and led by as many as 25 points before Butler pulled to within eight points with six minutes to play. Sophomore Katie Yohn scored 10 of her game-high 16 points in the final 5:11 to help Bradley pull away and close out a 77-63 victory. Latasha Hollingshed had 14 points and seven rebounds off the bench, while Raisa Taylor added 13 points, eight boards, four assists and two blocks. The Braves shot 51 percent from the field and made 8-of-14 three-point attempts (57.1 percent), including 6-of-8 from beyond the arc in the second half.
Ranked Opponent
Tuesday's game at #22 Iowa is Bradley's first contest against a ranked team since playing against 10th-ranked Ohio State in the championship game of the 2004-05 Buckeye Classic in Columbus, Ohio. The Braves are 0-3 against ranked teams under head coach Paula Buscher.
Back-To-Back Big Ten Foes
Bradley will play back-to-back games against Big Ten Conference opponents beginning Tuesday with a game at 22nd-ranked Iowa before returning home to host Illinois Friday. The Braves are playing a pair of games against Big Ten Conference teams in the same season for the first time since 2004-05 when Bradley played #10 Ohio State in Columbus and posted a 70-67 victory at Illinois. Bradley has not played consecutive games against Big Ten Conference opponents since 1989-90 when BU followed a game at Minnesota with a home contest against Illinois.
Up Next
The Braves will return to Renaissance Coliseum Friday to face in-state foe Illinois at 7:05 p.m., before opening a four-game road swing. Illinois holds a 9-2 lead in the all-time series with Bradley after posting a 67-45 victory against BU last year at Assembly Hall. The Braves are 0-4 all-time in the series in home games. Friday's game will be the Illini's first trip to Peoria since Dec. 21, 2006. The two teams played five times during the 1980's, but did not play for a 13-year span before the series was renewed in 2002-03. Friday's game will be the seventh meeting since 2002-03 with Illinois owning a 4-2 record over the last six contests in the series.
Braves Open New Home
Bradley played its first game on campus since the end of the 2007-08 season, opening Renaissance Coliseum with a 77-63 victory against WNIT participant Butler. Renaissance Coliseum is the sixth different venue Bradley has called a home court and the Braves are 5-1 in their first games in a new home venue. BU played its first home game in 1975-76 in Haussler Hall with a victory. The next season, Bradley relocated across the street to Robertson Memorial Field House and opened the 1976-77 campaign with a win against Carl Sandburg. The Braves topped Northeastern Illinois in overtime at Carver Arena in 1984-85 in the first of 13 games Bradley has played in the downtown facility. During construction of Renaissance Coliseum, BU was a 67-60 winner against Loyola-Chicago in the 2008-09 season opener in the team's first game at Illinois Central College's Lorene Ramsey Gym. In addition to the games at ICC, Bradley played two games at area high schools during construction, beating Air Force at Richwoods High School during the 2008-09 season and suffering a 58-51 loss to Arkansas-Little Rock at Woodruff High School.
Muegge Returns
Junior guard Hanna Muegge returned to the lineup for the first time since tearing both her ACL and MCL Feb. 25 at Illinois State. Muegge helped Bradley to an 11-5 record in her starts last year before missing the final six games of the season. The guard picked up right where she left off, hitting both of her three-point attempts Saturday against Butler to help the Braves to a 77-63 victory. Muegge has made 11 of her last 18 three-point attempts (61.1 percent) dating back to last season.
Getting Defensive
Bradley showed it can be stingy on the defensive end of the court, limiting Butler to just five first-half field goals and 14.3 percent shooting Saturday in the season opener. The Bulldogs managed 16 first-half points against the Braves, marking the lowest point total in a half for a Bradley opponent since Southern Illinois scored 16 points in the first half of a game at Lorene Ramsey Gym on Jan. 9, 2009. The 16 points is tied for the fifth lowest point total in a half for a BU foe since the start of the 1981-82 season.
Hitting The Road
Bradley opens the season with two of the first three games of the 2010-11 slate at home, but will need to get used to winning on the road. Following Friday's home game against Illinois, BU plays four consecutive road games and eight of the next 10 overall away from home. Between Nov. 20 and Jan. 5 (a span of 47 days) Bradley will play just two home games.
Opening With A Bang
Junior Latasha Hollingshed opened the season strong, scoring a career-high 14 points off the bench to help highlight Bradley's 77-63 victory against Butler. Fellow junior MacKenzie Westcott also had a career day against the Bulldogs, dishing out a career-high seven assists in addition to tying career highs with 10 rebounds and three steals.
Return To Campus
Bradley's season opener against Butler marked BU's first game on campus since the end of the 2007-08 season. Bradley's Renaissance Coliseum officially opened in August and the $50-million, 4,200-seat facility serves as home court for the Bradley women's basketball and volleyball teams. The Braves played home games at Illinois Central College's Lorene Ramsey Gym in East Peoria each of the last two seasons, while construction of Renaissance Coliseum was in progress. The facility was dedicated on Oct. 15 during Bradley's annual homecoming festivities.
Season Openers
Bradley opened its 36th season against Butler Nov. 13 with a 77-63 victory against the Bulldogs. The Braves improved 21-15 all-time in season openers, including a 7-4 record under head coach Paula Buscher.
On The Air
Tuesday's game at #22 Iowa is one of a record 19 games on the radio this season and will be carried live on WIRL 1290 AM. Ed Hammond will provide play-by-play with Bradley Hall of Fame member Joe Stowell providing analysis. WIRL will carry 18 of the 19 games with the Nov. 19 home game against Illinois airing on WMBD 1470 AM.
Home Openers
Bradley improved to 26-10 (.722) record in home openers, which includes a 8-3 (.727) mark under head coach Paula Buscher. The Braves have won five consecutive games when playing the season opener at home and boast an impressive 16-5 (.762) overall record when playing the season opener in Peoria.
Tough Opening Stretch
Bradley opens the 2010-11 season with four consecutive games against teams which advanced to the postseason in 2009-10. The Braves regular-season and Renaissance Coliseum-opening opponent Butler participated in the WNIT, while BU's first road contest of the year (Nov. 16) is against NCAA Tournament squad Iowa. WNIT participant Illinois visits Peoria Nov. 19 for a Friday night tilt and the Braves travel to Charleston, Ill., to face 2009-10 WNIT participant Eastern Illinois on Nov. 22. Three of Bradley's first four opponents won 20 or more games in 2009-10 and the four squads combined for an 85-50 (.630) record last year.
Welcome To The Team
Bradley welcomes three freshmen to the team in 2010-11, adding 5-9 Kelsey Budd (Prairie du Sac, Wis./Sauk Prairie), 6-1 forward Kelly Frings (Milwaukee, Wis./Pius XI) and 6-3 center Alyson Spinas-Valainis (Davenport, Iowa/Assumption). Budd was a first-team all-state selection after averaging 20 points and five assists per game as a senior. Frings was conference player of the year and led the league in both scoring and rebounding each of her final two prep seasons. Believed to be the only player in Iowa to score 1,000 points and strikeout 1,000 batters during the high school basketball and softball careers, Spinas-Valainis was a two-time first-team all-state pick and two-time conference player of the year.
See You Next Year
In addition to welcoming three true freshmen to the roster, Bradley women's basketball head coach Paula Buscher added Wisconsin transfer Catie O'Leary during the summer. O'Leary, who will have to sit out the 2010-11 season due to NCAA transfer rules, will have three years of eligibility remaining. A native of Janesville, Wis., O'Leary was the state scoring champ as a junior at Parker High School and was a three-time Big 8 Conference Player of the Year selection.
Postseason Success
Bradley made the first postseason appearance in program history in 2009-10, receiving a bid to the inaugural Women's Basketball Invitational (WBI). The Braves posted a 69-59 win against Louisville at Freedom Hall in the final home contest for any Louisville program in the historic venue. The Cardinals, which were a year removed from a national runner-up finish in the 2008-09 NCAA Tournament, were a combined 129-23 (.849) at Freedom Hall over the last 13 years in the facility. The win also snapped a 13-game losing streak for Bradley Athletics programs at Freedom Hall. The Bradley women lost their only other game in the building during the 1990-91 season and the Bradley men's basketball team had lost 12 consecutive games at Freedom Hall since edging the Cardinals 80-79 on Feb. 10, 1962.
Welcome Home
After calling Illinois Central College's Lorene Ramsey Gym home for each of the last two years, Bradley will return to campus for the 2010-11 season. The Braves will open their new $50-million, 4,200-seat facility Nov. 13 against WNIT participant Butler. The Renaissance Coliseum sits on the exact site of historic Robertson Memorial Field House which served as the Braves home until the building was razed following the 2007-08 season. Despite playing home games across the river in East Peoria, Bradley was an impressive 20-4 (.833) at Lorene Ramsey Gym over the last two seasons. Since the start of the 2007-08 season, BU is 31-10 (.756) in home contests.
Road Warriors
Bradley played a school record 17 road games in 2009-10 and matched a school record with eight road victories. The Braves are a combined 14-16 on the road over the last two seasons, marking the most road wins in back-to-back seasons in program history.
Winning Ways
Bradley finished the 2009-10 season with a 17-14 record, marking the first time the Braves had back-to-back winning seasons since the 1985-86 (16-12 overall) and 1986-87 (15-13 overall) campaigns. The Braves were 38-24 (.613) during the 2008-09 and 2009-10 seasons, with the 38 wins ranking as the most wins in consecutive years since the 1980-81 and 1981-82 squads combined to go 38-16 (.704).
Braves Tie School Record For Conference Wins
Bradley matched a school record with 12 conference victories in 2009-10, while also matching the best league finish in school history (tied for third). BU's 23 Valley wins over the last years are the most in back-to-back seasons in school history and the Braves' 23-13 (.639) league mark over that time is third best in the conference during that stretch behind only Illinois State (31-5) and Creighton (27-9).
Senior Leadership
Raisa Taylor is the lone senior on the roster for Bradley in 2010-11 and has a chance to finish her career among the winningest players in program history. During her time on The Hilltop, the Braves own a 51-42 overall record and 29-25 league mark. Bradley has not finished a four-year period with a winning conference record since the 1992-93 senior class closed out their careers with a 36-34 mark. The only other class to post a winning league record was the 1991-92 senior class, which finished with a 38-34 conference record. Last year's senior class (Jenny Van Kirk & Renee Frericks) finished their careers with a 62-61 overall record, marking the most wins for BU during a four-year period since the 1982-83 team was 72-39. Bradley's current junior class has helped the Braves to a 39-24 overall record and 23-13 league mark.
Yohn Earns All-Valley Honors
Sophomore guard Katie Yohn was an honorable mention All-Missouri Valley Conference honoree in 2009-10 as a freshman and also earned a spot on The Valley's All-Freshman team after leading Bradley in scoring with a 10.2 points per game average. Yohn was the second freshman in program history to earn all-conference honors, joining Karin Nicholls who was an honorable mention All-Gateway Conference pick as a frosh in 1986-87. Yohn was a three-time MVC Newcomer of the Week honoree in 2009-10 and was the sixth Bradley player to be named to the MVC's All-Freshman squad under 11th-year head coach Paula Buscher.
Close Calls
Bradley has made a habit of pulling out close contests over the last few seasons. In 2009-10, the Braves had 15 games decided by 10 points or fewer and finished an impressive 11-4 (.733) in those contests. In fact, BU was 4-1 in games in which the final margin was five points or less. Over the last two years, Bradley is a combined 20-7 (.741) when the game is decided by 10 points or fewer.
The Future Is Bright
Katie Yohn led Bradley in scoring in 2009-10, averaging a team-best 10.2 points per game as a true freshman. Yohn, who earned a spot on the Missouri Valley Conference All-Freshman team, was the first freshman to lead BU in scoring since Connie Griffith paced the Braves with an 18.3 points per game average her freshman year in 1977-78. Griffith is the only player in program history to lead the team in scoring in each of her four seasons on The Hilltop. Yohn finished the year with 317 points, which ranks as the fifth-best total for a BU freshman and her 10.2 points per game is average is the best a Bradley frosh since Heather Best tossed in 12.6 points per game in 1995-96.
Buscher Breaks BU Win Mark
Head coach Paula Buscher is in her 11th year on The Hilltop and isas the all-time wins leader in program history. The dean of Missouri Valley Conference coaches, Buscher broke Lisa Boyer's school record of 123 victories on Jan. 15, 2010 with a 74-62 win against Northern Iowa. Buscher will break Boyer's hold as the longest tenured coach in program history this season, with her 11th on the bench in Peoria and is 11th in Missouri Valley Conference history with 135 wins. She also holds the school record for Missouri Valley Conference wins with 77, which is good for 11th all-time in league history.
Balanced Attack
Bradley utilized a balanced attack during the 2009-10 season with seven players averaging between 4.7 points and 10.2 points per game on the year. Bradley was one of three Valley schools without a player averaging at least three assists per outing, but the Braves had four individuals averaging 1.8 assists per game or better and BU ranked third in the league in assists per game as team (13.9). Bradley had 10 different individuals lead the team in scoring at least once.
Crashing The Boards
One of the reasons for Bradley's success over the past two seasons has been rebounding with the Braves leading the Missouri Valley Conference in rebounding each of the last two seasons. In 2008-09, BU led the league in rebounding with a 41.6 rebounds per game average, marking the first time Bradley led the conference in rebounding since 1990-91. The Braves led the Valley with a 41.2 rebounds per game average in 2009-10 and are the first team to lead the league in rebounding in back-to-back years since Northern Iowa in 1997-98 and again in 1998-99.
Taylor Moves Up List
Senior Raisa Taylor moved up one spot on Bradley's career scoring list in Saturday's game against Butler, passing former teammate Kelly Krumwiede for 29th in school history. Bradley's active career scoring leader with 753 points, Taylor needs 11 points to pass Tammy Van Oppen for 28th place. Taylor also ranks as BU's active career leader in rebounds (327) and assists (143). She ranked second on the team in scoring as a junior with a 9.7 points per game average, while leading the team in assists. In addition, she ranked third on the team in rebounding at 4.8 boards per outing in 2009-10. She needs 247 points to become the 15th player in program history to score 1,000 career points. Taylor's 740 points to start the year were the most for a Bradley player entering their final season since Devyn Flanagan opened the 2007-08 season with 753 career points. Flanagan was the last BU player to top 1,000 points.
From Long Range
Sophomore Katie Yohn was one of the top outside scoring threats in the Missouri Valley Conference and her 57 three-pointers last year as a freshman is the second-best season total by a BU frosh in program history. Her 57 trey's in 2009-10 is the ninth-best season total in school history and ranks as the eighth-best total by a freshman in Missouri Valley Conference history.
Heating Up
Senior Raisa Taylor ended the 2009-10 season on a tear, averaging 16.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game over Bradley's last five games. She played a key role in Bradley's 69-59 win at Louisville in the opening round of the inaugural Women's Basketball Invitational, finishing with 21 points, 10 rebounds, six assists, three blocks and two steals. The 20-10-5 effort (points-rebounds-assists) was just the third 20-10-5 performance by a Bradley player since Tammy Van Oppen's triple-double on Dec. 31, 1996. Taylor enters the season as Bradley's active career leader in points, rebounds and assists.
Braves Picked Sixth In Preseason Valley Poll
For the second consecutive year Bradley was picked to finish sixth according to a vote of league coaches, sports information directors and media. Missouri State was the preseason favorite to win the regular-season league title after receiving 27 of 40 first-place votes. The Braves received 204 points in the poll and were 22 points behind fifth-place Wichita State. Bradley was 24 points ahead of seventh-place Drake in the preseason ranking. BU has finished higher than its predicted finish in each of the last four years and eight of the last 10 years overall under head coach Paula Buscher.
Up Next
The Braves return to Renaissance Coliseum Friday to face in-state foe Illinois at 7:05 p.m., before opening a four-game road swing. Illinois holds a 9-2 lead in the all-time series with Bradley after posting a 67-45 victory against BU last year at Assembly Hall. The Braves are 0-4 all-time in the series in home games. Friday's game will be the Illini's first trip to Peoria since Dec. 21, 2006. The two teams played five times during the 1980's, but did not play for a 13-year span before the series was renewed in 2002-03. Friday's game will be the seventh meeting since 2002-03 with Illinois owning a 4-2 record over the last six contests in the series.
