PEORIA, Ill. - Bradley looks to rebound from its first loss of the 2010-11 season Friday when the Braves host Illinois at 7:05 p.m. at Renaissance Coliseum. The game is the Braves third consecutive game against a team which advanced to the postseason last year.
The Braves (1-1 overall) suffered a loss in the team's first road game of the season Tuesday at #22 Iowa and will play its second consecutive game against a Big Ten Conference Friday against the Illini. Bradley has not played two Big Ten teams in the same season since 2004-05 and is facing back-to-back Big Ten squads for the first time since 1989-90.
Bradley is 2-9 in the all-time series with the last victory at the United Center in Chicago in 2008-09. The Illini are making the trip to Peoria for the first time since Dec. 2006 and Illinois is 4-0 all-time in games played in Peoria.
The Braves have had success at home against in-state non-conference opponents, winning seven consecutive home contests against non-conference teams from the Land of Lincoln, since the Illini's last trip to Peoria. Bradley is 16-5 at home against in-state non-conference foes under 11th-year head coach Paula Buscher.
Illinois (0-2 overall) is in search of its first victory of the season after a 69-62 home loss to defending Missouri Valley Conference regular-season champion Illinois State at Assembly Hall in the season opener and a 61-48 setback at South Carolina Monday in the team's first road game of the year.
Senior Raisa Taylor (Decatur, Ill./Eisenhower) is averaging 15.5 points per game and moved into 28th on Bradley's career scoring list with an 18-point effort at Iowa. Sophomore guard Katie Yohn (Elgin, Ill./St. Edward) is adding 13.0 points per outing to help lead the Braves.
The Braves will open a season-long four-game road swing following Friday's game against Illinois and will play eight of next 10 games away from home.
Live stats for Friday's game will be available at www.BradleyBraves.com and video (subscription) and audio (free) streams will also be available.
Season tickets for the 2010-11 women's basketball campaign are $75 for the general public and $30 for Bradley faculty and staff at the Renaissance Coliseum ticket office (1601 W. Main Street). Individual tickets are $8 for adults and $4 for children (K-12) and Bradley faculty and staff. For more information please call (309) 677-2625. Free parking is available for all Bradley women's basketball home games at the Main Street Parking Deck located just west of Renaissance Coliseum at the corners of Main Street & Maplewood.
