For Starters
Bradley (13-13 overall, 6-9 MVC) has won back-to-back games and is 5-4 in its last nine heading into a season-long three-game homestand to conclude the 2010-11 regular-season. BU opens the homestand against league-leading Northern Iowa Friday at 5:35 p.m.
The Braves are looking to end a two-game home losing skid and enter the game a half-game out of a tie for sixth in the Valley standings.
Northern Iowa (21-5 overall, 14-1) is the hottest team in the Missouri Valley Conference, bringing a 13-game win streak into Friday's contest. The Panthers are atop the Valley standings with a 14-1 record and can wrap up at least a share of the regular-season conference championship with one win in their last three games.
Must See TV
The game against the Panthers was originally scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 27, but was moved to Friday afternoon and will be televised live on Fox Sports Midwest, Fox Sports Kansas City and Fox College Sports. Comcast SportsNet Chicago will air the contest Saturday at 2 a.m. on tape-delay.
Friday's game will be the second this season for the Braves as part of the Valley's television package. Scott Warmann and Laura Leonard will call the action from Renaissance Coliseum.
About Northern Iowa
Northern Iowa (21-5 overall, 14-1 MVC) has a school record 21 wins and 14 Missouri Valley Conference victories heading into the final three games of the regular season. After an 8-5 start to the season and 1-1 opening to league play the Panthers have won 13 consecutive games and are the top defensive unit in the MVC, limiting opponents to 55.3 points per outing.
The Panthers returned 10 of 15 letterwinners, including three starters from last year's team with finished with a 17-16 overall record and was fifth in the MVC at 10-8. UNI advanced to the NCAA Tournament last year and is looking for the first back-to-back postseason appearances in program history.
Junior guard Jacqui Kalin is UNI's leading scorer, averaging 15.3 points per game and paces the team in assists at 3.0 per outing. Senior center Lizzie Boeck pulls down a team-leading 7.8 rebounds per game and is adding 13.7 points per tilt. Junior guard Katelin Oney is one of the top outside scoring threats in the Valley, shooting a league-best 43.6 percent from three-point range and averages two three-pointers per game. The Panthers have seven players averaging 5.1 points per game or more and five individuals averaging 1.8 assists or more per outing.
About The Braves
Bradley (13-13 overall, 6-9 MVC) is 5-4 in its last nine games, including a 3-3 record in the second half of conference play, after a 1-5 start to the conference slate.
The Braves posted a 7-4 non-conference record, which is tied for the third most non-conference wins in program history and closes out the regular season with a season-long, three-game homestand where BU is 6-4 this season.
BU returned nine of 12 letterwinners, including three starters from last year's team which tied the school records for conference wins (12-6) and best league finish (tied for third) 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 returned to the court Nov. 26 after missing two games due to a concussion and earned all-tournament honors at the Cancun Thanksgiving Classic.
Bradley's leading scorer as a freshman in 2009-10 with a 10.2 points per game average, Yohn is scoring a team-best 13.4 points per outing this season and has reached double figures in 21 of her last 27 games.
Bradley's lone senior, Raisa Taylor is averaging 12.4 points per game and is shooting 47.4 percent from the field. Taylor has scored in double figures in 24 of her last 31 games dating back to last season and leads the team in assists (3.4 per game). She ranks 11th in school history with 1,063 career points and needs 58 points to move into 10th on the all-time scoring chart.
Junior forward MacKenzie Westcott has heated up as of late, scoring 8.9 points and pulling down 6.1 rebounds per outing in Missouri Valley Conference play. Westcott has scored in double figures in three of the last six games and is averaging 11.5 points and 6.2 rebounds during that stretch.
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 147-169 (.465) at BU. The 2008-09 Rawlings Missouri Valley Conference Coach of the Year, Buscher owns a 190-207 (.479) 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 147 victories at BU and is 10th all-time in Missouri Valley Conference history in victories (overall) and Missouri Valley Conference games. During the 2008-09 and 2009-10 seasons, she led BU 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.
Tanya Warren (Creighton '88) is in her fourth season as head coach at Northern Iowa and has led the Panthers to a 62-58 (.517) record in that time. No stranger to the Missouri Valley Conference, Warren was an assistant coach at UNI for six seasons from 1995-2001. She returned to her alma mater in 2004 as associate head coach, after a three-year stint as recruiting coordinator at Missouri and later returned to Northern Iowa as head coach starting with the 2007-08 season. The 21 wins and 14 conference victories this season are both school records.
Northern Iowa Series
Bradley welcomes league-leading Northern Iowa to Renaissance Coliseum Friday, Feb. 25 for a 5:35 p.m. game which will be televised as part of the Valley's television package. The game was originally scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 27, but moved to Friday for television. The Braves hold a 33-24 lead in the all-time series with the Panthers, but UNI has won three consecutive games against BU after posting a 58-34 win in Cedar Falls, Iowa, earlier this season. Bradley has won three consecutive home games in the series and owns a 21-6 advantage in home games in the series.
Last Week
Bradley closed out the road portion of the 2010-11 schedule, picking up wins at Evansville (66-59) and Southern Illinois (76-60) to even its overall record at 13-13. Senior guard Raisa Taylor averaged 17.0 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists in the two victories as she moved up three spots into 11th on Bradley's career scoring list with a pair of 17-point scoring efforts. The victories moved the Braves within a half game of a tie for sixth place in the Valley standings. BU closes out the regular-season with three consecutive home games beginning Friday with a 5:35 p.m. game against league-leading Northern Iowa at Renaissance Coliseum.
Taylor Breaks Career Mark
Senior guard Raisa Taylor tied a Bradley single game record she already shared with Tammy Van Oppen and Val Wancket for free throw attempts with 17 trips to the line Saturday at Southern Illinois. Taylor, whose 13 free throws against SIU is tied for the third best total in program history, broke the Bradley career free throw attempts record and is 23rd in MVC history with 487 career free throw attempts. Karin Nicholls held the previous BU career record of 480 career free throw attempts. With at least four games remaining, Taylor needs just five made free throws to break Shelli Braud's school record of 328 made free throws. She needs 12 assists to join Van Oppen as the only players in program history with 300 points, 100 made free throws, 150 rebounds, 100 assists and 30 steals in a season.
From Downtown
Sophomore Katie Yohn enters Friday's game against Northern Iowa eighth in career three-pointers at Bradley with 109 career trey's. Yohn's 52 triples this season are a school sophomore record and she is the first player in program history with 100 career three-pointers before the start of their junior season. She needs four more three-pointers to move into fifth place all-time at Bradley.
More On Free Throws
Raisa Taylor ranks second in the Missouri Valley Conference in free throw attempts with 160 shots from the charity stripe this season and is averaging a career-best 6.2 free throw attempts per game. Her 114 makes from the line this season is the sixth best season total in program history and are the most by a Bradley player since Tammy Van Oppen made 127 free throws in 1996-97. Taylor's 160 attempts are the fifth most in program history.
Home, Sweet Home
Bradley is the only Missouri Valley Conference team to have finished out its 2010-11 road schedule and the Braves close out the regular-season with a season-long three-game homestand beginning Friday against league-leading Northern Iowa. BU needs one home victory to lock up its fourth consecutive season with a winning record at home. Bradley has not had four straight seasons with a winning record at home since going eight straight years from 1984-85 through the 1991-92 season with winning home records. BU has won nine or more home games each of the previous three years and the Braves are 36-14 (.720) at home since the start of the 2007-08 season, including a 23-10 (.697) home record in Missouri Valley Conference play during that time.
Road Warriors
Bradley has played a Missouri Valley Conference leading 14 road games to date and the Braves have played 16 of 26 games away from home this season. BU is the only team in the Missouri Valley Conference with six or more road wins in each of the last three years and are a combined 20-24 (.455) in true road games since the start of the 2008-09 season. Bradley's 20 road wins in that span is tied with Creighton for second in the Valley behind Illinois State's 27 road victories and BU's .455 road winning percentage is third in the league during that span.
Winning Ways
Senior Raisa Taylor will finish out her Bradley career as one of the winningest players in program history. Last week's victories at Southern Illinois and Evansville pushed the Braves' win total to 63 over the last four years, marking the most victories in a four-year period for BU since the 1982-83 squad finished off a four-year run with 72 wins. If the Braves can win two of their final three regular-season games, Bradley will close out the first four-year stretch with a winning conference record since the 1992-93 senior class posted a 36-34 record in league play. Bradley's current junior class has helped the Braves to a 51-37 (.580) overall record and 29-22 (.569) league mark.
High Scoring Duo
Senior Raisa Taylor and sophomore Katie Yohn have carried the bulk of the scoring load for the Braves this season, combining for nearly 40 percent of the team's points. The duo has combined for 645 points on the year and Bradley has two players with more than 300 points in the same season since 2006-07. In fact, BU has not had two players average in double figures in scoring since that 2006-07 season and a pair of Braves have not scored 12.0 points per game or more in the same season since 2004-05 when Dena Williams (13.3 ppg) and Genny Mueller (12.8 ppg) paced the team in scoring.
Leading The D
Junior MacKenzie Westcott has already matched her career scoring output from her first two seasons, but her effort on defensive end may put her in rare company in program history. Westcott currently leads the team with 29 blocked shots and is third on the team in steals with 39. Currently two steals behind team leader Katie Yohn (41 steals), Westcott could join Bradley Hall of Fame members Shelli Braud and Heather Best as the only players in program history to lead the team in blocks and steals in the same season. In addition, she needs one block and one steal to join Dena Williams, Best and Eileen Yerkes as the only players in program history with 150 rebounds, 30 blocks and 40 steals in a season.
Series Marks
Senior Raisa Taylor finished out her career against Southern Illinois with a 13.9 points-per-game average against the Salukis. Taylor, who averaged 15.3 points in four career games at SIU Arena, scored 125 points in nine career outings against Southern Illinois. The 125 points is 10 more than any other Bradley player in the series history with SIU and Taylor's 43 made free throws against the Salukis is also the most in series history by a Brave.
Pink Zone Game
Bradley's last home game against Creighton (2/12) marked the eighth annual Pink Zone Game sponsored by Bradley with proceeds from the contest benefitting the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation. Bradley raised nearly $2,500 for the Komen Foundation during this year's event and nearly $55,000 over the eight years of the function. Head coach Paula Buscher donated $25 per BU three-pointer in each of the previous seven Pink Zone games. The Braves have made 53-of-135 (39.3 percent) three-point attempts in Pink Zone games and averaged 6.6 trey's per Pink Zone contest. BU is 6-2 in Pink Zone games all-time.
UNI Home Game Moved To Feb. 25
Bradley was originally scheduled to host league-leading Northern Iowa on Sunday, Feb. 27, but the game was moved to Friday, Feb. 25 and will be televised as part of the Missouri Valley Conference television package. The Braves and Panthers will tip things off at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 25 at Renaissance Coliseum. The game will appear live on Fox Sports Midwest, Sports Kansas City, Fox College Sports and Comcast SportsNet Plus. It will also be shown on tape-delay at 2 a.m. on Comcast SportsNet Chicago. The Braves will have two regular-season appearances as part of the Valley regional television package for the first time since the 2002-03 season.
Heating Up
Junior MacKenzie Westcott scored in double figures in three consecutive games for the first time in her career after a 10-point effort against Drake (Feb. 10 and has had 10 or more points in three of the last six games. Westcott finished the first half of conference play scoring 7.2 points per game in Valley play and had averaged 5.8 points over the last six games, but is averaging 11.5 points per game in the second half of the league schedule. She tossed in a then career-best 19 points on 6-of-8 shooting and also had 10 rebounds and three steals to help Bradley end Missouri State's eight-game home win streak. Westcott followed it up with a career-high 24 points against Wichita State, scoring 17 points in the second half to help fuel a BU rally attempt. Over her last six games, she is averaging 11.5 points and 6.2 rebounds, while shooting 45 percent from the field.
Taylor Moves Into 11th On Scoring List
Senior guard Raisa Taylor moved up three spots on Bradley's career scoring list last week with a pair of 17-point efforts and is now 11th all-time in scoring at BU with 1,063 career points. She passed Dena Williams (1,030 points), Devyn Flanagan (1,032 points) and Val Wancket (1,048) in last week's games. Taylor is 57 points behind Eileen Yerkes (1,120 points) for 10th on the all-time scoring chart and at her current season average of 12.4 points per game is on pace to finish the regular season with 1,100 points scored.
Second Half Team
The Braves have posted a 6-3 record in the second half of league play in each of the last two years and BU has already matched its win total from the first half of league play with a 3-3 record. With one more win, Bradley can post a better record in the second half of conference play for the fifth time in the last six seasons. During head coach Paula Buscher's previous 10 seasons at BU, the Braves have been better the second time through the league in seven of the 10 years and matched the first-half record in two other seasons. Bradley is 35-64 (.354) under Buscher in the first half of Valley play, compared to a 48-48 (.500) mark in the second half.
Controlling The Boards
Bradley leads the Missouri Valley Conference in rebounding margin at +5.65 boards per game and the Braves have been outrebounded just four times in 2010-11. In fact, BU has matched or outrebounded their opponent in 70 of the last 88 games. Bradley is 45-25 (.643) during that stretch when controlling the glass, compared to a 6-12 (.333) record when the opponent has an edge on the glass.
Buscher Cracks Valley Top 10
Bradley head coach Paula Buscher moved into sole possession of 10th on the Missouri Valley Conference career wins list with BU's victory at Missouri State (Feb. 4), overtaking former Illinois State Robin Pingeton for 10th on the career chart. Buscher has 147 career victories as head coach of the Braves and her 83 career Missouri Valley Conference wins is also 10th on the Valley's career list. Buscher also passed Pingeton for 10th place in MVC victories with the win against the Lady Bears.
Leading The Way
Senior Raisa Taylor has been one of the team's top scorers all season and currently ranks second on the squad with a 12.4 points-per-game average. The lone senior on the roster, leads the team in assists (3.4 apg) and is looking to become the first player since Jenn Jolley in 1999-2000 to lead the team in both categories. Only five players have led the team in scoring and assists in the same season. Three of those players went on to earn First-Team All-Missouri Valley Conference honors in the years they led the squad in both categories - Tammy Van Oppen (1996-97), Val Wancket (1990-91) and Judy Burns (1982-83). In addition, Karin Nicholls went on to earn honorable mention all-conference recognition during the 1989-90 season after pacing the team in both categories.
High Scoring Sophomore
Sophomore guard Katie Yohn is scoring a team-leading 13.4 points per game this season and is looking to become the first player to lead the team in scoring in back-to-back years since Sara Bailey led the squad each of her final three seasons (2000-01, 2001-02 & 2002-03). The first freshman to pace the team in scoring since Connie Griffith in 1977-78, Yohn is the eighth player in program history to score 600 career points before the start of their junior season. With a minimum of four games remaining on the schedule, she is on pace to finish the season with 693 career points which would rank as the fourth-best career total by a BU player entering their junior season. Each of the seven previous players who have scored 600 or more points by the end of their sophomore season currently rank in the top seven in career scoring at BU. Yohn's 322 points is the ninth highest scoring total by a Bradley sophomore and most by a BU sophomore since Sara Bailey scored 521 in 2000-01. Yohn's 317 points as a freshman was the fifth best scoring total by a BU frosh.
Getting To The Stripe Is Key
Senior guard Raisa Taylor ranks second in the Missouri Valley Conference in free throw attempts with 160 and her 114 makes from the charity stripe this season is more than all but eight players in the Valley have attempted through games of Feb. 19. Taylor is averaging 4.4 made free throws and a career-best 6.2 attempts per game. Bradley is 12-16 in her career when Taylor has two or less free throw attempts per game, but is 44-26 (.629) when she goes to the line four or more times. In fact, BU owns an 18-10 (.643) record in the last 28 games in which Taylor has attempted four or more free throws.
Braves Get Home Win #250
Bradley's win against Wichita State in the Missouri Valley Conference home opener was the 250th home victory in program history. The Braves own a 252-183 (.579) all-time record in home games, which includes an 85-56 (.603) home mark under head coach Paula Buscher. The Braves are 36-14 (.720) at home since the start of the 2007-08 season.
Game On
Bradley's MVC opener at I-74 rival Illinois State on Dec. 30 was senior Raisa Taylor's 100th game in a Bradley uniform. She is the 28th player in program history to reach 100 games played and is currently tied for fourth in school history in games played, having appeared in 114 contests. With at least four games remaining on the slate, Taylor should rank third in school history in games played heading into the MVC Tournament, needing only two games to pass Jen Brown (115 games played) for the #3 spot. Bradley would have to play at least two games in the upcoming State Farm Missouri Valley Conference for Taylor to have a chance tie Kelly Krumwiede and Ashley Chelleen for the all-time mark of 119 games played.
Non-Conference Success
Bradley finished the non-conference portion of the schedule with a 7-4 record, marking the second time in the last three years the Braves posted a winning record in non-league action. BU finished the 2008-09 season tying a school record with nine wins (9-2 overall). This year's seven non-conference victories is tied for the third best win total in school history. Bradley has finished with a winning record each of the three previous times the Braves won seven or more non-conference contests.
Game No. 300 And Counting
Bradley's game against Northern Illinois (Dec. 18) was BU head coach Paula Buscher's 300th game on the BU bench. Only five other coaches in the history of the Missouri Valley Conference have been on their team's respective bench for 300 games or more and the last coach to reach the 300-game mark was Northern Iowa's Tony DiCecco during the 2005-06 season. Buscher is sixth in Valley history with 316 career games coached behind fifth-place DiCecco (344 games). Creighton head coach Jim Flannery is second among active Valley coaches with 281 games as head coach of the Bluejays.
On The Mark
Bradley shot a blistering 61.7 percent from the field against Saint Louis (Dec. 4) to down the Billikens 81-64. SLU entered the game giving up just 56 points per game, but Bradley raced out to a 45-35 halftime lead after shooting 69.6 percent in the opening half and finished the game with the third-best field goal percentage in program history. The 61.7 percent shooting is the best by a Bradley squad since shooting 64.9 percent (37-for-57) at Western Illinois on Feb. 22, 1986.
Overtime Wins
Bradley improved to 19-17 all-time in overtime games with the 72-70 overtime victory at Wisconsin-Milwaukee on Dec. 1. The Braves own an 8-5 record in overtime road contests and BU is now 7-4 in overtime contests under head coach Paula Buscher. Bradley has won three of its last four overtime road tilts and is 5-0 in overtime contests against non-conference opponents during Buscher's coaching tenure.
Winning The Close Ones
Bradley's 74-65 loss at Illinois-Chicago (Dec. 21) ended a five-game win streak for the Braves in games decided by 10 points or less and the Braves now stand at 17-5 (.773) in their last 22 games in which the final margin was 10 points or fewer after a seven-point win at Evansville last week. BU is 19-8 (.703) in games decided by 10 points or less since the start of the 2009-10 season and 28-9 (.757) in those contests since the beginning of the 2008-09 campaign.
Happy Homecoming
Freshman Kelly Frings had a happy homecoming as the Milwaukee, Wis., native helped Bradley pull out a 72-70 overtime victory at Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Frings scored seven of her season-high 10 points after halftime to help the Braves to the victory. With BU trailing by four and less than 90 seconds left in the overtime, she had a basket with 1:13 to play and made a pair of free throws with 51.7 seconds remaining to tie the game at 70-70.
Yohn Named To All-Tournament Team
Sophomore guard Katie Yohn made her return to the court in the opening game of the Cancun Thanksgiving Classic against William & Mary after missing the previous two games due to a concussion. Yohn went on to earn all-tournament honors at the event, averaging 12.5 points, 2.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.0 block and 3.5 steals per game. She came off the bench in both contests, collecting 11 points and trying a career-high with five steals against William & Mary, before capping the week with team highs of 14 points, three assists, two blocks and two steals against Arizona.
International Trip
Bradley's trip to Cancun, Mexico, for the Cancun Thanksgiving Classic marked the third international trip in program history for Bradley. The Braves last trip out of the country was in the summer of 2004 when BU made an exhibition tour through Western Europe. The only regular-season trip out of the United States was in 1989-90 when BU opened the season with three games in the Aruba Sunshine Classic. The Braves are 4-6 in games played outside the United States after going 0-3 on the trip to Aruba and 3-2 during the European exhibition tour.
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 on Nov. 13. 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, picking up 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.
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.
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 returned to campus for the 2010-11 season. The Braves opened the new $50-million, 4,200-seat Renaissance Coliseum Nov. 13 against WNIT participant Butler with a 77-63 victory. The facility 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. The Braves are 27-9 (.750) in "home" games since leaving Robertson Memorial Field House and own a 36-14 (.720) record in home contests since the start of the 2007-08 season.
Braves Among The Tops In The Valley
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 during the 2008-09 and 2009-10 seasons are the most in back-to-back seasons in school history and the Braves are 29-22 (.569) in league play over the last two-plus seasons. The 29-22 record is the fourth best mark in The Valley since the start of the 2008-09 season, behind only Illinois State (40-10), Creighton (39-12) and Northern Iowa (31-18).
Buscher Breaks BU Win Mark
Head coach Paula Buscher is in her 11th year on The Hilltop and is 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 and also broke Boyer's hold as the longest tenured coach in program history this season, with her 11th on the bench in Peoria. Buscher is tied for 10th in Missouri Valley Conference history with 147 wins.
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
Bradley continues a season-long, three-game homestand Thursday, March 3, welcoming I-74 rival Illinois State to Renaissance Coliseum for a 7:05 p.m. game. The Redbirds topped the Braves 83-69 in the Missouri Valley Conference opener for both teams in December and have won 11 consecutive games in the series. Bradley trails the all-time series with ISU 23-45, which includes a 10-23 record in home games against the Redbirds. Illinois State has won each of the last four games played in Peoria in the series.
