For Starters
Bradley (11-11 overall, 4-7 MVC) looks to back in the win column after suffering a 74-81 loss at Wichita State Sunday as the Braves close the regular-season with five of the last seven games at home beginning with a Thursday contest against Drake.
The Braves look to avenge a 64-68 loss to the Bulldogs earlier this season in Des Moines, Iowa, and can move into a tie with Drake in the Valley standings with a victory. Bradley is 6-2 in home games this season, including a 3-1 home mark in Missouri Valley Conference games.
Drake (11-11 overall, 5-6 MVC) has won back-to-back games after wrapping up a season-long, four-game homestand last week with a 67-50 win against Southern Illinois. Currently tied with Wichita State for sixth in the Valley standings, the Bulldogs are 4-4 in road games this season.
About Drake
Drake is one game ahead of Bradley in the standings, tied with Wichita State for sixth at 5-6 in league play. The Bulldogs ended a five-game losing streak with a 63-55 home win against Evansville last Thursday and followed it up with a 67-50 victory against Southern Illinois to give DU back-to-back wins.
The Bulldogs returned nine of 13 letterwinners, including three starters from last year's team which was 15-15 overall and finished seventh in the MVC with a 7-11 league mark.
Senior Kristin Turk is the top scorer in the Missouri Valley Conference at 20.2 points per game and is averaging 20.8 points per game against Valley teams. In addition to leading the team in free throws, assists (3.1 apg) and steals (3.0 spg), Turk is the top three-point threat on the team; shooting 35.4 percent from beyond the arc. Junior forward Rachael Hackbarth is team team's leading rebounder 7.4 boards per game to go along with a 12.6 points per game average. Freshman guard Angela Christianson is scoring 8.5 points per game, while two other players are averaging more than five points per game.
About The Braves
Bradley (11-11 overall, 4-7 MVC) picked up its first road win of the Valley season last week with a 73-68 upset of preseason conference favorite Missouri State, before suffering a 74-81 loss at Wichita State.
The Braves posted a 7-4 non-conference record, which is tied for the third most non-conference wins in program history and own a 5-1 record in their last six home games.
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 17 of her last 23 games.
Bradley's lone senior, Raisa Taylor is averaging 12.5 points per game and is shooting 47.6 percent from the field. Taylor has scored in double figures in 21 of her last 27 games dating back to last season and leads the team in assists (3.5 per game). She ranks 15th in school history with 1,015 career points and needs just four points to move into 14th on the all-time scoring chart.
Junior forward Latasha Hollingshed is among the top rebounders in the Valley at 7.2 boards per game to go along with her 8.5 points per outing. Junior MacKenzie Westcott is coming off back-to-back career-high scoring efforts and is averaging 9.8 points and 6.5 rebounds per game in Missouri Valley Conference play after a 24-point effort at Wichita State. Westcott is shooting 47 percent from three-point range in MVC play.
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 145-167 (.465) at BU. The 2008-09 Rawlings Missouri Valley Conference Coach of the Year, Buscher owns a 188-205 (.478) 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 145 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.
Amy Stephens (Nebraska '91) is in her eighth year as head coach at Drake and 16th season as a collegiate head coach. She has led the Bulldogs to a 129-110 (.540) record in her time in Des Moines, Iowa. Stephens owns a 326-153 (.681) career record, which includes eight seasons as head coach at Nebraska-Kearney.
Drake Series
Bradley returns home Thursday, Feb. 10 when the Braves host Drake in a 7:05 p.m. game at Renaissance Coliseum. The Bulldogs ended BU's three-game win streak in the series earlier this year with a 68-64 victory in Des Moines, Iowa. Drake holds a 44-14 lead in the all-time series, which includes an 18-9 advantage in games played in Peoria. The Braves are 5-4 in the last nine games in the series and boast a 3-1 record in the last four home games in the series.
Last Week
Bradley split a pair of road games, picking up its first Missouri Valley Conference road win of the season last Friday with a 73-68 win at preseason Missouri Valley Conference favorite Missouri State before wrapping a three-game Valley road swing with a 81-74 loss at Wichita State. Junior MacKenzie Westcott turned in career-best scoring efforts in each of the games and averaged 21.5 points per outing in the two contests.
Westcott With Big Weekend
Junior MacKenzie Westcott turned in arguably two of the best performances of her career over the weekend, scoring in double figures in back-to-back games of the first time since early in her freshman season. Westcott entered the week scoring 7.2 points per game in Valley play and had averaged 5.8 points over the last six games, but scored career highs in each of the two games last week. 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. She shot 55 percent from the field in the two games, including 4-of-6 from three-point range and made 17-of-21 (81 percent) of her free throw attempts.
Taylor Scores 1,000th Point
Senior guard Raisa Taylor scored the 1,000th point of her career Friday to help highlight Bradley's 73-68 victory at preseason Missouri Valley Conference favorite Missouri State. Taylor is the first Bradley player to reach the 1,000-point mark since Devyn Flanagan in March 2008 and ranks 15th in school history with 1,015 career points. She needs just four points to pass Carol Baresch for 14th on Bradley's career scoring list and is 18 points from moving up three spots on the scoring chart into 12th. At her current season average of 12.5 points per game, Taylor is on pace to head into the Valley tournament 11th on Bradley's scoring chart behind Eileen Yerkes (1,120 points).
Getting To The Line
Junior MacKenzie Westcott made a living at the free throw line over the weekend, combining to make 17-of-21 free throw attempts (81 percent) against Missouri State and Wichita State. The 17-for-21 effort equaled her season total for free throws made and attempted from the first nine games of Valley play. In addition, her 12 made free throws against Wichita State were the most by a BU player since Kelly Krumwiede made 12 free throws against Illinois-Chicago on Nov. 18, 2005 and is tied for the fourth best total in program history. Her 15 free throw attempts is tied for the seventh best single-game total at Bradley. BU's 29 made free throws at Wichita State were the most by the Braves since Feb. 3, 2000 and is tied for the 10th highest game total in program history.
Home Sweet Home
After opening Missouri Valley Conference play with seven of the first 11 league games away from home, Bradley will close out the 2010-11 Valley slate with five of the final seven games at home. The Braves are 6-2 at Renaissance Coliseum this season and boast a 27-7 (.794) home mark over the last three seasons. In fact, BU is 18-4 (.818) in home conference games since the start of the 2008-09 season.
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 7 p.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.
Super Bowl Sunday
Sunday's game at Wichita State marked the third consecutive year Bradley played on Super Bowl Sunday and was the sixth time overall the Braves have taken the court on the same day as the Super Bowl. In fact, BU has played on Super Bowl Sunday five times during head coach Paula Buscher's 11-year tenure and is 2-3 in those contests. Bradley is 3-3 all-time in games played on the same day as the Super Bowl after Sunday's 74-81 loss at Wichita State and the Braves are 2-2 in road games on Super Bowl Sunday.
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 have fared better in the second half of conference play in four of the last five years overall. In fact 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. Bradley is 35-64 (.354) under Buscher in the first half of Valley play, compared to a 46-46 (.500) mark in the second half.
Enjoying JQH
Bradley is 2-1 in its first three games at Missouri State's JQH Arena, and while the team has had success; senior Raisa Taylor has also enjoyed playing at the new home of the Lady Bears. Taylor has scored in double figures in each of her three games in the facility and averaged 14.0 points per game in those contests. In fact BU's lone senior is shot 64 percent (14-for-26) in three games at JQH and averaged 3.3 assists, 2.0 blocks and 1.7 steals per game at Missouri State.
Controlling The Boards
Bradley has outrebounded seven consecutive opponents after posting a 34-29 edge on the glass Sunday at Wichita State. In fact, BU has only been outrebounded twice this season and the Braves have matched or outrebounded their opponent in 68 of the last 84 games. Bradley is 44-24 (.647) during that stretch when controlling the glass, compared to a 5-11 (.313) record when the opponent has an edge on the glass. The Braves lead the Missouri Valley Conference in rebounding margin at +5.8 per contest.
From Downtown
Sophomore Katie Yohn enters Thursday's game against Drake with 101 career three-pointers and is the 12th player in program history to connect on 100 three-pointers as a Brave.
Yohn is the only player in school history with 100 or more career three-pointers before the start of their junior season and she needs three more trey's to pass former teammate Renee Frericks for 10th on Bradley's career three-point list. She is averaging 2.2 three-pointers per game and with a minimum of eight games remaining this season, Yohn is on pace to finish the year with 119 three-pointers which would rank fifth in school history.
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, overtaking former Illinois State Robin Pingeton for 10th on the career chart. Buscher has 145 career victories as head coach of the Braves and her 81 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.
Sophomore Bomber
Sophomore guard Katie Yohn heads into Thursday's game against Drake averaging 2.2 three-point baskets per game this season and has hit a team-leading 44 triples. Yohn's 44 three-pointers is the most by a Bradley sophomore and she is three trey's from cracking Bradley's career top 10 in three-point makes.
Leading The Way
Senior Raisa Taylor has led Bradley in scoring most of the season and currently ranks second on the squad with a 12.5 points-per-game average. The lone senior on the roster, leads the team in assists (3.5 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 12th player in program history to score 500 career points before the start of their junior season. With a minimum of eight games remaining on the schedule, she is on pace to finish the season with 691 career points which would rank as the fourth-best career total by a BU player entering their junior season. Of the 11 previous players who have scored 500 or more points by the end of their sophomore season, all but one has gone on to finish with 1,000 career points or more; including each of the top nine scorers in program history.
Getting To The Line Is Key
Senior guard Raisa Taylor leads the Missouri Valley Conference in free throw attempts with 130 and her 94 makes from the charity stripe this season is more than all but eight players in the Valley have attempted through games of Feb. 8. Taylor is averaging 4.3 made free throws and a career-best 5.9 attempts per game. Bradley is 12-16 in her career when Taylor has two or less free throw attempts per game, but is 42-24 (.636) when she goes to the line four or more times. In fact, BU owns a 16-8 (.667) record in the last 24 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 252-181 (.582) all-time record in home games, which includes an 85-54 (.612) home mark under head coach Paula Buscher. The Braves are 36-12 (.750) at home since the start of the 2007-08 season and
On The Rebound
The Braves have led the Missouri Valley Conference in rebounding each of the last two seasons and BU has apparently picked up where it left off in 2009-10. Bradley is third in the Valley in rebounds per game (40.6 per game), but the Braves rank second in the league in rebounding defense (34.8 per game) and pace the conference in rebounding margin, owning an average margin of +5.8 on the glass this 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 10th in school history in games played, having appeared in 110 contests. With at least eight games remaining on the slate, Taylor should rank third in school history in games played heading into the MVC Tournament, needing only six games to overtake Jen Brown for the #3 spot. Bradley would have to advance to the MVC Tournament semifinals to tie Kelly Krumwiede and Ashley Chelleen for the all-time mark of 119 games played.
Stepping Up
Junior MacKenzie Westcott has played a much bigger role this season, starting 21 of 22 games this season and already has season career-highs for points, rebounds, assists, blocks and steals heading into Thursday's game against Drake. She is fourth on the team in scoring (8.4 ppg), second in rebounding (6.4 rpg), third in assists (2.5 apg) and leads the squad in both blocks (1.1 bpg) and steals (1.5 spg).
MVC Openers
Bradley opened Missouri Valley Conference play on the road for the fifth consecutive year and kicked off league action away from home for the ninth time in the last 11 seasons overall. The Braves are 9-19 (.321) all-time in Valley openers, including a 4-13 (.235) mark when opening league play on the road. Bradley has played Illinois State in its conference opener a total of five times and is now 1-4 in those contests.
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 312 career games coached behind fifth-place DiCecco (344 games). Creighton head coach Jim Flannery is second among active Valley coaches with 277 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.
Cleaning The Glass
Junior Latasha Hollingshed snagged a career-high 20 rebounds in Bradley's overtime win at Wisconsin-Milwaukee (Dec. 1), marking the most boards by a Bradley player since Carrie Coffman had 22 at Wichita State on Feb. 9, 1995. Hollingshed's 20 rebounds is tied for the fifth-best total in program history and her nine offensive boards against the Panthers is tied for the eighth-best single game effort in school history. Hollingshed who averaged just 9.0 minutes and 2.2 rebounds per game last year, is averaging 8.5 points and 7.2 rebounds per game.
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 16-4 (.800) in their last 20 games in which the final margin was 10 points or fewer after splitting a pair of tightly contested games last week. BU is 18-7 (.720) in games decided by 10 points or less since the start of the 2009-10 season and 27-8 (.771) 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.
Closing In On Career Mark
Senior Raisa Taylor became just the fifth player in program history to make 300 career free throws and is third in school history with 304 career makes from the charity stripe. Taylor has a chance to break the Bradley career mark for made free throws. Currently owning a season-average of 4.27 made free throws per game, Taylor is on pace to surpass Shelli Braud's career record of 328 free throws during Bradley's home game against I-74 rival Illinois State. In addition to joining BU's 1,000-point club, Taylor moved into a tie with Karin Nicholls for ninth in school history in blocked shots (53) and is tied for 10th in program history in games played (110).
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 27-7 (.794) in "home" games since leaving Robertson Memorial Field House and own a 36-12 (.750) record in home contests since the start of the 2007-08 season.
Road Warriors
Bradley has played a Missouri Valley Conference leading 12 road games to date and the Braves have played 14 of 22 games away from home this season. The Braves are a combined 18-24 in true road games since the start of the 2009-10 season and Bradley's 14 combined road victories between the 2008-09 and 2009-10 seasons are the most road wins in back-to-back seasons in program history.
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 during the 2008-09 and 2009-10 seasons are the most in back-to-back seasons in school history and the Braves are 27-20 (.574) in league play over the last two-plus seasons. The 27-20 record is the fourth best mark in The Valley since the start of the 2008-09 season, behind only Illinois State (38-8), Creighton (36-11) and Northern Iowa (29-18).
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 61-53 (.535) overall record and 33-32 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 49-35 (.583) overall record and 27-20 (.574) league mark.
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 145 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 closes out a two-game homestand Saturday with a 2:05 p.m. game against Creighton. Creighton holds a 33-8 lead in the all-time series with Bradley after topping the Braves 73-58 last month in Omaha. The Bluejays win ended a three-game BU win streak in the series. Bradley has won each of the last three home games in the series, but owns a 4-17 home record against Creighton. The Braves are 4-2 in the last six games against CU and 5-5 in the last 10 meetings between the two teams.
