PEORIA, Ill. -- The Bradley women's basketball team will be looking for its third consecutive win Saturday when the Braves welcome Big South Conference member Winthrop to Renaissance Coliseum for a 7 p.m. game.
The Braves (4-3 overall) enter the contest after topping Northern Illinois 67-58 Wednesday and own a 10-1 record over their last 11 non-conference games played in the month of December. Bradley topped Winthrop (3-3 overall) 71-61 last year in Rock Hill, S.C., in the only previous meeting between the two teams.
Fans can receive free admission to Saturday's game with a ticket stub from the afternoon men's basketball game between Bradley and third-ranked Michigan (3 p.m.). In addition, representatives will be accepting donations for the annual Toys for Tots drive, with individuals receiving free admission to Saturday night's game with the donation of a new, unwrapped toy for children 11 years of age or younger.
BradleyBraves.com will provide links to live stats along with a subscription video stream and free audio stream. Live stats are also available on your mobile device at Bravesmobile.com. The WIRL 1290 AM pre-game show is scheduled to start at 6:40 p.m. with Ed Hammond and Joe Stowell providing the call.
Sophomore guard Shronda Butts (Des Moines, Iowa/East) has started four consecutive games for Bradley after coming off the bench in each of the first three games of the season. She is averaging 13.0 points per game in her four starts and has scored 18.5 points per game over the last two contests. The Braves are 3-0 this season when Butts attempts five or more free throws and 8-3 over the last two seasons when she makes five or more trips to the line.
For the fourth time in the last five games, freshman Jenny Smith (Pewaukee, Wis./Arrowhead) came off the bench to score in double figures with a 12-point effort in Wednesday's victory. Bradley has had a reserve score 10 or more points in five consecutive games, marking the longest streak for the Braves since having 13 consecutive outings with a reserve topping 10 points during the 2008-09 season.
Senior Katie Yohn (Elgin, Ill./St. Edward) scored a team-high 24 points to lead the Braves in last year's win at Winthrop, hitting 6-of-7 three-point attempts. Bradley's top scorer and rebounder this season at 13.3 points and 8.3 boards per game, junior Catie O'Leary (Janesville, Wis./Parker/Wisconsin) hit three trey's of her own against the Eagles last year and added 13 points in the victory.
O'Leary has been hot from three-point range of late, knocking down 5-of-8 three-point attempts over the last three games and is shooting 50 percent (10-for-20) from beyond the arc this season. In addition to her work from long range, O'Leary has made a habit of getting to the free throw line - ranking second in the MVC through games of Nov. 28 with 6.14 free throw attempts per game.
Bradley will play its final game before finals Tuesday, Dec. 4 at Wisconsin-Milwaukee (7 p.m.) and will play two of the final three non-conference games of the year on the road.
