PEORIA, Ill. -- For the sixth time in the last seven years, the Bradley women's basketball team will open the Missouri Valley Conference schedule on the road; facing Indiana State Friday at 6 p.m. (CST) in Terre Haute, Ind., in the league opener for both teams.
Friday's game will feature two teams with very different styles. Bradley (6-5 overall) is the top scoring team in the MVC, averaging a league-best 75.2 points per game. The Braves have scored 81.2 points per game in six road games this season, which includes a 96.0 points-per-game average in the last three road contests.
Indiana State (8-3 overall) tied for the best non-conference record in the MVC this season and is undefeated at home this year (6-0). The Sycamores score just 58.5 points per game, but are arguably the strongest defensive team in the league. Opponents have averaged just 49.6 points per game against Indiana State this year and the Sycamores have held foes to just 40.3 points per game at the Hulman Center this season.
Bradley All-Access subscribers will be able to view Friday's game via BradleyBraves.com and the Bradley Athletics website will also have links to a free audio stream and live stats. WIRL 1290 AM will carry the game locally with the pre-game show scheduled to start at 5:40 p.m. (CST).
Both teams wrapped up the non-conference schedules with road losses to in-state foes prior to Christmas. Bradley concluded the non-league slate with a 92-81 loss at Western Illinois on Dec. 21 and has played just two games since opening the season with nine games in a 26-day span. Indiana State finished the non-conference schedule Dec. 22 with a 45-56 loss at Butler.
The Braves are looking to snap a three-game losing streak in Valley openers and will also be trying for their first win in Terre Haute, Ind., since a 70-53 victory at Indiana State on Jan. 26, 1997. The Sycamores have won 15 consecutive home games against Bradley and the home team has won the last 11 regular-season meetings overall.
Bradley averages a league-best 24.0 free throw attempts per game and ranked fifth in the nation in free throw percentage (.799) through games of Dec. 30. The Braves have averaged 28.0 free throw attempts per game in road contests this year.
BU is one of two Valley teams to have four players scoring 10 or more points per game and is the only squad to have five individuals rank in the top 30 in the MVC in scoring. In fact, Bradley's top five scorers are combining for 56.2 points per game, which ranks ahead of two Valley squads - Wichita State (55.7 ppg) and Evansville (54.4 ppg).
A starter in the last eight games, sophomore guard Shronda Butts (Des Moines, Iowa/East) has averaged 19.0 points and 4.5 assists per game over the last six outings. She leads the team is scoring (13.6 ppg) and assists (3.8 apg) this season in addition to ranking fifth in the MVC in free throw attempts per game (5.3).
Junior Catie O'Leary (Janesville, Wis./Parker/Wisconsin) has scored 13.2 points per game and is Bradley's top rebounder at 7.9 boards per game. O'Leary's 65 made free throws are more than all but two players in the Valley have attempted this season and she has scored 45 percent of her points from the charity stripe this year.
Sophomore Kelsey Budd (Prairie du Sac, Wis./Sauk Prairie) is coming off a season-high 24 point and career-best six steal effort against Western Illinois. Budd, who scored 20 of her game-high 24 points in the first half, was the first Bradley player with 20 points and six or more steals on the road since Tammy Van Oppen had 31 points and six steals in a win at Arizona State on Dec. 22, 1996. Budd is scoring 10.7 points per contest.
Senior Katie Yohn (Elgin, Ill./St. Edward) enters Valley play with 1,123 career points and needs 11 points to pass former teammate Raisa Taylor for 10th (1,133 points) on Bradley's career scoring list. Yohn, who is scoring 11.1 points per game, is also four three-pointers away from breaking Genny Mueller's career school record (182) for made three's.
