PEORIA, Ill. -- The Bradley women's basketball team opens a season-long, three-game home stand Thursday against Wichita State and will play five of the next seven games at Renaissance Coliseum starting with the 6 p.m. contest against the Shockers.
Bradley (6-7 overall, 0-2 MVC) is looking for its first Missouri Valley conference victory of the season after opening Valley play on the road for the sixth time in the last seven seasons. The Braves will try to snap a three-game losing skid after falling at I-74 rival Illinois State (81-65) Sunday and are shooting for their fourth consecutive home victory.
Wichita State (7-6 MVC, 1-0 MVC) has won four of its last five overall and back-to-back road games heading into Thursday's matchup. The Shockers have played the fewest road games in the Missouri Valley Conference (3) and playing just their second game away from home since playing three neutral site contests at the Cancun Challenge Nov. 22-24.
While Wichita State has had the benefit of playing most of its games at home (7 home games), Bradley is tied for the fewest home games (4) in the Valley this season. The Braves will be taking the court at Renaissance Coliseum for just the second time since wrapping up a two-game home stand on Dec. 1 against Winthrop and Thursday's game will be the first home game for BU since the Dec. 18 victory against Illinois-Chicago.
A video stream will be available for Bradley All-Access subscribers through BradleyBraves.com and the Bradley Athletics website will also have links for a free audio stream and live stats. 1290 AM WIRL will carry the game with the pre-game show starting at 5:40 p.m.
Bradley is 3-1 in the last four conference home openers and the Braves boast a 4-0 record when facing Wichita State in the first home Valley game of the year. The teams have split the regular-season series each of the last seven years and Bradley is 8-2 in the last 10 home games against the Shockers. Wichita State holds a slim 30-29 advantage in the series, but Bradley is 18-11 all-time in home games.
BU enters Thursday's game as the highest scoring team in the Missouri Valley Conference at 72.8 points per game. Wichita State is second in The Valley in scoring defense (52.0 ppg) and the Shockers have held opponents to 37.6 percent shooting on the year.
While Bradley's scoring is down to 67.8 points per game in home games this season, the Braves have limited their four home foes to 61.8 points per contest.
BU committed a season-low 12 turnovers Sunday at Illinois State and the Braves are averaging just 13.7 turnovers per game in the last three games. On the season, Bradley is averaging 17.5 turnovers per game, which ranks sixth in the Valley and the Braves are fourth in the MVC in forcing turnovers (17.1 per game).
The home stand continues Saturday with a 2 p.m. game against Missouri State.
