Women’s Basketball Hosts SEMO Saturday In Season Opener

Missouri Valley Conference

Women's Basketball 11/9/2018 11:00:00 AM

PEORIA, Ill. -- The 2018-19 Bradley Women's Basketball season officially gets underway Saturday when the Braves host Southeast Missouri State in a 7 p.m. contest at Renaissance Coliseum.

Saturday night's outing against the Redhawks wraps up a day-night doubleheader against Southeast Missouri State with the Bradley men's basketball team hosting SEMO in a 1 p.m. contest at Carver Arena. Fans bringing a ticket stub from Saturday afternoon's men's game will receive free admission to Saturday night's women's game.

The matchup with Southeast Missouri State (0-1 overall) is the first of seven regular-season games for the Braves available on ESPN3. Bradley will also have 17 games during the regular season broadcast on ESPN+. Ed Hammond returns for his 17th consecutive year of calling Bradley Women's Basketball games, with the radio broadcast available on WIRL 1290 AM.

Bradley (13-18 in 2017-18) and Southeast Missouri State will be meeting for fourth time in the last six years with all three previous matchups decided by five points or less. The Redhawks own a 2-1 advantage in the all-time series after edging the Braves 57-53 last year in Cape Girardeau, Mo. Senior Vanessa Markert had 17 points and eight rebounds off the bench in last year's outing at SEMO. Southeast Missouri State pulled out a 70-65 victory at Renaissance Coliseum in 2014-15 in the only previous game played in Peoria.

SEMO is the first of two Ohio Valley Conference opponents on the 2018-19 schedule for Bradley, with the Braves also hosting Eastern Illinois (Nov. 28). Bradley is 35-22 against current members of the OVC, which includes a 9-4 mark in the last 13 outings against OVC members.

Last year's 69-56 win over Nebraska-Omaha to open the 2017-18 season improved the Braves to 25-18 (.581) in season-opening contests. Bradley is 8-1 in the last nine season openers played a home and owns a 19-6 (.760) mark when kicking off a season at home. Saturday's game also starts the ninth season at Renaissance Coliseum for the Braves, who are 5-3 in home openers in the facility. Overall, Bradley is 30-13 (.698) in home openers, which includes a 7-3 record in the last 10.

Four Bradley players scored in double figures in a 91-62 exhibition victory over Quincy this past Saturday, led by senior guard Shunseere Kent and sophomore forward Nyjah White, who tied for game-high honors with 16 points each. The Braves led 24-18 at the end of the first quarter and put the game out of reach with a 16-0 run to start the second quarter, which featured eight points from sophomore guard Gabi Haack.

Bradley held a 58-30 rebounding advantage against the Hawks as junior Chelsea Brackmann turned in a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds in just 15 minutes of action. Haack added 14 points and six boards, while White collected six rebounds, three assists, one block and four steals in addition to her 16 points.

Following Saturday's season opener, Bradley hosts Rockhurst Sunday, Nov. 18 in a 2 p.m. game at Renaissance Coliseum to close out a two-game home stand to start the year.

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