Women’s Basketball Closes Road Slate At #20/25 Missouri State

Women's Basketball 2/17/2021 10:04:00 AM

PEORIA, Ill. -- Bradley Women's Basketball finishes off the regular-season road schedule with arguably its toughest challenges to date with the Braves heading to Springfield, Mo., for a pair of games against nationally-ranked (#20/25) and conference-leading Missouri State Friday and Saturday.

The preseason favorite to win the Missouri Valley Conference, Missouri State is 13-2 overall and a perfect 9-0 in league play heading into the weekend series with Bradley (12-8 overall, 8-5 MVC), which sits in fourth in the standings. Friday's game will start at 7 p.m., while Saturday's contest will tip at 5 p.m.

In addition to both matchups being available on ESPN3, Saturday's game will also be televised in the Peoria area on WMBD (CBS 31)). BradleyBraves.com will provide links to live stats along with the WIRL 1290 AM radio broadcast for both games of the series.

The Braves are 0-21 on the road against ranked teams with 10 of the last 12 games against ranked teams played away from home. Matchups with a nationally ranked Missouri State team account for 10 of Bradley's 30 all-time games against ranked squads heading into the series. Head Coach Andrea Gorski has played or coached in nine of Bradley's 30 games against ranked foes and her five games coached against top-25 teams is second in program history behind Lisa Boyer's (1986-96) 10 games.

With five regular-season games remaining on the schedule, Bradley's senior class is already one of the most successful in program history. Over the last three-plus seasons the Braves have combined for a 67-43 (.609) overall record and need just one victory for the most wins in a four-year stretch on The Hilltop since the 2011-12 senior class capped a 71-56 (.559) four-year span. Only two senior classes in Bradley history have won as many as 70 games with the 1982-83 squad finishing with a 72-39 (.649) run. In Valley play, Bradley is 37-30 over the last four seasons to match the most league wins in in a four-year stretch at BU dating back to that same 2011-12 team (37-35). The only senior class in Bradley history to win more league games was Andrea Gorski's senior class (1991-92) that went a combined 38-34 in Gateway Conference action.

With this weekend's series at Missouri State marking the final road games of the regular season, Bradley will be trying to finish with a winning road record for a third consecutive year after a 7-5 road record last year and 7-6 mark in 2018-19. The Braves are currently 5-4 in road games and 4-3 in MVC road contests. BU's five overall road wins is tied for third in the MVC and the four league road victories is tied for second most in the league behind only Missouri State (6). Bradley's four MVC road wins this season is tied for the team's highest total dating back to Andrea Gorski's senior year of 1991-92 when the Braves went 6-3 on the road in league play.

Columbia, Mo., native Nyjah White converted an impressive five three-point play opportunities and scored a career-best 29 points to highlight last week's win over Northern Iowa. White, who also had 10 rebounds, five assists, one block and three steals in the win, is one of two players in the MVC to rank in the top 15 in both scoring (13th) and rebounding (13th) and top 10 in assists (7th). Scoring her 900th career point Saturday, White is one of three players in Bradley history with 900 career points, 500 rebounds, 200 assists, 60 blocks and at least 100 steals; joining BU Hall of Famer Heather Best (1995-99) and Raisa Taylor (2007-11). This season, White is averaging career-bests of 11.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.4 assists per contest and 12.1 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.8 assists in Valley games.

Senior Gabi Haack made her 100th consecutive start in Saturday's victory against Northern Iowa for the second-longest start streak in program history. Best is the only player in program history to own a longer streak, starting all 107 games of her career between the 1995-96 and 1998-99 seasons. Haack is just the sixth player in program history with 100 or more career starts and ranks third in Bradley history in career minutes played (3486). In addition, Haack's 81 career games with 10 or more points is now second in school history behind only Connie Griffith's (1977-81) record of 85.

Bradley concludes the regular season with a three-game home stand, opening the closing stretch Thursday, Feb. 25 with a 6 p.m. outing against I-74 rival Illinois State at Renaissance Coliseum.

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Players Mentioned

#3 Gabi Haack: G; 5' 10"; Senior

#45 Nyjah White: F; 5' 11"; Senior

Players Mentioned

#3 Gabi Haack
: 5' 10"; Senior
: G

#45 Nyjah White
: 5' 11"; Senior
: F

Women’s Basketball Closes Road Slate At #20/25 Missouri State

Players Mentioned

#3 Gabi Haack

#45 Nyjah White

Players Mentioned

#3 Gabi Haack

#45 Nyjah White