Peoria, Ill. – Bradley Women's Basketball wraps up their four-game road trip on Thursday when they take on the Valparaiso Beacons at 6 p.m.
Game Information
Matchup: Bradley Braves at Valparaiso Beacons
Date: Thursday, January 8, 2026
Time: 6:00 p.m.
Streaming: ESPN+
Live Stats: Link
What to Watch
The Braves come into this matchup with an 8-6 record after dropping their last two games to two of the Missouri Valley Conference's best. In their last game, Bradley fell to Murray State in double overtime, 93-82. The Braves have scored the fourth-most points per game in the MVC, at 71.2, while allowing the third-fewest points per game, at 66.5. Offensively, Bradley boasts the fifth-highest field goal percentage at .410 and the highest three-point percentage in the conference at .323. Defensively, the Braves do a great job of forcing their opponents to make mistakes, as they rank second in the conference in steals (8.64 per game), blocked shots (3.21 per game), and turnover margin (1.43). Bradley has also done a much better job of grabbing rebounds, having climbed to fifth in the conference in rebounds per game with 38.
The Beacons are still searching for their first win of the season, as they have gone 0-15 heading into their weekday matchup with the Braves. In Valparaiso's last game, they fell to Evansville by a score of 66-46. The Beacons have scored the fewest points per game at 53.2 and have allowed the second-most points per game in the MVC at 79. Offensively, they have the lowest field goal percentage at .319 and three-point percentage at .241. Defensively, they have allowed the seventh-lowest field goal percentage at .433 and the sixth-lowest three-point percentage at .311. The Beacons have been a strong team in stopping second-chance points, as they rank sixth in the MVC in combined rebounds at 37.8 per game and third in defensive rebounds at 28.1 per game.
Key Players to Watch
Maya Foz is coming off her best performance of the season, as she set a career-high 29 points against Murray State while adding three rebounds, two steals, and an assist to earn her fifth MVC Freshman of the Week, a program record. She ranks second on the team and 14th in the conference in points per game at 14.0, and she leads the team in total steals and is tied for 10th in the MVC with 20 on the season. Amy O'Hara is coming off her first double-double of the season and has scored double-digit points in both of her last two games. In her last game, O'Hara set a new season high in rebounds with 12, blocks with five, and tied her season high in points with 13 while adding three assists and two steals. Kaylen Nelson has continued her phenomenal stretch, ranking fourth in the MVC in points per game at 17.1. Nelson has scored double-digit points in every game except for the game against Judson, when she scored nine points while playing only 13 minutes in the Braves' 94-33 blowout win.
Valparaiso's offense is led by Fiona Connolly, who leads the team in points per game at 12.7 and total steals with 15, while adding 3.9 rebounds per game and 18 assists. Allia Von Schlegell is second on the team in points per game and leads the team in three-point shooting with a three-point percentage of .355. Kamryn Winch has been one of the Beacons' best defensive players, leading the team in rebounds per game at 5.9 while also leading the team in blocks with 12. Mikayla Huffine has been a strong playmaker for the Beacons, leading the team with 41 assists while adding 10 steals.
