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Golden Eagles visit Bradley in first round of Women's Basketball Invitational
The season isn't finished yet for coach Sytia Messer and the Tennessee Tech women's basketball team. The Golden Eagles will play Wednesday night at Bradley University in the first round of the Women's Basketball Invitational.
| Final | 1 | 2 | T |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
39 | 32 | 71 |
|
|
24 | 50 | 74 |
Team Stats
Bradley
| Game Statistics | Tennessee Tech | Bradley |
|---|---|---|
| Field Goals | (25-51) | (27-70) |
| Field Goal % | 49.0% | 38.6% |
| Rebounds | 41 | 34 |
| Assists | 12 | 15 |
| Turnovers | 21 | 11 |
| Pts off Turnovers | 12 | 21 |
| 2nd Chance Pts | 12 | 16 |
| Pts in the Paint | 34 | 36 |
| Fastbreak Pts | 15 | 5 |
| Bench Pts | 18 | 51 |
View the complete WBI bracket (PDF)
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - The 2011-12 season continues for the Tennessee
Tech women's basketball team, as the Golden Eagles have been
invited to play in the Women's Basketball Invitational (WBI). It
marks the 23rd time that Tech will advance to post-season action,
and the second consecutive year under coach Sytia Messer during her
three seasons at the helm.
The Golden Eagles will open play Wednesday night at Bradley
University in Peoria, Ill., with tipoff scheduled for 7 p.m. CDT.
The host Braves finished the year with a 17-15 overall record,
after going 7-11 in the Missouri Valley Conference.
It's Tech's first appearance in the WBI since the event was
established in 2009-10. The Golden Eagles have advanced to NCAA
Tournament play 10 times and WNIT play four times, including last
season when they hosted Auburn. Prior to the NCAA, Tech also played
in AIAW Regional or National Tournaments 12 seasons.
Tech is one of two OVC teams in the 16-team field, along with
SIU Edwardsville which is in the opposite side of the overall
bracket. Likewise, Bradley is one of two Missouri Valley teams in
the field, along with Northern Iowa.
Wednesday's game wil mark the first meeting between Tech and
Bradley in women's basketball. Tech is 2-0 against Missouri Valley
opponents under Messer, downing Drake, 56-55, last season and
claiming a 59-56 win over Southern Illinois the previous year.
Tech and Bradley have faced two common opponents this season, both
Ohio Valley Conference teams. Bradley went 1-1, losing a 59-58 home
game against Eastern Illinois and claiming a 66-60 win at SIU
Edweardsville, both in December.
The Golden Eagles were 1-3 in four games against those two foes,
dropping both games against SIUE and splitting games with EIU. Tech
lost to EIU by one point at home in February but rebounded to claim
an OVC Tournament semifinal victory over the Panthers in Nashville
on March 2.
Tech reached the OVC Tournament Championship game and brings a
17-16 overall record into the WBI. The Golden Eagles are on a
late-season roll, having won 11 of their last 14 games with two of
the losses coming by a combined three points.
Bradley, meanwhile, won three of its last four games incuding a
first round Missouri Valley Conference tourney contest over
Southern Illinois (Carbondale) before bowing to regular season MVC
champion Missouri State in the quarterfinals.
The Braves are led by head coach Paula Buscher, now in her 12th
season at Bradley. The team features three players averaging in
double figures in scoring, and has used its size advantage to
dominate opponents in rebounds and also own a large advantage in
blocked shots while shooting 41 percent from the field.
The Braves are led by 6-foot-3 senior center Leah Kassing, who
tops the team in scoring (14.0 ppg) and rebounds (7.8 rpg). Also in
double digits in scoring are 5-10 sophomore Catie O'Leary (10.4
ppg/4.5 rpg) and 5-11 junior Katie Yohn (10.9 ppg/3.5 rg). Another
6-foot senior, McKenzie Westcott averages 7.5 points and 7.2
rebounds.
Like Tech, Bradley has reached post-season play for the second time in three years. During the Braves late season push, BU posted an 86-69 win against Missouri State in Springfield, Mo., winning at Missouri State for the third time in the last four years. BU's 17 wins are tied for the fifth best season total in school history and Bradley has matched a school record for wins away from home with 10 (eight road wins and two neutral site victories). A BU squad had not won 10 road or neutral site games since 1980-81.
Bradley took part in the inaugural WBI in 2009-10, topping 2009 NCAA national runner-up Louisville 69-59 in a first-round matchup at Freedom Hall before falling at College of Charleston (66-76) in the quarterfinals in the team's first-ever post-season tournament.
Now in its third year, the WBI is a 16-team, single-elimination
tournament. All games will be played on campus sites with
first round matchups taking place March 14 or 15. The
championship game is tentatively scheduled for March 24 or
25. Appalachian State won the inaugural WBI title in 2010
with UAB earning last year's championship.
Tech fans unable to attend the game can listen to the live
broadcast on the Golden Eagle Sports Network, beginning at 6:45
p.m.
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