WICHITA, Kan. ? Bradley used a suffocating defense and a balanced offensive attack to top Wichita State 69-49 in the Missouri Valley Conference opener for both teams Friday night at Charles Koch Arena.  The Braves (10-2 overall, 1-0) picked up their first win in a conference opener since 1996-97, ending an 11-game losing streak in league openers.

Wichita State (8-4 overall, 0-1 MVC) scored the first three points of the game, but Bradley answered with 15 consecutive points as the Braves jumped out to an early 15-3 lead less than six minutes into the contest.  Freshman guard Michelle Lund (Sioux City, Iowa/Bishop Heelan) scored seven points and dished out an assist to highlight the Braves opening spurt.

Bradley forced 13 Wichita State turnovers in the opening 20 minutes of play and limited the Shockers to 26.9 percent shooting.  The Braves held the Shockers to just 17 first-half points, marking the lowest point total in a half for a BU foe since allowing 16 points in the first half of a 70-48 win at Southern Illinois on Feb. 23, 2002.  Junior guard Skye Johnson (Olympia Fields, Ill./Marian Catholic) collected six points and six assists to help lead Bradley to a 40-17 halftime lead.

Lund knocked down two three-pointers in the first 3:30 of the second half to push BU's advantage to 50-23 with just over 16 minutes to play.  The Braves extended the lead to as many as 30 points in the second half as Bradley earned its fourth consecutive victory with a 69-49 road victory.

Lund broke Genny Mueller's BU freshman record of 33 three-pointers, hitting 3-of-7 from beyond the arc to push her season total to 35 trey's and finished with a team-high 15 points.  Sophomore forward Sonya Harris (Riverdale, Ill./Thornton) added her third double-double of the season with 10 points and 10 rebounds to go along with two blocked shots and three steals.  Fellow sophomore Raisa Taylor (Decatur, Ill./Eisenhower) hit 4-of-7 shots off the bench to finish with 10 points. 

Bradley dished out a season-high 23 assists, while committing 19 turnovers.  The Braves forced 18 Shocker turnovers and came away with 11 steals while also matching a season-best eight blocked shots.  Johnson collected nine assists to go along with her six points, two blocked shots and one steal. 

The only Wichita State player to score in double figures, Jacie Hoyt led the Shockers with 21 points on 8-for-12 shooting from the field.  Bradley held WSU to 35.1 percent shooting and outrebounded the Shockers 49-32. 

The Braves return to action Sunday when Bradley faces Missouri State in a 2:05 p.m. contest in Springfield, Mo.