Women’s Basketball Heads to Illinois to Meet Chicago State, Northern Illinois

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Brown University women's basketball makes its longest road trip of the season as the Bears head to the state of Illinois to meet Chicago State University on Sunday, Dec. 30 at 3:00 p.m. ET (2:00 p.m. CT) and Northern Illinois University on Monday, Dec. 31 at 2:00 p.m. ET (1:00 p.m. CT).

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Game Notes: Brown at Chicago State, Northern Illinois

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THE LAND OF LINCOLN
Senior guard Taylor Will (Arlington Heights, Ill.) will make a homecoming to the state of Illinois as she prepares to play in the Land of Lincoln for the first time as a collegiate student-athlete. The Bears are set to make their fourth-ever trip to the state of Illinois and first trip since the 1986-87 season. The program previously traveled to Illinois in February 1976, January 1980, and December 1986. Against programs from the state of Illinois, Brown holds a 7-4 record as a program including a 2-2 mark in true road games.

Brown All-Time vs. Opponents from State of Illinois
All-Time: 11 Meetings • Brown Leads 7-4
Home: 2-2 • Away: 2-2 • Neutral: 3-0
Jan. 31, 1975: at Brown 59, University of Chicago 38
Feb. 6, 1976: Brown 65, vs. Northwestern 35 (at University of Chicago)
Feb. 7, 1976: at University of Chicago 55, Brown 49
Jan. 28, 1977: University of Chicago 52, at Brown 48
Feb. 4, 1978: at Brown 66, University of Chicago 61
Jan. 26, 1980: Brown 78, at University of Chicago 62
Jan. 28, 1980: Brown 42, at Concordia University Chicago 39
Dec. 5, 1986: at Northwestern 83, Brown 55
Dec. 6, 1986: Brown 61, vs. Eastern Illinois (at Northwestern)
Nov. 27, 1999: Brown 73, vs. Loyola Chicago 67 (at Fairfield University)
Nov. 26, 2003: University of Illinois at Chicago 76, at Brown 71 (OT)

SHAYNA SETS 3-POINT RECORD
Senior guard Shayna Mehta (San Francisco, Calif.) set Brown's career 3-pointers made record with a pair of triples at Maine (Dec. 8). She broke a tie with Sophie Bikofsky '15 who made 222 treys in her career. Mehta took sole possession of first place in program history with a 3-pointer at the 5:03 mark of the fourth quarter against the Black Bears. Against Maine, Mehta also broke the 1,500-point barrier for her career, becoming the fourth student-athlete in program history to score 1,500 or more points. She enters the Chicago State game with 1,507 career points and 224 career 3-pointers made.

3K TEAMMATES
For the first time in program history, the Bears carry three active 1,000-point scorers on the same team in senior guard Shayna Mehta (San Francisco, Calif.), junior guard Justine Gaziano (Natick, Mass.), and senior forward Erika Steeves (Montreal, Quebec). It marks just the third time in Ivy League history that a team has three contemporaneous 1,000-point scorers. Mehta (1,507 points), Gaziano (1,096 points), and Steeves (1,016 points) stand as the only three active career 1,000-point scorers in the Ivy League. They represent the sixth group of teammates in program history to play contemporaneously as 1,000-point scorers. The trio is the first to accomplish the feat since Sarah Hayes '06 and Colleen Kelly '06 played together as 1,000-point scorers in the 2005-06 season. Mehta, Gaziano, and Steeves all hit the 1,000-point mark in a 364-day span. Mehta scored her 1,000^th point on Dec. 10, 2017, Gaziano hit the mark on Nov. 25, 2018, and Steeves broke the barrier on Dec. 8, 2018.

CLASSMATES AT 1000 LEVEL
As fellow members of the Class of 2019, senior guard Shayna Mehta (San Francisco, Calif.) and senior forward Erika Steeves (Montreal, Quebec) represent the third pair of classmates in program history to eclipse the 1,000-point barrier. The Bears' other pairs of classmates to score 1,000 points apiece include Sarah Hayes and Colleen Kelly – both of the Class of 2006 – and Christa Champion and Michelle Smith – both of the Class of 1986.

STEEVES JOINS 1000-POINT CLUB
Senior forward Erika Steeves (Montreal, Quebec) became the 22^nd member of the Bears' 1,000-point club after scoring a season-high 30 points at Maine (Dec. 8). She scored her 1,000^th career point on a layup with 2:03 left in the second quarter against the Black Bears. Steeves scored her 1,000^th career point in her 96^th career game.

HIGHEST SCORING CLASS
Brown's Class of 2019 ranks as the highest-scoring class in program history with 3,653 points entering the Chicago State game. The Bears' seniors surpassed the previous mark of 3,454 points from the Class of 1999. The class is the fifth group in program history to eclipse 3,000 career points as a class. The group entered the year with 3,130 points, already ranking third in program history. The Class of 1986 (3,168 points), Class of 2006 (3,029), and Class of 2004 (3,020) round out the top five scoring classes in program history. (N.B. The Class of 2019's point total includes 38 points from Melissa Health '19.)

STEEVES WINS IVY PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Senior forward Erika Steeves (Montreal, Quebec) earned Ivy League Player of the Week honors on Dec. 10 after posting a double-double on 30 points and 12 rebounds and scoring her 1,000^th career point at Maine (Dec. 8). Steeves posted her third double-double of the season and the 18^th of her career. She connected on 11-of-15 field goals and 7-of-9 3-pointers, tying for the third-most 3-pointers in a single game in program history. Steeves scored 30 or more points in a game for the third time in her career and hit five or more 3-pointers in a contest for the fourth time in her career.

GAZIANO GAINS IVY PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Junior guard Justine Gaziano (Natick, Mass.) gained Ivy League Player of the Week honors on Dec. 3 after leading all scorers at the Ocean State Tip-Off Tournament with 30.0 points per game. Gaziano tallied 24.7 points and 6.7 rebounds per game on the week, while shooting 54.7 percent from the floor and 47.4 percent from 3-point distance. At the Ocean State Tip-Off Tournament, she connected on 55 percent of her field goal attempts and 60 percent of her 3-point attempts. An All-Tournament Team selection, Gaziano scored a career-high 35 points in an 84-68 win over Bryant, making 13-of-18 field goals and 5-of-5 3-pointers. Against Bryant, she scored over 30 points in game for the first time this season and the fourth time in her career. Her 35 points tied for the fifth-most in a single game in school history.

OCEAN STATE TIP-OFF TOURNAMENT
At the 2018 Ocean State Tip-Off Tournament, junior guard Justine Gaziano (Natick, Mass.) and senior guard Shayna Mehta (San Francisco, Calif.) both earned All-Tournament Team honors. Gaziano led the tournament in scoring for the second straight year with 30.0 points per game while Mehta averaged 14.5 points and 8.0 assists per game on the weekend. Brown won the team title at the event in both 2016 and 2017 with Gaziano earning Tournament MVP honors in 2017. The members of Brown's senior class finished their careers 13-3 against Rhode Island teams, 9-3 vs. Division I teams from the Ocean State, and 5-1 at the Ocean State Tip-Off Tournament.

GAZIANO'S CAREER DAY
Junior guard Justine Gaziano (Natick, Mass.) scored a career-high 35 points, hitting 13-of-18 field goals and 5-of-5 3-pointers to lead Brown to an 84-68 win over Bryant in the semifinals of the Ocean State Tip-Off Tournament on Dec. 1. Gaziano (Natick, Mass.) set career highs for points (35) and field goals made (13) while making 5-of-5 shots from 3-point distance for the third time in her career. She scored 23 points in the first half, making 9-of-13 field goals, 3-of-3 treys, and 2-of-2 free throws. She scored over 30 points in a game for the first time this season and the fourth time in her career. Her 35 points tied for the fifth-most in a single game in school history. She made 10 or more field goals in a game for the second time this year and seventh time in her career and made four or more 3-pointers for the second time this year and ninth time in her career.

GAZIANO GOES OVER 1,000
Junior guard Justine Gaziano (Natick, Mass.) scored her 1,000^th career point against Bucknell (Nov. 25). She became the 21^st 1,000-point scorer in program history and the sixth Bear to score 1,000 points prior to her senior year. She scored her 1,000^th point in her 58^th career game and netted her 1,000^th career point at the 7:05 mark of the second quarter. She became the first Bear to score her 1,000^th career point at the Pizzitola Sports Center since Jordin Alexander '16 hit the mark against Columbia on Mar. 4, 2016. For the second straight year, a Bear scored her 1,000^th career point against a Patriot League opponent. Last season, senior guard Shayna Mehta (San Francisco, Calif.) netted her 1,000^th career point at Colgate on Dec. 10, 2017.

NCAA PERSPECTIVE
Junior guard Justine Gaziano (Natick, Mass.) ranks 22^nd in the nation in points (234), 14^th in field goals made (90), 40^th in minutes played (421), and 23^rd in field goal attempts (191). Senior guard Shayna Mehta (San Francisco, Calif.) ranks 45^th in the NCAA in total points (217), 42^nd in field goals made (80), 22^nd in field goal attempts (193), 44^th in minutes played (419), 25^th in steals (33), and 31^st in assists (62). Among NCAA active career leaders, Mehta ranks 24^th in 3-pointers made (224) and 36^th in points (1,507) while Gaziano sits 12^th in points per game (17.7) among active 1,000-point scorers.

FROM DOWNTOWN
Senior guard Shayna Mehta (San Francisco, Calif.) scored a career-high 34 points on 12-of-20 field goals and 6-of-9 3-pointers at Holy Cross (Nov. 18). She scored over 30 points for the third time in her career and went over 20 points for the 24^th time. She tied her career high with 12 field goals made and connected on five or more 3-pointers in a game for the 14^th time in her career. Earlier in November, she became the third student-athlete in program history and 11^th student-athlete in Ivy League history to make 200 career 3-pointers with a pair of triples at Boston University (Nov. 12).

TRIPLE TRIO
Of the nine student-athletes in program history who have made 100 or more career 3-pointers, three of them are active players on this year's team. Senior guard Shayna Mehta (San Francisco, Calif.) leads the group with 224 career made 3-pointers – tied for first all-time at Brown while senior forward Erika Steeves (Montreal, Quebec) and junior guard Justine Gaziano (Natick, Mass.) have made 117 and 109 career triples respectively, ranking sixth and eighth all-time at Brown.

RECORDS WATCH
Senior guard Shayna Mehta (San Francisco, Calif.) continues to make her way up the charts in the Brown record book. Mehta currently ranks first at Brown in career 3-pointers made (224), fourth in career points (1,507), and fifth in career field goals made (554). She stands sixth in Ivy League history in 3-pointers made. Junior guard Justine Gaziano (Natick, Mass.) stands 13^th at Brown in career points (1,096) and eighth in career 3-pointers (109) while senior forward Erika Steeves (Montreal, Quebec) sits sixth in 3-pointers (117) and 21^st in career points (1,016).

TURKEY TIP-OFF
Senior guard Shayna Mehta (San Francisco, Calif.) earned All-Tournament Team honors at the 2018 Brown University Turkey Tip-Off. She led the tournament in points per game (22.0), field goals made per game (8.7), assists per game (4.3), steals per game (3.7), and minutes per game (37.7). In the Bears' finale at the event, Mehta scored 29 points – connecting on 12-of-22 field goals and a trio of 3-pointers – and added six steals and six rebounds against Bucknell (Nov. 25).

FAB FOUR
The four members of Brown's senior class – Mary Butler (Bangor, Maine), Shayna Mehta (San Francisco, Calif.), Erika Steeves (Montreal, Quebec), and Taylor Will (Arlington Heights, Ill.) – have combined for 362 games played, 270 games started, 3,615 points, 1,319 field goals made, 403 3-pointers made, 574 free throws made, 1,701 rebounds, 669 assists, 439 steals, 148 blocks, and 9,488 minutes played over their careers.

FOUR OF A KIND WITH AN ACE
Over the course of their careers, the quintet of seniors Shayna Mehta (San Francisco, Calif.), Erika Steeves (Montreal, Quebec), Taylor Will (Arlington Heights, Ill.), and Mary Butler (Bangor, Maine) and junior guard Justine Gaziano (Natick, Mass.) has combined for 424 games played, 330 games started, 4,711 points, 1,712 field goals made, 512 3-pointers made, 779 free throws made, 1,937 rebounds, 749 assists, 486 steals, 164 blocks, and 11,587 minutes played. As a unit, the group has started 10 of 12 games this season and has made 21 starts together all-time.

PERIMETER DUO
Brown carries two of the Ivy League's top three scorers in senior guard Shayna Mehta (San Francisco, Calif.) and junior guard Justine Gaziano (Natick, Mass.). Gaziano ranks second in the Ivy League in points per game (19.5) while Mehta stands third in the conference with 18.1 points per game. Combined, the pair has accounted for 134 career double-figure scoring games and 50 games with 20 or more points. This season they have combined for 23 double-figure scoring games and nine games with 20 or more points. Last season, the duo combined for 22 20-point games, helping Brown post a 20-point scorer in 23 of 27 games, including six contests with two 20-point scorers.

MEHTA DATA
Senior guard Shayna Mehta (San Francisco, Calif.) ranks third in the Ivy League in points per game (18.1), first in steals per game (2.8), second in assists per game (5.2), third in field goals made (80), fourth in 3-pointers made per game (2.3), and fourth in minutes per game (34.9). She approached a triple-double with 14 points, nine rebounds, and a career-high nine assists at Maine (Dec. 8). At the Ocean State Tip-Off Tournament, she earned All-Tournament Team honors after averaging 14.5 points and 8.0 assists per game, setting a career high with eight assists against both Bryant (Dec. 1) and URI (Dec. 2). Mehta scored a career-high 34 points, hitting 12-of-20 field goals and 6-of-9 3-pointers at Holy Cross (Nov. 18). At the Turkey Tip-Off, she scored 29 points on 12-of-22 shooting with six steals and six rebounds vs. Bucknell (Nov. 25), posted 19 points and six assists vs. Fairfield (Nov. 23), and netted 18 points vs. Massachusetts (Nov. 24). She averaged 25.0 points per game over a four-game span from Nov. 18-25. She opened the year with 16 points and 10 rebounds vs. CCSU (Nov. 6) for her eighth career double-double. Mehta netted 23 points with seven rebounds at Boston University (Nov. 12) and compiled 13 points and six rebounds vs. UNH (Nov. 15). Last season, she ranked second in the Ivy League in points per game (18.5), second in 3-pointers made per game (2.8), and third in steals per game (2.2). Last year in Ivy League play, she averaged 17.4 points and 5.2 rebounds per game. For her career, she has scored in double figures 79 times, netted 20 or more points 25 times, eclipsed 30 points three times, and totaled eight double-doubles. She has scored in double figures in all 12 games this year, in 16 straight contests, and in 33 of her last 34 outings. A 2017-18 Academic All-Ivy selection, she has earned Second Team All-Ivy accolades in each of the last two years and collected Ivy League All-Tournament Team honors in 2016-17. She unanimously won the Ivy League Rookie of the Year award in 2015-16.

GAZIANO THE GO-TO
Junior guard Justine Gaziano (Natick, Mass.) ranks second in the Ivy League in points per game (19.5), second in field goals made (90), fifth in field goal percentage (.471), seventh in 3-pointers per game (2.0), third in offensive rebounds per game (3.3), and third in minutes per game (35.1). Gaziano scored a career-high 35 points on 13-of-18 field goals and 5-of-5 3-pointers in the Ocean State Tip-Off Tournament semifinals vs. Bryant (Dec. 1). An All-Tournament Team selection, she led all scorers at the Ocean State Tip-Off with 30.0 points per game after adding 25 points at URI (Dec. 2). She posted her second career double-double with a season-high 29 points and 11 rebounds vs. UNH (Nov. 15) and notched her third career double-double with 14 points and 10 boards vs. JWU (Nov. 27). Gaziano netted 23 points on 8-of-15 shooting with six rebounds at Holy Cross (Nov. 18). She netted 21 points and scored her 1,000^th career point against Bucknell (Nov. 25). She opened the year with 27 points and eight rebounds vs. CCSU (Nov. 6) and netted 15 points vs. Massachusetts (Nov. 24). Last year, Gaziano ranked third in the Ivy League in points per game (17.9), first in free throw percentage (87.2), fifth in 3-pointers per game (1.9), and third in field goal percentage (48.6). In Ivy League play last winter, she scored 17.5 points per game, shot 49.4 percent from the field, and 44.6 percent from downtown. For her career, Gaziano has scored in double figures in each of 55 games, netted 20 or more points 25 times, and eclipsed 30 points four times. She has earned All-Ivy honors in each of her first two seasons, taking Honorable Mention in 2017-18 and Second Team in 2016-17.

WILL POWER
Senior guard Taylor Will (Arlington Heights, Ill.) has averaged 11.5 points and 4.6 rebounds per game, while ranking third in the Ivy League in steals per game (2.4) this season. Will has scored in double figures in seven of her last eight games played. She posted her first double-double of the year on 16 points and 10 rebounds in the Ocean State Tip-Off Tournament semifinals vs. Bryant (Dec. 1). At the Turkey Tip-Off, she scored a season-high 17 points on 6-of-7 shooting vs. Bucknell (Nov. 25) and posted 12 points against both Fairfield (Nov. 23) and Massachusetts (Nov. 24). She netted 15 points with six rebounds at Holy Cross (Nov. 18). She notched 13 points and made 3-of-4 treys at Maine (Dec. 8). Will scored 12 points and hit 2-of-5 3-pointers vs. UNH (Nov. 15) after charting eight points and seven rebounds at Bryant (Nov. 8). She returned to the Brown lineup in the season opener vs. CCSU (Nov. 6) after missing the majority of last season due to a knee injury she sustained on Dec. 22, 2017. In the opener, she posted nine points and a career-high seven steals vs. CCSU (Nov. 6). Through Brown's first 11 games last year, Will ranked fifth in the Ivy League with 17.0 points per game, fifth in field goal percentage (48.3), fourth in assists per game (3.9), third in steals per game (2.6), and fourth in free throw percentage (77.6). She scored in double figures in all 11 games in which she played last season and netted over 20 points in each of three games. For her career, she has scored in double figures 38 times and netted 20 or more points six times. She took a major step forward in her development from her freshman to her sophomore season pushing her scoring from 1.7 points per game as a rookie to 12.3 points per game as a sophomore – an increase of 10.6 points per game.

STEEVES ANCHORS FRONTCOURT
Senior forward Erika Steeves (Montreal, Quebec) has averaged 9.8 points and 7.0 rebounds per game on the year, while ranking fourth in the conference in defensive rebounds per game (5.6). She scored a season-high 30 points on 11-of-15 field goals and 7-of-9 3-pointers at Maine (Dec. 8), capping her third double-double of the year with 12 rebounds. Steeves posted her first double-double of the season on 14 points and 10 rebounds against Fairfield (Nov. 23) and notched her second double-double on 18 points and 15 boards vs. JWU (Nov. 27). She scored 14 points with eight rebounds vs. UNH (Nov. 15), totaled eight points and six boards at Holy Cross (Nov. 18), and grabbed a team-high eight rebounds at Bryant (Nov. 8). She scored 11.1 points per game last season, while ranking second in the Ivy League in defensive rebounds per game (6.4) and seventh in rebounds per game (7.4). In Ivy play last year, she averaged 9.4 points and 6.4 rebounds per game. For her career, she has totaled 18 double-doubles, scored in double figures 49 times, eclipsed 20 points seven times, and netted 30 or more points three times. She returns as one of the Bears' most experienced frontcourt players and earned a spot on the Ivy League All-Tournament Team in 2016-17.

BREAD AND BUTLER
Senior forward Mary Butler (Bangor, Maine) has played in all 97 games since the start of the 2015-16 season, the only Bear to do so. She has averaged 5.2 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 30.3 minutes per game this season. Butler ranks fourth in the Ivy League in blocks per game (1.3). She scored a season-high 13 points on 4-of-7 field goals and 4-of-4 free throws at Maine (Dec. 8), playing in her home state for the first time as a collegiate student-athlete. She tallied eight rebounds, six points, and a career-high four blocks at URI (Dec. 2). She led the Turkey Tip-Off in blocks per game (1.7) and scored eight points vs. Fairfield (Nov. 23). She opened the year with eight rebounds, five points, and four assists vs. CCSU (Nov. 6) and totaled six points and six boards at Holy Cross (Nov. 18). Last winter she averaged 3.2 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 15.6 minutes per game for the season. In Ivy play a year ago, Butler posted 3.2 points and 3.6 rebounds per game in 16.6 minutes per contest. She adds to Brown's experience in the frontcourt and earned Ocean State Tip-Off All-Tournament Team honors as a sophomore.

GREEN AT THE FIVE
Junior Haley Green (Salem, Va.) has provided the Bears a presence at center, averaging 2.7 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 11.2 minutes per game on the year. Green made her first career start vs. JWU (Nov. 27) and posted eight points on 4-of-5 shooting with five rebounds. She snared a career-high nine boards vs. Bryant (Dec. 1), tallied six points and three rebounds at Boston University (Nov. 12), and grabbed five boards at Holy Cross (Nov. 18).

BREEDLOVE LOCKDOWN
Freshman guard Traiva Breedlove (Rochester, N.Y.) has averaged 3.4 points and 8.8 minutes per game off the bench. She posted season highs in minutes (15), points (11), and assists (four) at Maine (Dec. 8). She scored eight points vs. Fairfield (Nov. 23) and grabbed five rebounds at Holy Cross (Nov. 18).

MULLIN FROM DISTANCE
Freshman guard Maddie Mullin (Wellesley, Mass.) came off the bench against Johnson & Wales (Nov. 27) and connected on 5-of-10 shots from behind the 3-point line, scoring 15 points for her first career game in double figures. She has averaged 2.5 points and 8.2 minutes per game on the year.

ON THE FAST BREAK
The Bears lead the Ivy League this winter in points per game (72.8), steals per game (9.67), and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.01). Brown has scored 70 or more points in six of its last nine contests and in four of its last five outings. As a team last year, Brown led the Ivy League in points per game (75.3), while ranking second in 3-point field goals made per game (8.1), defensive rebounds per game (29.1), and blocks per game (5.37). The Bears scored at least 70 points in 19 games and eclipsed 80 points 11 times.

PRESEASON PREDICTIONS
Brown was selected to finish fifth in the 2018-19 Ivy League Women's Basketball Preseason Media Poll. Defending league champion Princeton took the top spot in the poll with 14 first-place votes and 133 total points. Penn followed in second with two first-place votes and 107 total points while Harvard (one first-place vote, 104 points) and Yale (89 points) rounded out the top half of the poll. Brown (66), Dartmouth (55), Columbia (30), and Cornell (28) filled out the fifth through eighth slots, in order.

VETERAN FEEL
Brown returns 87 percent of its scoring and 76 percent of its rebounding from a season ago as the Bears bring back seven of their top eight scorers and six of their top seven rebounders from last season.

BACK-TO-BACK ALL-IVY HONOREES
Last winter guard Shayna Mehta '19 (San Francisco, Calif.) earned Second Team All-Ivy, and guard Justine Gaziano '20 (Natick, Mass.) gained Honorable Mention All-Ivy, becoming the first pair of Brown teammates to garner All-Ivy in back-to-back seasons since Sarah Hayes '06 and Holly Robertson '05 both collected All-Ivy accolades in the 2003-04 and 2004-05 seasons. Both Mehta and Gaziano earned Second Team All-Ivy in the 2016-17 season. At the end of the 2017-18 regular season, Mehta ranked second in the Ivy League in points per game (18.5), second in 3-pointers made per game (2.8), and third in steals per game (2.2) while Gaziano ranked third in the Ancient Eight in points per game (17.9), first in free throw percentage (.872), third in field goal percentage (.486), and fifth in 3-pointers per game (1.9).

THREE STRAIGHT WINNING SEASONS
After going 15-13 overall in 2015-16, 17-13 in 2016-17, and 15-12 in 2017-18, Brown posted three straight winning seasons for the first time since registering four straight seasons above .500 from 2002-06.

START YOUR ENGINES
Brown opened its 46^th season of women's basketball on Nov. 6, and the Bears have now registered a 20-26 record all-time in season openers. Brown has won its last five openers and six of its last seven season debuts. Beginning last year with a 12-1 record, Brown established its best start in program history through 13 games. At 10-1 through 11 games, the Bears began 2015-16 with their best start since 1973-74. Brown opened the 2015-16 season at 5-0 for the first time in school history before falling at Manhattan.

NON-CONFERENCE WINS
The Bears notched a 12-1 mark in non-conference contests in 2017-18, tying for the second-most non-conference wins in school history and giving the Bears double-digit non-league wins for the sixth time. In 2016-17, the team tallied a 10-6 non-conference record as Brown posted its fifth-most non-conference wins in program history. With a 12-2 mark in non-conference contests in 2015-16, Brown finished second in program history for non-conference victories in a season. The Bears went 13-2 in non-league games in 1974-75 and notched 11 such wins in 1973-74 and 1975-76.

MEHTA ECLIPSES 1,000 POINTS
Senior guard Shayna Mehta (San Francisco, Calif.) became the 20^th 1,000-point scorer in program history and the fifth student-athlete in program history to score 1,000 points before her senior year with a 28-point effort at Colgate on Dec. 10, 2017. She netted her 1,000^th point on a corner 3-pointer with 6:14 to play against the Raiders. She became the program's first 1,000-point scorer since Jordin Alexander '16, and the program's first player to score 1,000 points before her senior year since Vita Redding '99.

REACHING TRIPLE DIGITS
Brown set a program record for points against a Division I opponent in its 102-77 win over Sacred Heart on Dec. 6, 2017. The Bears scored over 100 points against a Division I team for the first time in school history. Brown crossed the century mark for the first time in a 114-28 win over Division III Mount Ida on Nov. 19, 2015 and reached the plateau in a 100-79 win over Johnson & Wales on Jan. 5, 2018. The Bears' previous scoring high against a Division I opponent came in a 98-88 win over Princeton on Jan. 13, 2017. Against SHU, Brown trailed 32-13 at the 8:29 mark of the second quarter before outscoring the Pioneers, 89-45, over the remainder of the game.

MEHTA ON THE MARK
Guard Shayna Mehta '19 (San Francisco, Calif.) scored a then career-high 33 points and set a single-game program record with nine made 3-pointers in the Bears' game against No. 20 California on Nov. 19, 2017. Mehta hit 9-of-15 shots from 3-point distance and earned Ivy League Player of the Week honors on Nov. 20. She came within one 3-pointer of tying the Ivy League record for made 3-pointers in a single game and posted her second career game with 30 or more points.

HISTORY MADE BEYOND THE ARC
Against No. 20 California on Nov. 19, 2017, Brown set single-game program records for 3-pointers made (16) and 3-pointers attempted (41), shooting 39.0 percent from distance in the contest. In the first quarter alone, the Bears connected on 7-of-17 shots (41.2 percent) from behind the arc.

DOMINIQUE DISTRIBUTES
Sophomore guard Dominique Leonidas (Stone Mountain, Ga.) stepped up her level of play during Ivy League competition last year as she posted 5.9 points, 2.0 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 20.0 minutes per game. Overall for her rookie season, she averaged 17.6 minutes, 4.1 points, 2.5 assists, and 2.2 rebounds per game. During a three-game span from Feb. 10-17, Leonidas tallied 15.3 points per game and shot 63.3 percent (19-of-30) from the floor.

NON-LEAGUE WINNING STREAK
During non-league play last winter, Brown went on a 10-game winning streak from Nov. 24 to Jan. 5, marking the second double-digit win streak in program history. The Bears posted one other double-digit win streak during a school-record 13-game stretch from Jan. 23 to Mar. 5 during the 1992-93 season.

STEEVES SCORES SECOND-MOST POINTS
Forward Erika Steeves '19 (Montreal, Quebec) scored 38 points – the second-highest single-game total in school history – in Brown's 100-79 win over Johnson & Wales on Jan. 5, 2018. She netted 8-of-10 shots from 3-point distance, marking the second-most made 3-pointers in a game in program history. Her 14 made field goals tied for the fourth most in a contest in the Brown record book. Her 38-point effort helped the Bears score 100 or more points for the second time on the season and for the third time in program history.

SUMMER WELL SPENT
During the summer of 2018, junior guard Justine Gaziano (Natick, Mass.) spent 30 days in Samoa through a Brown University Royce Sport and Society Fellowship. During her time in Samoa, Gaziano explored the athletic experiences of a select group of high performing female athletes with an emphasis on how sociocultural attitudes towards female athletes have impacted their experiences. Also this past summer, sophomores McKenna Dale (Storrs, Conn.) and Dominique Leonidas (Stone Mountain, Ga.) and assistant coach Sara Binkhorst volunteered in Kenya with the non-profit Play BOLD, assisting with sport clinics, classroom education, and infrastructural projects. In the summer of 2017, senior forward Erika Steeves (Montreal, Quebec) spent 23 days traveling through China, studying the market for amateur and professional basketball there through a Royce Fellowship for Sport and Society while during that same summer senior guard Shayna Mehta (San Francisco, Calif.) spent 18 days in Chennai, India with Crossover Basketball and Scholars Academy, using basketball as a vehicle to impact the education rates of marginalized communities there.

THE SPLASH SISTERS
The Bears feature the first pair of Indian American sisters to play NCAA Division I basketball for the same team in senior guard Shayna Mehta (San Francisco, Calif.) and freshman guard Nina Mehta (San Francisco, Calif.). The sisters have their own Instagram account – brownsplashsisters – in homage the "Splash Brothers" duo of Steph Curry and Klay Thompson from the Mehtas' hometown NBA team, the Golden State Warriors.

STEEVES EARNS COSIDA ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT AGAIN
Senior forward Erika Steeves (Montreal, Quebec) has gained CoSIDA First Team Academic All-District accolades in each of the last two seasons as a sophomore and junior. In order to earn CoSIDA Academic All-District honors, a student-athlete must participate as a starter or an important reserve, have reached sophomore academic standing, and maintain at least a 3.30 cumulative grade point average.

BEARS SIGN ELLIE LEO THROUGH TEAM IMPACT
Brown officially signed Ellie Leo, then a 12-year-old, seventh grade student from Norton, Mass., to its roster through a Team IMPACT Cystic Fibrosis Project "Draft Day" Sponsored by Vertex Pharmaceuticals on Nov. 30, 2017. As part of a ceremony in the Pizzitola Sports Center's Joukowsky Room, Ellie – a high honors student who loves gymnastics, basketball, and art – signed an official Letter of Intent before her family and friends and received an authentic team jersey from the Bears.

STEEVES NORTH OF THE BORDER
Senior forward Erika Steeves (Montreal, Quebec) took part in a pair of camps with Canada Basketball's Women's National Team in the summer of 2017. Steeves competed in the program's Assessment Camp from May 12-22 in Edmonton, Alberta and in the organization's Development Team Tryouts from July 29 to August 8 in Toronto, Ontario.

THE CAPTAINS
The four members of Brown's senior class – forward Mary Butler (Bangor, Maine), guard Shayna Mehta (San Francisco, Calif.), forward Erika Steeves (Montreal, Quebec), and guard Taylor Will (Arlington Heights, Ill.) will serve the Bears as captains during the 2018-19 season. Steeves returns for her second year as a captain for the Bears.

CLASS OF 2022
Brown welcomes six freshmen to its roster for the upcoming season in a Class of 2022 that includes forward/center Elle Baker (Scottsdale, Ariz.), guard Traiva Breedlove (Rochester, N.Y.), forward Ashley Ducharme (Milton, Mass.), guard/forward Alana Kelley (Phoeniz, Ariz.), guard Nina Mehta (San Francisco, Calif.) – senior guard Shayna Mehta's younger sister – and guard Maddie Mullin (Wellesley, Mass.).

STAFF CHANGES
Brown head coach Sarah Behn has brought three new staff members to the program for the 2018-19 season. The Bears feature two new assistant coaches in Eddie Benton – a former assistant coach at Cincinnati and Duquesne – and Kanika Cummings – a former assistant coach at Connecticut College – in addition to a new operations coordinator in Olivia Healy – a former standout student-athlete at Richmond and New Hampshire.

THE CHICAGO STATE SERIES HISTORY
Brown and Chicago State will meet for the first time on Sunday. Against schools from the city of Chicago, the Bears carry a 5-3 record. In program history, Brown has gone 3-2 against the University of Chicago, 1-0 against Concordia University Chicago, and 1-1 against the University of Illinois at Chicago.

THE NORTHERN ILLINOIS SERIES HISTORY
Brown and Northern Illinois will meet for the first time on Monday. Against schools from the state of Illinois not based in Chicago, the Bears hold a 2-1 record. Brown is 1-1 all-time against Northwestern and 1-0 vs. Eastern Illinois.

SCOUTING THE COUGARS
Chicago State brings an 0-11 record into the weekend and will play at Bradley on Dec. 28 prior to meeting Brown. Tyeshia Bowers leads the team with 14.7 points per game while Ines Mata Boix paces the Cougars with 11.0 rebounds per game alongside 8.0 points per game. Chicago State went 1-29 in 2017-18 and 0-29 in 2016-17.

SCOUTING THE HUSKIES
Northern Illinois carries a 7-4 record into the weekend and is on a three-game win streak with victories over Western Illinois (86-61), Eastern Illinois (78-59), and Chicago State (114-52). Mikayla Voigt leads the Huskies with 21.0 points per game while Courtney Woods has scored 20.1 points per game but has not played since Dec. 2. Among NCAA active career leaders, Woods ranks 21^st in points (1,661) and 12^th in 3-pointers (260), and Voigt ranks 57^th in points (1,349).

UP NEXT
After playing at Northern Illinois, Brown concludes a seven-game road trip and its non-conference slate with stops at Adelphi University (Jan. 2, 5:00 p.m.) and at Rutgers University (Jan. 4, 7:00 p.m.).

THIRD ANNUAL IVY LEAGUE TOURNAMENT
Brown will look to compete at the third annual Ivy League Tournament, which is set to take place at Yale University's John J. Lee Amphitheater in New Haven, Conn., from Mar. 16-17, 2019. Semifinals for the tournament will take place at 6:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. on Mar. 16 on ESPN3, and the final for the tournament will tip off at 4:00 p.m. on Mar. 17 on ESPNU.

TICKETS!
Tickets for all Brown women's basketball games can be purchased online, by calling the Brown Athletics Ticket Office at (401) 863-2773, or by walking up to the box office located in the Pizzitola Sports Center, open Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Women’s Basketball Heads to Illinois to Meet Chicago State, Northern Illinois

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Players Mentioned

Traiva Breedlove

Mary Butler

McKenna Dale

Ashley Ducharme

Justine Gaziano

Haley Green

Alana Kelley

Dominique Leonidas

Nina Mehta

Shayna Mehta

Maddie Mullin

Erika Steeves

Taylor Will

Brown University Athletics