Game Notes
 
Dec. 28 at Creighton
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Dec. 30 at Providence
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INDIANAPOLIS – BIG EAST action will get underway on Wednesday, Dec. 28 with the Bulldogs traveling to Omaha, Neb. to face the Creighton Bluejays at DJ Sokol Arena. The second part of this four-day road trip will feature Butler playing at Providence on Friday, Dec. 30. Tip-off at Alumni Hall is set for noon.
 
Bulldog Bits
- Butler is 0-3 in conference openers since joining the BIG EAST in 2013-14
- Coach G is 14-22 all-time against BIG EAST foes (10-8, 2014-15... 4-14, 2015-16)
- Sydney Shelton hit four 3-point FG at Green Bay to score a team-high 12 points
- BU's 34 points at Green Bay is the lowest scoring output by a team since 1976-77
- Butler has used seven different starting lineups this season (11 games)
- BU is still searching for a road win (0-4... Wisconsin, TCU, Arkansas, Green Bay)
- Nearly half of Schickel's rebounds this year (107) have been offensive (50)
- Sydney Buck is out indefinitely with a lower extremity injury
- Butler is a young team with four freshmen, five sophomores and two juniors
 
All-Time Series
Creighton swept Butler last year to take a 4-3 advantage over BU in the all-time series. The Bluejays won 77-49 on their home court before traveling to Hinkle Fieldhouse to defeat Butler 52-42 a month later. Butler's last win over Creighton came during the first meeting of the 2014-15 season when the 'Dawgs won at home 63-58. BU won the first two meetings of the all-time series in 2013-14, but Creighton would get revenge by knocking BU out of their first ever BIG EAST Tournament 61-52.
 
The Bulldogs have never lost to Providence since joining the BIG EAST Conference which gives them a 6-0 edge in the all-time series. One year ago, BU won 77-67 at Alumni Hall and 65-50 at Hinkle. Each victory during the 2014-15 campaign ended in single digits with BU winning by five at home and nine on the road. The 2013-14 season also featured close games with BU winning each game by just three points.
 
Keys To The Game
Butler has to find a way to open up the offense to score some more points against conference opponents. The Bulldogs head into BIG EAST action averaging just 55 points per game and are coming off a season-low point total of 34 points. BU only managed to score six points in the second quarter of the Green Bay game and were limited to just five points in the third. Creighton is averaging 66 points per game and has scored 70+ over their last two wins. Providence is averaging 70 points per game, however they head into conference play after losing three of their last four. The Bulldogs also have to take care of the basketball during the second half of the season. The 'Dawgs are averaging 20 turnovers a game, seven more than Creighton's average and six more than Providence.
 
Halfway Point
The Bulldogs posted a 3-8 overall record during the non-conference season. The team challenged themselves by playing the likes of South Florida, Green Bay, UCF and Arkansas. Green Bay ranks 10th in the most recent RPI and South Florida remains ranked in the Top-25 in both the AP and coaches' poll. The schedule doesn't let up during BIG EAST play as DePaul, Marquette, St. John's, Creighton and Providence all rank in the top 100 of the women's basketball RPI.
 
Probable Starters
Butler played without Brittany Ward, Michelle Weaver and Sydney Buck at Green Bay which resulted in Head Coach Kurt Godlevske starting three true freshmen and a pair of sophomores. The three guard look featured Alexa Bailey, Sydney Shelton and Kristen Spolyar. The frontcourt included Tori Schickel and Shae Brey.
 
Schickel Eyes Single-Season Rebound Record
Tori Schickel is currently on pace to break the Butler school record for most rebounds recorded in a single-season. Through 11 games, Schickel has pulled down 107 rebounds. The school record of 302 was set by Beth Piepenbrink during the 1981-82 season.
 
BIG EAST Rankings
Tori Schickel finds herself ranked in the top-five of multiple BIG EAST statistical categories. Schickel ranks 2nd in rebounds (9.7) 2nd in minutes (34.3), 3rd in steals (2.8), and 2nd in field goal percentage (53.8). A closer breakdown shows Schickel leading the league in offensive rebounds (4.5) and fifth in defensive boards (5.2). She also ranks inside the top-ten in scoring (13.6).
 
National Rankings
Butler ranks 62nd in the NCAA by averaging 10 steals per game. Tori Schickel ranks 36th in steals per game (2.8), 38th in rebounds per game (9.7), 59th in field goal percentage (53.8) and 99th in minutes played per game (34.2).
 
Injury Bug
The Bulldogs have used seven different starting lineups over the first 11 games of the regular season due to a slew of injuries. Brittany Ward has only seen 26 minutes of playing time this year and sharpshooter Sydney Buck has been out of the lineup since Nov. 16. Weaver has battled a back injury, Bailey missed time with a concussion, Shelton missed time with a foot injury, the same goes for Buford. The only player to start in all 11 games this year has been sophomore forward Tori Schickel. She joins Spolyar, Brey, Hodges and Humphrey as the only players to see minutes in all 11 games.
 
Heavy Lifting
Tori Schickel and Kristen Spolyar have scored nearly half of Butler's points this season. Schickel has 150 points on the year, just five more than Spolyar who combine for 295. The other nine players on the roster combine for 312. Schickel leads the team with her 13.6 scoring average. Spolyar is close behind at 13.2 ppg.
 
Fast Starts
Butler has been a good first quarter team, outscoring the opposition 160-142 over the opening 10 minutes. Fast starts have helped BU reach that overall total. The Bulldogs jumped out to a 7-0 lead vs. Ball State, a 7-0 lead vs. USF and a 12-0 start at TCU. Butler also posted fast starts at Wisconsin (7-1), vs. Fort Wayne (17-4) and vs. Bradley (18-2). In the victory over Indiana State on Dec. 11, BU opened the game by scoring the first 15 points of contest at Hinkle Fieldhouse to help secure the 66-48 win.
 
Spolyar Can Score
Kristen Spolyar set the Indiana single-season high school scoring record during her senior year at Lebanon with 1,031 points. That effort helped her finish third all-time in the state of Indiana with 2,882 career points. The newcomer has made an immediate impact at Butler by earning BIG EAST Freshman of the Week accolades two times at the start of the season. Spolyar averaged 17.3 points and 5.8 rebounds per game over her first four collegiate games, shooting 47 percent from the field and 30 percent from 3-point range.
 
Watch The Bulldogs
All conference games will be streamed on the BIG EAST Digital Network (BEDN), a branded channel on the FOX Sports GO app. The Bulldogs will play on a national stage two times this season. Butler will host Seton Hall on FS1 to bring in the New Year on Jan. 2. Two weeks later, BU will play at Marquette on Jan. 15 giving BU a second game on FS1.
 
Up Next
Butler's 2017 BIG EAST Conference home opener will take place on Jan. 2 when the Bulldogs host the Seton Hall Pirates on FS1. Butler's first nationally televised game will tip at 6:30 PM. BU will also host St. John's on Thursday, Jan. 5. Tip at Hinkle Fieldhouse is set for 7 PM.