Game Notes
 
Live Stats
 
Watch on FS1
 
INDIANAPOLIS – The Butler women's basketball team will host Seton Hall tonight to bring in the New Year. The game between the Bulldogs and the Pirates will air live on FS1 at 6:30 PM.
 
Gameday Information
Date: Monday, January 2, 2017 / 6:30 PM
Location: Indianapolis, Ind. / Hinkle Fieldhouse
Live Stats: ButlerSports.com | Watch: FS1
Series History: Seton Hall leads the all-time series vs. Butler 4-2
Last Meeting: Seton Hall defeated Butler 72-67 during the 2015-16 season
 
Bulldog Bits
- Tori Schickel has led Butler in rebounding in each game this season
- Nearly half of Schickel's rebounds this year (127) have been offensive (59)
- Butler is a young team with four freshmen, four sophomores and two juniors
- Kristen Spolyar scored nine of her team-high 11 points at PC in the 2nd half
- Butler didn't allow a single offensive rebound at Providence in the first half
- BU only hit one of their 15 3-point FG attempts at Providence
- Butler pulled down a season-high 45 rebounds at Creighton (12/28)
- BU went undefeated during January in 2014-15 under Coach Godlevske (9-0)
- Sydney Buck is out indefinitely with a lower extremity injury
 
All-Time Series
Seton Hall leads the all-time series against Butler 4-2. The Pirates swept BU during the 2015-16 season by claiming a 98-77 win at home and then winning 72-67 at Hinkle Fieldhouse. The 2014-15 season featured more of the same with SHU winning 85-76 on the road and 70-65 in New Jersey. Butler's two wins came during the 2013-14 season. The first-ever meeting went to the Bulldogs 75-69. Game two was a close one that went to the home team 74-72.
 
Keys To The Game
Three things need to happen in order for Butler to snap their three-game losing streak. The top priority is for the Bulldogs to score more than 60 points. BU is 2-0 this year when they score more than 60 points, but just 1-10 when they score in the 50's. The Bulldogs are averaging 54 points per game during the regular season and just 51 points per game after two conference matchups. A high shooting percentage obviously will help Butler reach the 60-point plateau. 40% FG shooting has been the magic number this season. When BU shoots 40% they are 3-2 on the year. When they dip below 40% they are 0-8. The third factor ties into the first two as well. Butler needs a team effort on the offensive end of the court. Three or more players reached double figuring scoring in all three BU wins this season. Tori Schickel, Kristen Spolyar and Michelle Weaver all average over 10 points per game, they will all need to produce tonight in order to beat the Pirates.
 
Injury Bug
The Bulldogs used seven different starting lineups during the non-conference schedule due to a slew of injuries. Sharpshooter Sydney Buck has been out of the lineup since Nov. 16 with a foot injury (10 Games). Michelle Weaver has battled a back injury (2 Games), Alexa Bailey missed time with a concussion (3 Games), Sydney Shelton missed time with a foot injury (4 Games), the same goes for Taylor Buford (3 Games). The only player to start in all 13 games this year has been sophomore Tori Schickel.
 
Heavy Lifting
Tori Schickel and Kristen Spolyar have scored nearly half of Butler's points this season. Schickel has 168 points on the year, just one more than Spolyar. The duo comes together for 335 points while the rest of the roster accounts for 375. Schickel currently leads the team with her 12.9 scoring average. Spolyar is close behind in second at 12.8 ppg.
 
BIG EAST Rankings
Tori Schickel finds herself ranked in the top-five of multiple BIG EAST statistical categories. Schickel ranks 2nd in rebounds (9.8) 2nd in minutes (33.7), 3rd in field goal percentage (52.1) and 4th in steals (2.5). A closer breakdown shows Schickel leading the league in offensive rebounds (4.5) and ranking fourth in defensive boards (5.2). The sophomore forward also ranks eighth in blocked shots (1.3) and 14 in scoring average (12.9).
 
National Rankings
Butler ranks 86th in the NCAA by averaging 9.5 steals per game. Tori Schickel ranks 37th in rebounds per game (9.8), 59th in steals per game (2.5), and 137th in minutes played per game (33.6).
 
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 13 games, Schickel has pulled down 127 rebounds. The school record of 302 was set by Beth Piepenbrink during the 1981-82 season.
 
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 17th 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 Georgetown, DePaul, Marquette, St. John's, and Creighton all rank in the top 100 of the women's basketball RPI.
 
Fast Starts
Butler outscored the opposition 160-142 over the opening 10 minutes of the game against non-conference opponents. Fast starts 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 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. Tonight's tilt vs. Seton Hall will be aired live on FS1 at 6:30 PM. Nearly two weeks later, BU will play at Marquette on Jan. 15, giving the Bulldogs a second game on FS1.
 
Up Next
Butler will play two more conference games later this week with a home contest scheduled against St. John's on Thursday, Jan. 5, followed by a road game at Xavier on Sunday, Jan. 8. Tip-off at Hinkle Fieldhouse against the Red Storm will go up at 7 PM. The away game against the Musketeers will tip at 2 PM. Each game can be streamed live on BEDN.