GAME NOTES

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INDIANAPOLIS – Two undefeated teams will take the hardwood in the Sun Dome on Monday night when #22 USF plays host to Butler. Tip-off is slated for 7 PM.
 
Bulldog Bits
- Butler is 3-0 at the start the season for the first time since 1990-91
- Tori Schickel recorded her first double-double of the season vs. Lipscomb (15 pt, 17 reb)
- Whitney Jennings filled up the box score with 20 pts, 8 rebs, and 6 assists vs. Lipscomb
- Butler outscored Lipscomb 27-4 in the third quarter (15-0 scoring run)
- Butler only committed a 14 turnovers in the win over Lipscomb, a season-low total
- Butler recorded 34 points in the paint vs. Lipscomb while only allowing four
- The Bulldogs have won the rebound battle against all three opponents this year
- BU has had three players reach double figures in scoring in all three games
- Coach Godlevske named Tori Schickel and Whitney Jennings team captains
- Tori Schickel was named to the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team
 
Just Win Baby
The Bulldogs are 3-0 at the start of the 2017-18 season. The last Butler team to start the year 3-0 was the 1990-91 squad who opened the year 10-0. Only five other teams in program history have started the year 3-0 (1981-82, 1980-81, 1979-80, 1978-79, 1977-78).
 
Scoring Runs
Butler opened the Murray State game on a 14-0 scoring run. Tori Schickel was responsible for the first nine points of the contest and would add another bucket after a 3-point field goal from Whitney Jennings. The longest scoring run of the season would follow in the game against Lipscomb. Butler erased a seven-point halftime deficit in the opening stages of the third quarter by going on a 15-0 scoring run. Four of the five starters made a field goal during the scoring spree.
 
What You See Is What You Get
South Florida uses an eight player rotation with four of the five starters averaging over 30 minutes of playing time per game. The Bulldogs also have eight players averaging 10 minutes of playing time or more, however Tori Schickel and Whitney Jennings are the only two who average more than 30 minutes per game.
 
Rebound Record Belongs to Schickel
Tori Schickel pulled down 364 rebounds a year ago to break the Butler single-season school record. She led Butler in rebounding in all 31 games, pulling down 125 on the offensive glass and 239 on defense. Schickel grabbed 10 rebounds or more in 19 games during the 2016-17 season. Her season-high of 20 rebounds was recorded twice, once at Xavier (1/8) and the next time at home against Villanova (1/20). The preseason all-conference selection is coming off a 17 rebound performance against Lipscomb. Her new season-high total doubles as the highest rebound mark of any BIG EAST player this year.
 
Scouting #22 USF
The Bulls are also 3-0 at the start of the 2017-18 season. They have recorded wins over LSU, Houston Baptist, and Arkansas State. All three of those games were played inside the Sun Dome. Kitija Laksa leads the team in scoring at 22.3 points per game. She is shooting 40 percent from the field and 33 percent from 3-point range. The Bulldogs will also need to prepare for Maria Jespersen and Laura Ferreira. Jespersen is the second leading scorer on the squad at 18.7 ppg. Ferreira averages a double-double at 10 points and 11 rebounds. Laia Flores runs the point for USF. She has 22 assists over the first three games of the season.
 
Tale of the Tape
Monday night's game could feature a lot of points with USF averaging 83 per game and Butler scoring 77 per contest. Turnovers and rebounding could be huge factors in the outcome. The Bulldogs had 20+ turnovers in their first two games of the year, but pulled that number back to 14 against Lipscomb. USF only has 30 total turnovers this season. On the glass, both teams have been dominant against the opposition. Butler is +15, +12 and +17 in three games this year, averaging 44 boards per game. USF averages 56 rebounds per contest with four of the five starters averaging 7 or more.
 
Last Meeting
USF recorded a 74-59 win at Hinkle Fieldhouse just one year ago. Butler held a one-point lead at the half, but the Bulls would win the third quarter 22-12 and close out the game in the fourth 22-16. USF hit 11 3-point field goals in the win. Laia Flores scored 18 points and dished out eight assists. Laura Ferreira added 12 points while Kitija Laksa scored 11. Butler was led by Tori Schickel who scored 10 points and pulled down 13 rebounds. Sydney Shelton scored a team-high 12 points off the bench.
 
1,000 Point Watch
Junior Tori Schickel enters the second week of the season with 771 career points. She is on pace to become just the 22nd player in Butler women's basketball history to reach 1,000.
 
Up Next
The team will stay in Florida over Thanksgiving Break to participate in the Paradise Jam Tournament. Butler will play #12 West Virginia, Virginia Tech and Drexel in three consecutive days (Nov. 23-25).