GAME NOTES
 
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INDIANAPOLIS – Butler will host Xavier on Friday, Dec. 29 to open BIG EAST competition. Fans can watch the game live on FS2 beginning at 7 PM.
 
Bulldog Bits
- The Bulldogs have won four-straight games and are undefeated in December
- BU hasn't gone undefeated in December since 2007-08 when they went 6-0
- 8 non-conference wins is Godlevske's highest total since becoming head coach (14-15)
- Schickel, Jennings and Spolyar combined for 52 points at Indiana State
- Iman Lathan pulled down a season-high eight rebounds in the win at Indiana State
- Michelle Weaver tied her season-high total with five steals at Indiana State
- Butler leads the BIG EAST Conference in rebound margin (+4.5)
- BU ranks second in the BIG EAST with a 78.4 free throw percentage (163-208)
- Whitney Jennings is the third highest scorer in the BIG EAST at 18.7 ppg
- Sydney Shelton has left the women's basketball program, but will not transfer from BU
 
2017-18 BIG EAST STANDINGS
1) #18 Villanova 10-0
2) Seton Hall 8-3
3) RV DePaul 8-4
4) Butler 8-4
5) St. John's 7-4
6) Xavier 7-4
7) Creighton 6-4
8) Providence 7-5
9) RV Marquette 6-5
10) Georgetown 5-5
 
Scouting Xavier
The Musketeers enter conference play with a 7-4 overall record. Head Coach Brian Neal uses a large rotation that features 11 players averaging at least 13 minutes of playing time, but no player logging 30 or more minutes of action. Imani Partlow will look to get back on track Friday night against the Bulldogs. The talented forward leads the team in scoring (10.5 ppg) and is second on the squad in rebounding (6.3), yet she has only appeared in four total games. Partlow came off the bench in Xavier's recent win over Florida A&M to score five points in just nine minutes of playing time. Sophomore Na'Teshia Owens and senior Anniina Aijanen are the only two players to start in all 11 games for Xavier. Owens is a 5-5 guard that leads the team in assists while scoring 7.1 ppg. Aijanen is a 6-2 forward that heads into the weekend averaging 8.8 ppg.
 
RPI Rankings
Butler climbed up three spots in the latest RPI Poll and now rank 50th with an 8-4 overall record. The BIG EAST is well represented in the Top 50 of the RPI with Villanova coming in at 5, St. John's at 25, Marquette at 32, and Creighton at 49.
 
TGIF
The Bulldogs are 4-0 at home, 4-0 in the month of December and 3-0 when playing on Friday. Wins against Lipscomb and Wisconsin came on Friday nights at Hinkle Fieldhouse. BU also defeated Virginia Tech on a Friday afternoon in Melbourne, Fla.
 
Let's Go
Butler scored the first nine points of the game in the win over Loyola on Dec. 18. That impressive feat came just 10 days after the Bulldogs opened up the Wisconsin game on an 11-0 scoring run. Butler's largest scoring spree to start a game came at Murray State. The Bulldogs scored 14-straight points to post a 29-point victory.
 
A Year Ago
Butler and Xavier met three times during the 2016-17 season with Butler winning two of the three matchups. The first head-to-head battle featured overtime as BU went to Xavier to claim a 65-62 victory. The Musketeers would get revenge a month later by recording a 53-43 win at Hinkle Fieldhouse. The final meeting would come in the opening round of the BIG EAST Tournament. Butler was able to advance as the No. 10 seed by defeating Xavier 68-66. Michelle Weaver hit the game-winning shot with just seven seconds to play in the fourth quarter. Weaver finished the contest with 15 points. Teammate Tori Schickel stuffed the box score with 28 points, 14 rebounds, six blocks, two assists and a steal in 39 minutes. Schickel averaged 18.0 pts and 16.3 rebs per game against the Musketeers in 2016-17.
 
All-Time Series
Butler went 2-1 against Xavier last year to increase their lead in the all-time series 22-17. The first-ever meeting between the two programs was played during the 1982-83 season with BU winning 71-64. Kurt Godlevske is 5-3 against Xavier as the head coach of the Bulldogs. Two of the five wins have been recorded in the BIG EAST Tournament.
 
Fresh Start
The Bulldogs are 0-4 in conference openers since joining the BIG EAST in 2014-15. Butler's last win at the start of the conference season came in 2010-11 when the 'Dawgs beat Valparaiso 61-49 as members of the Horizon League.
 
Prime Time on FS1
Butler hits the big stage at least two times a year to face a conference opponent on national television. BU is 3-3 during the regular season when playing on FS1 or FS2. They split a pair of games last year by winning at home vs. Seton Hall on FS1, but fell at Marquette.
 
Keep the Streak Alive
Butler's current four-game winning streak is the second longest under the guidance of head coach Kurt Godlevske. Coach G helped BU win eight-straight games during the month of January during the 2014-15 season.
 
One-Two Punch
Tori Schickel and Whitney Jennings have accounted for 51% of Butler's scoring over the non-conference season. Jennings ranks third in the BIG EAST with an 18.7 scoring average. Schickel ranks seventh in the league by averaging 16.3 points per contest.
 
Heating Up
Kristen Spolyar is the first person off the bench for BU. She has reached double figure in scoring in nine of Butler's 12 games this year, including each of the last five games.
 
Status Check
For the first time since 2011-12, all BIG EAST teams are guaranteed to finish regular season non-conference play with a .500 or better record. Nationally ranked and undefeated Villanova still has one non-league game remaining when the Wildcats host Big Five foe Penn on Jan. 17, but at 10-0, are safely above the .500 mark. At 72-38 (.655), BIG EAST teams have combined for the finest regular season non-conference winning percentage since 2012-13, with its 72 victories also the most since conference realignment.
 
All-Time Great
Tori Schickel has 685 rebounds in her Butler career, a total that ranks her in a tie for seventh place all-time at Butler. Schickel is on pace to become the top rebounder in Butler women's basketball history.
 
1,000 Point Watch
Junior Tori Schickel has 909 career points. She is on pace to become just the 22nd player in Butler women's basketball history to reach 1,000.
 
Protect The Rim
Tori Schickel ranks 10th all-time at Butler in career blocks. She leads the team with 19 on the year, moving her career total to 99.
 
Buck For Three
Sydney Buck has hit 173 3-point field goals during her Butler career, a total that ranks her fourth all-time. The senior is now five three-point field goals away from third place all-time. That spot is currently held by Blaire Langlois (177), Buck's teammate from 2014-16.
 
Up Next
Butler will dive into 2018 with a pair of conference road games. The Bulldogs will play at Villanova on Jan. 2 and return to action with a road test at Georgetown on Friday, Jan. 5. Their next home game will be played on Sunday, Jan. 7 against Seton Hall.