GAME NOTES
 
Live Stats vs. Creighton | Watch BEDN
 
Live Stats vs. Providence | Watch BEDN
 
INDIANAPOLIS – Butler's four game home stand to end the month of January gets underway this Friday night when the Bulldogs host the Creighton Bluejays on BEDN. The weekend will come to a close with a 1 PM tip on Sunday against the Providence Friars.

Bulldog Bits
- Tori Schickel ranks second in the BIG EAST with eight double-doubles
- Schickel has scored in double figures in eight-straight games
- Whitney Jennings leads the BIG EAST and ranks 4th in the NCAA in minutes played
- Jennings has played 34+ minutes in 18 of 19 games (27 - season low)
- Shae Brey has grabbed an offensive rebound in 14-straight games
- Brey pulled down a career-high nine rebounds in the setback to DePaul on Jan. 14
- Butler leads the BIG EAST Conference in rebound margin (+5.1)
- Kristen Spolyar avg. 6.1 rebs over the last 9 games, only avg. 2.0 over the first 9
- Michelle Weaver tied her season-high scoring total with 12 points at DePaul
- Weaver led BU with four steals at DePaul, she now has 103 steals in her career
- BU is 11-0 when opponents shoot under 40% from the field; 0-8 at 40% and over

Scouting Creighton
Head Coach Jim Flanery relies on a talented trio of players to find the win column in Creighton. Audrey Faber, Jaylyn Agnew and Sydney Lamberty have all started in 17 games and all average double figures for the Bluejays. Faber is scoring 17.6 points per game, shooting 44 percent from the field and 42 percent from distance. Agnew is posting similar numbers with a 15.4 scoring average to go along with 47 percent shooting from the floor. Throw in Lamberty, the team leader in both rebounds and assists, and this group makes up 61 percent of the scoring for CU over the 2017-18 season.

A Year Ago vs. Creighton
Creighton topped BU last year in the BIG EAST opener 67-52 and made it a clean sweep with a 65-53 win at Hinkle in the regular season finale. The third meeting would fall in the quarterfinals of the conference tournament with Creighton advancing 64-55. The third quarter determined the outcome in the first meeting with Creighton outscoring Butler 16-4. BU held a six-point lead at the half, but was outscored 37-16 over the final 20 minutes. The second game was similar, however this time Creighton led by six at the break. The Bluejays took control of the outcome by winning the third 22-12. This trend would continue in the tournament game. BU led by two-points at the half, but Creighton won the third 22-13.

All-Time Series
Creighton has won the previous six meetings to take a 7-3 lead in the all-time series. Butler's last victory came during Kurt Godlevske's first season in 2014-15. BU won at home 63-58. Butler had swept Creighton during the 2013-14 regular season, but took a 61-52 loss to the Bluejays in the BIG EAST Tournament.

Scouting Providence
The Friars are led by junior guard Jovana Nogic. The 6-1, do-it-all player from Serbia leads the team in points and assists. Nogic is averaging 17.2 points per game by shooting 40 percent from the field. She has only missed three free throws this season (64-67/95.5) and is the top 3-point threat on the roster (53-142/37.3). Nogic is one of only two players to start in all 19 games for the Friars. Maddie Jolin is another piece to the puzzle with her 11.1 scoring average. The Friars lone conference win came at St. John's 49-44. They are 8-11 overall with more road wins (3) than home wins (2).

A Year Ago vs. Providence
The Friars swept the Bulldogs in 2016-17. Nogic scored a game-high 18 points in the first meeting to lead Providence to victory 68-51. The second meeting was more of the same with Nogic collecting 19 points in a 64-58 decision. Tori Schickel ended the game with 11 points and 19 rebounds, but the Friars would see four of their five starters hit double figures to claim the road win.

All-Time Series
Butler won the first six meetings against Providence to jump out to a 6-2 lead in the all-time series. PC responded by winning each head-to-head battle last year.

Knock Them Down
Butler has made more free throw attempts than any other school in the BIG EAST Conference. They are shooting 78.1% from the charity stripe, posting the best percentage in the league and the seventh-highest percentage in the NCAA.

1,000 Career Point Club
Junior Tori Schickel reached 1,000 career points on Jan. 10 against St. John's. She became just the 22nd player in Butler women's basketball history to reach 1,000. The standout center will now try to climb up the all-time scoring list at BU. She heads into the Creighton game with 1,033 points, the 19th highest total in school history. Angela Cotton (1990-94) is next on the list with 1,080 points.

All-Time Great
Tori Schickel has 752 rebounds in her Butler career, a total that ranks her seventh place all-time at Butler. She is now just six rebounds shy of sixth place (Lade Akande, 757 from 2005-09). Schickel will attempt to become just the third player in school history to reach 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds in her BU career, joining Elza Purvlicis (1980-84) and Beth Piepenbrink (1980-83). Schickel also ranks 8th all-time in career blocks. She leads the team with 31 blocks on the year, moving her career total to 111.

Ups and Downs, Smiles and Frowns
Butler won three-straight games at the start of 2018, but have now dropped three-straight to move their overall record to 11-8. Wins came at #21 Villanova, at Georgetown and at home vs. Seton Hall. The losses came to St. John's, Preseason BIG EAST favorite Marquette and DePaul. There is no reason to hit the panic button as those three teams currently rank one-two-three in the conference standings. Creighton also lost to those three opponents while Providence upset St. John's to go 1-2. Butler only trailed St. John's by six points heading into the fourth quarter and they led Marquette by four at the Al McGuire Center with less than two minutes to play in the fourth. BU will try to snap this three-game skid at Hinkle Fieldhouse where the team is 5-2 this season.

Keys to Victory
Butler needs to get off to a good start on Friday night. During the 2017-18 season, Butler is 8-0 when leading at the half. They were +4 in the first quarter during their recent three-game winning streak, but -16 over their last three. Making adjustments at the half will be equally as important. BU was +33 in the third quarter during the 3-0 stretch, but was -5 during the three-game skid. Variables to keep an eye on this weekend include tempo, rebounds and turnovers. Butler slowed down their opponents at the start of the year and only allowed 52.7 points compared to the 76.3 points they have allowed over their last three games. They averaged 42.7 rebounds and 15.7 turnovers during the winning streak, but just 34.0 rebounds and 20.7 turnovers over their last three.

BEDN
Matt Schumacker and Ralph Reiff will call the game on Friday night. Schumacker will return on Sunday to work the Butler vs. Providence game alongside Will Haskett.

Up Next
Butler will hit the halfway point of the conference schedule next weekend when they host Georgetown and Villanova. BU picked up a win over each opponent at the start of 2018. Georgetown will play at Butler on Friday, Jan. 26. The Wildcats will follow on Sunday.