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INDIANAPOLIS – Butler will try to improve to 2-0 on the young season when they welcome the Murray State Racers to Hinkle Fieldhouse on Tuesday night. Tip between the two teams is set for 7 PM and will stream on Facebook Live.
 
Bulldog Bits
- Butler won their season opener for the second-straight year
- BU won by 30+ points for the first time since 11/17/11 (vs. Marian, 74-39)
- Tori Schickel recorded 16 points and 12 rebounds in the win
- Butler shot 50% from the field vs. the Panthers (28-for-56)
- All 14 student-athletes on the roster saw playing time in the season opener
- Butler pulled down 14 offensive rebounds in the first game of the season
- Michelle Weaver knocked down all five of her field goal attempts to net 11 points
- BU won the points in the paint battle vs. EIU 48-10
- Butler limited Eastern Illinois to 10 points or less in three of four quarters
 
'Dawgs Defend in Season Opener                                                                           
Butler limited Eastern Illinois to just 37 points on Friday. The Panthers shot 25 percent from the field (12-48), making half of their field goals from behind the arc. 37 points is the fewest points allowed by BU since 1997-98 when the Bulldogs defeated Western Michigan at Hinkle Fieldhouse 83-35.
 
Last Year at Murray State                                                                                           
Butler jumped out to a 14-0 lead last year at Murray State and would move forward to win the game 88-59. Tori Schickel scored the first nine points of the game and would end the contest with 29 points and eight rebounds. BU shot 61 percent from the field and hit six 3-point field goals. Butler never trailed in the game. They forced 21 turnovers which resulted in 28 points. Only one of Murray State's five starters returns in 2018. Janika Griffith-Wallace scored two points in 20 minutes last year.
 
Scouting Murray State                                                                                  
Murray State heads into Tuesday night's game with a 2-0 overall record, averaging 97 points per game. They defeated Evansville in their first game 81-53 and most recently recorded a 113-55 win over Oakland City. Evelyn Adebayo leads the team in points and rebounds. After two games, she is averaging 18 points and 11.5 boards. Macey Turley and Janika Griffith-Wallace are also averaging double figures in the scoring column. The Racers are +21 in rebounds over the first two games of the year and +9 in turnover margin. They are shooting 49 percent from the field and 39 percent from 3-point range.
 
More of The Same Please                                                                                           
Butler set season-high totals in points (88), field goals made (35), and field goal percentage (61.4) last year vs. Murray State. It was the only game of the season for BU to score 80 or more points.
 
Finish Strong                                                                                                     
Butler limited Eastern Illinois to just 1-of-11 shooting in the fourth quarter on Friday (9.1%). The one made field goal was a 3-pointer.
 
Double-Double                                                                                               
Tori Schickel recorded the 35th double-double of her BU career on Friday. She ended the game with 16 points and 12 rebounds, leading BU in each category. Schickel had seven double-doubles as a true freshman and 16 as a sophomore. A year ago, Schickel led the team with 11 double-doubles.
 
Lucky Number 5                                                                                                              
Michelle Weaver went 5-for-5 from the field vs. Eastern Illinois while adding five assists and a team-high five steals. The senior was great defensively by adding two blocked shots and three defensive rebounds.
 
Butler Debuts                                                                                                   
Transfers Katherine Strong, Ashanti Thomas and Naira Caceres all made their team debut in the opener after sitting out last year due to the NCAA transfer rule. The trio combined for 15 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in the win. Strong started and logged 14 minutes of playing time. Thomas (10 mins) and Caceres (20 mins) came off the bench.
 
New Start                                                                                                                           
Only four players on the 2018-19 Murray State roster were listed in the box score from last year's game vs. Butler. Griffith-Wallace, Crane, Barrett and Manley all saw playing time, but five of the Racers' six top scorers this year were not around for the last meeting.
 
1,000 x2                                                                                                                              
Tori Schickel reached 1,000 career points on Jan. 10, 2018 against St. John's. She became just the 22nd player in Butler women's basketball history to reach 1,000. Schickel now ranks 12th on the all-time scoring list with 1,253 career points. The four-year starter will also chase down 1,000 career rebounds this year. Schickel heads into Tuesday night with 868 rebounds, a total that ranks her fourth all-time at Butler. She 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).
 
Up Next
Butler will host Western Illinois on Saturday. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 PM.