GAME NOTES | WATCH | LIVE STATS
 
INDIANAPOLIS – The Bulldogs will take their eight-game winning streak into the Cintas Center on Friday night to face the Xavier Musketeers the 7 PM tip will stream live on BEDN.
 
Bulldog Bits                                                                                                                       
- BU is receiving votes in both national polls for the first time as a member of the BIG EAST
- BU has never been ranked in the Top-25 of either poll (AP or USA Today Coaches)
- Butler ranks 18th in the latest NCAA RPI Poll (Jan. 6)
- Butler started BIG EAST Conference play 4-0 for the first time in school history
- This year marks the best start to a season in program history (D1 era ... 1984-85)
- Tori Schickel is just 10 rebounds shy of 1,000 for her outstanding career
- Kristen Spolyar leads the team and BIG EAST in free throw makes and attempts
- Michelle Weaver ranks sixth in the NCAA in steals (56 total / 3.7 steals per game)
- BU leads the BIG EAST and ranks 7th in the NCAA in scoring defense (51.9 ppg)
- Butler leads the conference and ranks 17th in the NCAA in rebound margin (+10.5)
 
2018-19 BIG EAST STANDINGS
Butler 4-0, 14-1
Marquette 3-0, 12-3       
Villanova 2-2, 10-4          
Creighton 2-2, 8-7           
Georgetown 2-2, 8-7      
DePaul 1-2, 10-5
Seton Hall 1-2, 9-5           
St. John's 1-2, 8-6            
Xavier 1-3, 10-5 9-2
Providence 1-3, 9-7
 
Scouting Xavier                                                                                               
The Musketeers recently defeated Seton Hall in overtime 63-62 to earn their first BIG EAST win of the season. A'riana Gray led Xavier to victory with 19 points and 22 rebounds. She averages a double-double by scoring 13.8 points per game and a league-best 10.5 rebounds. Na'Teshia Owens is another scoring threat on the Xavier roster. The 5-5 guard is averaging 12.9 points per game and is near the team lead in assists. She scored 18 points in the win over Seton Hall in 39 minutes of action.
 
Keys To the Game                                                                                                          
Youth vs. Experience... Butler starts three seniors and two juniors in their starting five unit and Xavier typically starts three sophomores, a freshman and one junior. Returning players from the 2017-18 roster accounted for 59 of Butler's 62 points last year in the first meeting vs. Xavier and 48 of their 54 points in the rematch. On the flip side, Xavier returners only contributed 20 of the team's 69 points in game one and 23 of the 57 in the second meeting.
 
Last Year vs. Xavier                                                                                        
Xavier swept Butler last year by recording a 69-62 win at Hinkle Fieldhouse on FS2 and a 57-54 win at the Cintas Center in the regular season finale. The first matchup was a wild one that featured Xavier coming out on top 19-7 after the first quarter. Butler would respond with a 27-point second quarter to cut the halftime deficit to just two points. Xavier would adjust to win the third frame 22-10 which allowed them to hold off Butler in the fourth. Whitney Jennings had 25 points in the loss, Tori Schickel added 10 and Kristen Spolyar ended the game with 15. The rematch in Cincinnati was close from start to finish. Jennings scored a game-high 15 points and Spolyar would once again reach double figures with 12.
 
Free Throw Comparison                                                                                              
Each game between Butler and Xavier last year came down to the fourth quarter. Crunch time may favor BU this year as Xavier ranks last in the BIG EAST with a 62.4 team free throw percentage. Butler ranks fifth in the league (69.8), but is coming off a game vs. St. John's where they hit 20 of their 24 attempts (83.3).
 
Defend The Arc                                                                                                
Xavier and Butler are the top two teams in the BIG EAST Conference in defending the 3-point line. Opponents have hit just 26 percent from 3-point land vs. Xavier. The Bulldogs are close behind in second at 27 percent.
 
Rebound Battle                                                                                               
Butler is 11-0 this season when they outrebound their opponent. The 'Dawgs head into Friday night's game +9.4 in rebound margin, the Musketeers are -4.5.
 
Spolyar Lands on BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll                                  
Butler's historic run stretched through another 3-0 week as the Bulldogs improved to 14-1 on the year and 4-0 in BIG EAST play. Spolyar paced the Bulldogs with 13.7 points and 6.7 rebounds, highlighted by a 23-point, six-rebound outing in Sunday's win over St. John's.
 
What A Start                                                                                                     
Butler has not started a season 14-1 since 1981-82. The Bulldogs moved up to Division I status at the start of the 1984-85 season when they joined the North Star Conference.
 
Eight-Straight                                                                                                   
Butler has rattled off eight-straight wins for the first time since 2014-15. Coach G guided the Bulldogs to eight-straight wins during the month of January in his first season at the helm. Only three Butler teams have won nine-straight games or more during the D1 era. The 1997-98 team won 15-straight, the 1990-91 team won 10 and the 1989-90 team won nine.
 
Recipe for Success                                                                                                          
Butler leads the BIG EAST in rebound margin (+9.4), scoring defense (51.9), steals (188), steals per game (12.5) free throw attempts (281), free throws made (196), and win-loss percentage (93.3). They rank second in field goal percentage, field goal percentage defense, 3-point field goal defense, scoring margin, rebounds, and rebounds per game.
 
League Leaders                                                                                                
Tori Schickel leads the BIG EAST in double-doubles with seven; Michelle Weaver has more steals than any other player in the BIG EAST with 56. She ended 2017-18 with 57 steals.
 
Michelle Making Plays                                                                                 
Michelle Weaver will try to add her name to the Butler record book this weekend. The senior guard has a team-best 67 assists this year, moving her career total to 267. Six assists at Xavier will rank her 10th all-time in school history.
 
Schickel Goes After Rebound Record                                                     
Tori Schickel has 990 rebounds in her Bulldog career, a total that ranks her third all-time. She is now 23 rebounds away from second-place and 10 away from 1,000. Schickel will 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). She is the third-best rebounder in the league this season, averaging 8.9 rebounds per game.
 
Schickel Climbs Scoring List                                                                        
Tori Schickel is only the seventh player in Butler women's basketball history to reach 1,400 career points. She heads into Friday with 1,428 points. She is now only 20 points away from sixth-place all time (Barb Skinner, 1979-83... 1,448).
 
Rim Protector                                                                                                   
Tori Schickel ranks fourth all-time at Butler in career blocked shots (149).
 
Welcome Genesis Parker                                                                                            
5-8 guard Genesis Parker has joined the Butler women's basketball program. Parker transferred at the end of the semester from Cincinnati. She was a four-star recruit (ESPN HoopGurlz) coming out of Stonewall Jackson High School in Bristow, Virginia.
 
Thomas To Miss Time                                                                                   
Ashanti Thomas is academically ineligible for the rest of the season. The 6-4 center averaged 4.2 points and 2.2 rebounds per game for Butler in 2018.
 
Up Next                                                                                                                              
Butler will take a lengthy BIG EAST road trip next weekend with games at Providence and Creighton. The Friday tilt at Providence will tip at 11:30 AM. Sunday's game on FS2 at Creighton will feature a 3 PM start time.