GAME NOTES
 
INDIANAPOLIS – The Butler women's basketball team will take their nine-game winning streak into the weekend for a pair of road games. Providence will host Butler early on Friday for an 11:30 AM tip as part of their Education Day. Sunday's tilt at Creighton will start at 3 PM on FS1.
 
Bulldog Bits                                                                                                                       
- Butler is receiving votes in each national poll for the second consecutive week
- Butler ranks 17th in the latest NCAA RPI Poll (Jan. 13)
- Tori Schickel needs four rebounds to reach 1,000 in her outstanding career
- Michelle Weaver ranks fourth in the NCAA in steals (62 total / 3.8 steals per game)
- Weaver had seven assists and zero turnovers at Xavier while recording six steals
- Kat Strong is averaging 12.0 points per game vs. BIG EAST opponents (6.4 season)
- Seven of Butler's 15 wins this season have been by 20+ points
- Butler has hit five or more 3-pointers in four-straight games
- Butler has not allowed 60 points to any conference opponent this season (5-0)
- BU leads the BIG EAST and ranks fifth in the NCAA in scoring defense (51.3 ppg)
- Butler ranks 10th in the NCAA in field goal percentage defense (33.9)
 
Scouting Providence                                                                                     
The Friars are 10-8 overall after taking a 79-73 loss at Seton Hall on Sunday. The outcome snapped a two-game win streak that included victories over Villanova (67-61) and St. John's (67-66 in OT). Jovana Nogic is the top threat offensively for Providence. The 6-1 senior is scoring 13.5 points per game and doubles as the team leader in steals. Nogic, Maddie Jolin and Kaela Webb all shoot well from 3-point land (35% and up). Reigning BIG EAST Freshman of the Week Mary Baskerville will patrol the paint for PC. Baskerville claimed her third honor in four weeks after averaging 13.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.0 blocks and .667 shooting in a 1-1 road week for the Friars. Baskerville led Providence to its third consecutive win over St. John's on Friday with 14 points and 10 boards.
 
Last Year vs. Providence                                                                                             
Butler went 3-0 vs. Providence last year. The first meeting was an 11-point win for BU on their home floor. The 'Dawgs won the third quarter 16-6 to erase a three-point halftime deficit. Tori Schickel led BU to victory with 27 points and nine rebounds. Game two was decided in the second quarter with Butler outscoring the Friars 22-8 on their way to winning 69-48. Michelle Weaver led the charge with 20 points. The third game came in the first round of the BIG EAST Tournament. Butler went into overtime with Providence to walk away with a 73-67 win. Kristen Spolyar scored 21 points help BU advance.
 
Scouting Creighton                                                                                        
The Bluejays are one game above .500 this season with conference wins over DePaul, Georgetown and St. John's. The team is led by senior Audrey Faber. Through 17 games, Faber leads Creighton in points, rebounds, assists, and blocked shots. She shoots 49 percent from the field and 40 percent from 3-point range. Faber is the only Bluejay to start in all 17 games this season. She ranks second in the BIG EAST in points per game (17.5).
 
Last Year vs. Creighton
Each team picked up a win on their home court last year. The Bulldogs jumped out to a 22-9 lead in the first meeting and would win by six behind a 17-point effort from Whitney Jennings. The rematch went to Creighton 64-55. Schickel went for a game-high 20 points.
 
Jennings Lands on BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll                
Jennings led the Bulldogs to their ninth consecutive win by scoring 20 points, including a 4-of-6 clip from deep, in Butler's victory at Xavier on Friday night. The senior added four steals and four rebounds and shot 7-of-12 overall. Fourteen of Jennings' game-high 20 came in the third quarter as Butler turned a seven-point halftime lead into a 20-point advantage. Jennings has now scored 20+ points five times this season.
 
Keep Winning in Conference                                                                     
Butler has won their first five conference games of the season for the first time since 2010-11. BU played in the Horizon League during that time and ended the year with 20 wins. They finished conference play at 12-6 after winning their first seven league games.
 
Strong Hits Her Stride                                                                                   
Katherine Strong has scored in double figures in four of Butler's five conference games this season. She dropped a season-high 18 points in the win at Xavier. Strong went 2-for-2 from 3-point land and pulled down seven rebounds.
 
Historic Start                                                                                                     
Butler has not started a season 15-1 since 1980-81. The Bulldogs moved up to Division 1 status at the start of the 1984-85 season when they joined the North Star Conference.
 
Nine-Straight Wins                                                                                                        
The 2018-19 team is just the fourth group in program history to win nine-straight games in a single-season during the Division 1 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 scoring defense (51.3), steals (203), steals per game (12.7) field goal percentage defense (33.9), 3-point field goal defense (26.5), rebound margin (+8.9), and win-loss percentage (93.8).
 
Michelle Making Plays                                                                                 
Michelle Weaver has placed her name into the Butler record book in two separate categories this season. The senior leads the team, the BIG EAST and ranks fourth in the NCAA in steals (62) moving her career total to 181. She ranks eighth all-time at Butler in total steals. Weaver also leads the team in assists with 74. She now ranks 10th all-time at BU with 274 career assists. Weaver has recorded at least one steal and one assist in every game this season.
 
Schickel Goes After Rebound Record                                                     
Tori Schickel has 996 rebounds in her Bulldog career, a total that ranks her third all-time. She is now 17 rebounds away from second-place and four 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 8.8 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 1,431 points. She is now only 17 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).
 
Up Next                                                                                                                              
Butler will host DePaul and Marquette next weekend to close the month of January.