GAME NOTES   |  BEDN vs. DePaul  |  Live Stats vs. DePaul  |  BEDN vs. Marquette  |  Live Stats vs. Marquette

INDIANAPOLIS – Two of the top teams in the BIG EAST Conference standings will visit Hinkle Fieldhouse this weekend with Butler hosting both DePaul and Marquette. There will be a Chick-Fila giveaway for Dawg Pound members on Friday night at 7 PM for Butler's game against DePaul. On Sunday, pizza will be delivered to all students in attendance for the matchup against Marquette. All members of the Indy Girls Hoops League will also enter the game free of charge by wearing their jersey.
 
Bulldog Bits                                                                                                                       
- Butler ranks 21st in the latest NCAA RPI Poll (Jan. 21) Marquette #15 / DePaul #43
- Kat Strong scored a career-high 23 points at Creighton in just 21 minutes of action
- Butler committed a season-low 11 turnovers in the win at Creighton (28 pts off )
- Tori Schickel posted two double-doubles last weekend in wins at PC and CU
- Whitney Jennings scored a season-high 25 points in the triple overtime loss at PC
- Jennings logged a season-high 54 minutes of action in the setback
- Four members of Butler's starting five on Friday fouled out at Providence
- Butler held Providence to just three points in the second quarter on Friday
- Michelle Weaver ranks third in the NCAA in steals (68 total / 3.7 steals per game)
- BU leads the BIG EAST and ranks fourth in the NCAA in scoring defense (52.1)
- Butler also ranks fourth in the NCAA in steals per game (12.7)
 
2018-19 BIG EAST STANDINGS
1) Marquette 7-0, 16-3
2) Butler 6-1, 16-2
3) DePaul 4-3, 13-6
4) Seton Hall 4-3, 12-6
5) Providence 4-4, 12-8
6) Creighton 4-4, 10-9
7) Georgetown 3-4, 9-9
8) Villanova 2-5, 11-7
9) Xavier 1-6, 10-8
10) St. John's 1-6, 8-10
 
Scouting (RV) DePaul                                                                                    
The Blue Demons are 4-3 against conference opponents with a 13-6 overall record. Head Coach Doug Bruno has three players averaging 13 points per game. The balanced unit has six additional players scoring at least five points per game. DePaul is coming off an 84-73 loss at home to Seton Hall. Ashton Millender led the team with 18 points. She was one of three players in double figures. The Blue Demons hit 11 3-point field goals in the setback. They lead the BIG EAST Conference in 3-point shooting with 223 makes in 19 games, an average of 11.7 made 3-pointers per game. DePaul also leads the league in assists (19.1).
 
Last Year vs. DePaul                                                                                      
DePaul hit 12 3-pointers in the first meeting against Butler to notch an 87-65 win at Wintrust Arena. The Blue Demons forced 24 turnovers and had six players end the game with a double figure scoring total. In the rematch at Hinkle, Butler would jump out to a 25-16 lead after the first quarter, but the Blue Demons would come back to post an 86-68 win. Jennings had 23 in the setback and DePaul would once again use a team effort to light up the scoreboard. Stonewall had 16, Campbell and Coleman each had 15 and Grays had 13.
 
Scouting #10 Marquette                                                                                              
The Golden Eagles are up to No. 10 in the AP Top-25 Poll after posting wins over Seton Hall and St. John's. Every member of the Marquette starting five unit averages 10 or more points per game. They are 7-0 in the BIG EAST standings and 16-3 overall. All three losses this season came against ranked opponents (Notre Dame, Mississippi State, Miami). Natisha Hiedeman leads the team and the BIG EAST Conference in scoring. She averages 18.6 per game and has increased that output against conference foes by scoring 24.0 points per game. Marquette leads the league in scoring offense (84.9), scoring margin (+23.9), field goal percentage (.470), and turnover margin (+5.5).
 
Last Year vs. Marquette                                                                                              
Marquette went 3-0 vs. Butler last year and would eliminate BU from the conference tournament with a 73-61 victory in the quarterfinals. The game came down to the wire with the two teams coming together at 59-59 with 5:04 to play. Amani Wilborn hit a big 3-pointer down the stretch to help her team pull out the win. She scored a season-high 26 points in the victory. BU was led by Michelle Weaver (17) and Tori Schickel (16). The Golden Eagles handled Butler inside Hinkle Fieldhouse 78-59, but in the first meeting a last second shot would lift the Golden Eagles to a win in Milwaukee. BU outscored Marquette by four points in both the third and fourth quarters to mount a comeback, but a last second bucket by Allazia Blockton with just 0.8 left on the clock would give the Golden Eagles a 69-67 victory.
 
Bounce Back                                                                                                                     
Butler took a tough triple overtime loss at Providence to snap a nine-game winning streak, but the team would bounce back with a 32-point win at Creighton. The outcome in Omaha goes down as the largest margin of victory for Butler against a BIG EAST opponent. It was also Butler's first win in Omaha since March 4, 2014. BU will look to keep this trend going this weekend. The Bulldogs have never defeated DePaul (0-15) and have just two wins over Marquette since joining the BIG EAST Conference.
 
Double-Double Watch                                                                                 
Tori Schickel posted her ninth double-double of the season on Sunday at Creighton with 10 points and 12 rebounds. Schickel ranks second in the conference in double-doubles and 22nd in the NCAA.
 
Halfway Point                                                                                                  
This weekend will mark the halfway point of the conference season. Butler has already matched their BIG EAST win total from a year ago and have surpassed their overall win total from the 2017-18 season. 16 wins is Godlevske's highest total since he took over the program in 2014-15. The Bulldogs still have at least 12 games remaining on the schedule. Their last winning season came in 2012-13 (17-14, 8-6 Atlantic-10 Conference).
 
Jennings Lands on BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll                
In a 1-1 road swing for the Bulldogs, Jennings averaged 21.5 points and 5.5 rebounds. In Friday's triple-overtime setback at Providence, the senior twice extended the game by scoring game-tying buckets at the end of the frame, finishing with 25 points, before posting 18 points, seven boards in Sunday's nationally televised win at Creighton.
 
Recipe for Success                                                                                                          
Butler leads the BIG EAST in scoring defense (52.1), steals (229), steals per game (12.7) field goal percentage defense (34.0), rebound margin (+9.1), free throw attempts (341), and winning percentage (88.9).
 
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 (68) moving her career total to 187. She ranks eighth all-time at Butler in total steals. Weaver also leads the team in assists with 81. She now ranks ninth all-time at BU with 281 career assists. Weaver has recorded at least one steal and one assist in every game this season.
 
Schickel Goes After Rebound Record                                                     
Tori Schickel now ranks second all-time at Butler in career rebounds. The senior center posted two double-doubles last weekend to move her total to 1,020. She is now just 31 rebounds shy of setting a new school record.
 
Schickel Climbs Scoring List                                                                        
Tori Schickel will move to fourth on the BU all-time scoring list on Friday with her first point of the game. She is currently tied for fifth with 1,461 points alongside Brittany Bowen who played for BU from 2007-11.
 
Rim Protector                                                                                                   
Tori Schickel ranks fourth all-time at Butler in career blocked shots (152).
 
Up Next                                                                                                                              
Butler's next road trip will feature games at St. John's and Seton Hall. The Red Storm will host the Bulldogs on Friday night at 7 PM. Tip-off against the Pirates on Super Bowl Sunday will go up at 1 PM.