GAME NOTES
INDIANAPOLIS – Butler will host two BIG EAST opponents this weekend in Seton Hall and St. John's. The Pirates will visit Hinkle Fieldhouse on Friday night for a 7 PM tip. Action will stream on BEDN. Sunday's 1 PM tilt against the Red Storm can be viewed live on FS2.
Bulldog Bits
- Butler moved up to No. 17 in the latest NCAA RPI Poll (Jan. 1)
- Butler started BIG EAST Conference play 2-0 for the first time in school history
- Butler outscored Villanova 20-8 in the fourth quarter to earn a road conference win
-
Tori Schickel scored a season-high 22 points in the win and added nine rebounds
-
Michelle Weaver hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 2:26 left, helping BU earn the win
-
Katherine Strong matched her season-high point total with 15 at Villanova
-
Shae Brey pulled down 12 rebounds in each BIG EAST win last weekend
-
Whitney Jennings scored 23 points (8-for-23) in the win at Georgetown
- Butler limited Georgetown to just six points (2-for-13) in the fourth quarter
- BU leads the BIG EAST and ranks 8th in the NCAA in scoring defense (51.9 ppg)
- Butler leads the conference and ranks 16 in the NCAA in rebound margin (+10.5)
2018-19 BIG EAST STANDINGS
Butler 2-0, 12-1
#20 Marquette 2-0, 11-3
Seton Hall 1-0, 9-3
Villanova 1-1, 9-3
#24 DePaul 1-1, 10-4
Creighton 1-1, 7-6
Georgetown 1-1, 7-6
St. John's 0-1, 7-5
Xavier 0-2, 9-4
Providence 0-2, 8-6
Scouting Seton Hall
The Pirates defeated St. John's 77-67 last week in their BIG EAST Conference opener. The victory moved the team's overall record to 9-3. Three Pirates average double figures in the scoring column. Shadeen Samuels averages just under 16 points per game and Nicole Jimenez supplies the team with 13 per game. The third member of the trio is Inja Butina who adds 11 points per game. Kaela Hilaire sets up the offense and leads the team in assists with 58. The Pirates lead the conference in turnover margin (+6.7).
Keys To the Game
Protecting the ball and limiting turnovers will be key to each team's success on Friday night. Butler (12.4) and Seton Hall (12.8) rank first and second in the BIG EAST in steals per game. Something will have to give in terms of game speed as well. Seton Hall averages 81.2 points per game, the Bulldogs only allow 51.9 ppg.
Last Year vs. Seton Hall
Butler split a pair of games against Seton Hall a year ago with each team winning on their home floor. At Hinkle, Butler outscored Seton Hall 22-8 in the third quarter and 18-10 over the final 10 minutes to post a 66-48 victory.
Kristen Spolyar led BU with a game-high 20 points. The second half would decide the outcome in the rematch with Seton Hall winning 75-64 in South Orange. The Pirates went on a 15-0 scoring run during a span of five minutes to win the fourth quarter 30-16.
Tori Schickel led BU with 24 points and 14 rebounds. Shadeen Samuels led SHU with 22 points and 11 rebounds.
Scouting St. John's
St. John's will play Xavier on Friday night before traveling to Indianapolis on Sunday for the 1 PM tip on FS2. Qadashah Hoppie is the top scoring threat for the Red Storm at 12.6 points per game. She is joined in the starting lineup by Alisha Kebbe (10.8 ppg), Akina Wellere (10.4 ppg) and Tiana England (9.2 ppg). England is a true point guard that leads the conference in assists (6.0). She is responsible for nearly half (72) of St. John's assists this season (146).
Keys To the Game
Butler had a tough time scoring against St. John's a year ago with the Red Storm limiting the Bulldogs to just 55 and 38 points. The Bulldogs will need to hit some shots from outside if they want to improve on their six-game winning streak. BU only hit three 3-pointers (3-for-25) against STJ last year. This year, St. John's ranks last in 3-point field goal defense with opponents making 35.6 percent of their attempts against the Johnnies. Depth may also come into play during this matchup. St. John's only has 10 student-athletes on the roster and Butler ranks third in the conference in free throw attempts. If foul trouble becomes a factor, the Red Storm may have to use more of their bench.
Last Year vs. St. John's
St. John's swept Butler last year by playing great team defense. The Red Storm limited Butler to just 22 first half points in the first meeting.
Tori Schickel ended the game with 19 points and seven rebounds. St. John's got a double-double from Alisha Kebbe (14 points, 11 rebounds) and 14 points from Qadashah Hoppie. The second meeting featured Butler shooting just 24 percent from the field while St. John's connected on 55.4 percent of their attempts. The first half once again set the tone for the entire game. Butler only had 15 points at the half, scoring six in the first quarter and nine in the second. Hoppie came off the bench for a team-high 16 points and Kebbe was in the box score with 12.
RPI Update
Butler has moved all the way up to No. 17 in the NCAA RPI Poll. Two quality road wins last week moved Butler up 14 spots. Marquette still has the best RPI in the BIG EAST (No. 16). The conference has four teams in the top 50 (Villanova, DePaul).
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.
Recipe for Success
Butler leads the BIG EAST in rebound margin (+10.5), scoring defense (51.9), steals (161) and win-loss percentage (92.3). They rank second in field goal percentage defense, free throw attempts, rebounds per game, scoring margin, steals per game and turnovers forced.
Rebound Battle
Butler finished the first weekend of BIG EAST action +21.5 in rebound margin.
Finish Strong
Butler won the fourth quarter in each BIG EAST game last weekend. They outscored Nova 20-8 and Georgetown 11-6 (31-14). This season, BU has outscored their opponents in the fourth 214-189. The largest margin is in the first quarter (230-140).
Schickel Goes After Rebound Record
Tori Schickel has 975 rebounds in her Bulldog career, a total that ranks her third all-time. She is now 38 rebounds away from second-place and 25 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 second-best rebounder in the league this season, averaging 9.2 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 the weekend with 1,402 points.
Rim Protector
Tori Schickel ranks fourth all-time at Butler in career blocked shots (147).
League Leaders
Tori Schickel leads the BIG EAST in double-doubles with six;
Michelle Weaver has more steals than any other player in the BIG EAST with 44.
What A Start
Butler has not started a season 12-1 since 1981-82. The Bulldogs moved up to Division I status at the NCAA level at the start of the 1984-85 season when they joined the North Star Conference.
Up Next
Butler will play at Xavier on Friday, Jan. 11. Game time is set for 7 PM at the Cintas Center.
