GAME NOTES
 
INDIANAPOLIS – Butler will play a pair of games at Hinkle Fieldhouse this weekend with Creighton and Providence visiting Indianapolis. Each contest will stream on BEDN with Mark Minner and Nick Gardner on the call. Sunday's game against Providence is also Daddy & Daughter Day at Butler.
 
Bulldog Bits                                                                                                                       
- Shae Brey scored a career-high 13 points in Butler's 63-38 win over Xavier
- Kristen Spolyar set two new career-high totals with 5 made 3-pointers and five steals
- Spolyar scored 18 points, she has led BU in scoring in four of their last five games
- Naira Caceres was responsible for all nine of Butler's points off the bench
- BU has held three opponents under 40 points this season (EIU, UMass-Lowell, Xavier)
- Butler improved to 10-2 at Hinkle Fieldhouse this season
- Butler has won the rebound battle in seven of their last eight games
- 18 assists is Butler's highest total against a BIG EAST opponent this season
- Michelle Weaver has led Butler in assists over the last four games of the season
- BU hit nine 3-pointers vs. Xavier, just one shy of their season-best total
 
Scouting Creighton                                                                                        
The Bluejays snapped a five-game losing streak on Sunday by posting an 80-71 win at home over Seton Hall. Audrey Faber erupted for 26 points in the outcome, playing all 40 minutes. Faber is the player to keep an eye on for Creighton. She averages 17.4 points per game and is the only player on the roster to start in all 24 games. Faber shoots 47 percent from the field and 38 percent from 3-point range. She leads the Bluejays with 57 makes from behind the arc. Head Coach Jim Flanery only has one other player averaging double figures. Jaylyn Agnew scores just under 12 points per game and is the team leader in rebounds, averaging 6.4 per contest.
 
Butler at Creighton Recap (Jan. 20)                                                         
The Bulldogs bounced back from a triple-overtime loss on Friday to score a strong win in Omaha on Sunday on FS1. Katherine Strong finished with a career-high 23 points off 9-14 shooting, adding three rebounds and a pair of assists as Butler remained alone in second place in the league standings with its sixth BIG EAST win of the year. BU's impressive defense shined once again, forcing 22 Creighton miscues which it turned into 28 points. Whitney Jennings added 18 points while Tori Schickel collected her ninth double-double of the year with 10 points, 12 rebounds. Audrey Faber led Creighton with 12 points, five rebounds and four assists.
 
Scouting Providence                                                                                     
The Friars are 14-11 overall after splitting a pair of games last weekend against Seton Hall and St. John's. Providence outscored Seton Hall 51-35 in the second half to complete the comeback win. Maddie Jolin led the way with 25 points. Jolin and Jovana Nogic provide head coach Jim Crowley with a one-two punch. Nogic is the leading scorer on the team, averaging 13.4 points per game. Yet another player expected to impact the game is Mary Baskerville. She is the reigning BIG EAST Freshman of the Week after posting back-to-back double-doubles. Baskerville has won the honor four times this season.
 
Butler at Providence Recap (Jan. 18)                                                      
In just the fourth BIG EAST contest to go into triple overtime in league history, the host Friars outlasted the Bulldogs to hand Butler just its second loss of the season and first in conference play. The marathon match saw four players score 20+, five players foul out and 20 check into the game. BU's Whitney Jennings scored four of her game-high 25 in game-tying fashion, sinking the equalizer at the end of the fourth quarter and second overtime to extend the contest. Jovana Nogic was clutch for the Friars, going 12-of-12 from the charity stripe towards her team-best 24 points, including a pair of game-sealing freebies in the final 11 seconds. Just seven league games into the season, the Friars matched their BIG EAST win total from a year ago. Also of note, Tori Schickel notched a double-double of 20 points and 12 rebounds to eclipse 1,000 boards for her career.
 
Spolyar Lands On BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll                                 
Spolyar scored a game-high 18 points, going 5-of-9 from beyond the arc, and added seven rebounds, five steals and three assists. Butler remained in second place in the BIG EAST standings with the win and claimed the season sweep over Xavier.
 
10 Or Less                                                                                                                          
Butler has limited their opponent to less than 10 points in a quarter 22 times this season. That total covers 14 teams, including both Providence (3) and Creighton (7, 8).
 
Shae Steps In                                                                                                    
Shae Brey has averaged 10.0 points and 5.3 rebounds per game since sliding into the BU starting lineup for the injured Katherine Strong. She had a break-out game at Seton Hall to score 12 points and is coming off a career-high 13 points in a home win over Xavier. The most impressive stat over this stretch is her shooting percentage. Brey has only missed two shots over the last two games. She shot 6-for-7 against the Pirates and 5-for-6 vs. Xavier.
 
Race to 20                                                                                                                          
Only 10 Butler women's basketball teams have reached 20 wins in a single-season since the program moved to the Division 1 level. The 2018-19 team is trying to become the 11th with at least seven more games remaining on the schedule. The victory over Xavier was Butler's 18th of the season. They will now try to become the first team to notch 20 wins since the 2010-11 season when BU went 20-14 overall as members of the Horizon League. 18 wins is the highest total under current head coach Kurt Godlevske.
 
Recipe for Success                                                                                                          
Butler leads the BIG EAST in scoring defense (56.5), steals (273), steals per game (11.9) and turnovers forced (19.8).
 
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 seventh in the NCAA in steals (78) moving her career total to 197. She ranks seventh all-time at Butler in total steals and is just five steals away from sixth place. Weaver also leads the team in assists with 105. She ranks eighth all-time at BU with 305 career assists.
 
Schickel Sets All-Time Rebound Record at Seton Hall     
Tori Schickel broke the Butler women's basketball all-time rebound record at Seton Hall (Feb. 3) by pulling down a team-high 10 rebounds. That performance moved her career total to 1,052, giving her two more rebounds than Elza Purvlicis (1980-84). The all-time great now has 1,061 rebounds in her career. She recently moved to tenth on the BIG EAST all-time rebound list which includes conference games only. Schickel has 574 rebounds in her BIG EAST career, a total covering 59 games. She is just two rebounds shy of tying Tina Charles (UConn, 2006-10) and Leni Wilson (Georgetown, 1989-93) for eighth place.
 
Schickel Climbs Scoring List                                                                        
Tori Schickel ranks third all-time on the Butler women's basketball scoring list (1,527). Lade Akande ranks second all-time with 1,705 points and topping the list is former BU assistant coach Julie Shelton (VonDielingen) with 2,018 points.
 
Rim Protector                                                                                                   
Tori Schickel ranks fourth all-time at Butler in career blocked shots (159). She is four blocks away from third place which currently belongs to her former teammate Belle Obert (2014-16) and five away from second place (Elza Purvlicis, 1981-84).
 
Up Next                                                                                                                              
Butler will end the month of February against two tough conference opponents. BU will play at Marquette on Friday, Feb. 22. The weekend will come to a close on Sunday, Feb. 24 with a 3 PM tip at DePaul.