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INDIANAPOLIS – The Bulldogs will face the Cincinnati Bearcats in the Sweet 16 Round of the Postseason WNIT. Butler will play at Fifth Third Arena on Thursday night. Tip is set for 7 PM.
 
Bulldog Bits                                                                                                                       
- Kristen Spolyar needs 13 points vs. Cincinnati to reach 1,000 in her Butler career
- Spolyar is averaging 21.5 ppg in the WNIT, shooting 48.4 percent from the field
- Whitney Jennings reached 1,000 career points vs. Northeastern on March 21
- Jennings is averaging 26.0 ppg in the WNIT with a team-high 10 made 3-pointers
- Jennings has hit 80 3-point field goals in back-to-back seasons at Butler
- Jennings has 485 points this season, the ninth-highest single-season total at BU
- Tori Schickel has recorded a double-double in each WNIT game (14 Total)
- Schickel has 287 rebounds in 2019, the sixth-highest single-season total at BU
- Butler has outscored their WNIT opponents 60-23 in the second quarter
- The Bulldogs have forced 38 turnovers in the first two rounds of the WNIT
 
Scouting Cincinnati                                                                                        
Cincinnati earned an automatic berth into the 2019 Postseason WNIT. They defeated Youngstown State (76-62) and Minnesota (72-65) in the first two rounds to advance to the Sweet 16. Each game was played at home in Fifth Third Arena. The Bearcats made the WNIT field for the second-straight year and for the ninth time overall. First-year head coach Michelle Clark-Heard has guided Cincinnati to their first 20-win season since 2013 and their highest-ever finish in the AAC (3rd). Sophomore forward IImar'I Thomas was selected First Team All-AAC, junior guard Antoinette Miller was picked Second Team, and junior guard Florence Sifa was tabbed American Newcomer of the Year. Thomas and Miller each average 13 points per game. Thomas is the top rebounder on the team (239) while Miller leads the Bearcats in assists (174).
 
Cincinnati Takes Down Minnesota 72-65                                              
Cincinnati muscled up for an impressive fourth-quarter comeback, outscoring Minnesota 24-12 in the final frame to escape Round 2. Cincinnati (23-10) had a 46-32 edge in rebounds and were paced by Antoinette Miller's 20 points. Sam Rodgers had 18 points; Angel Rizor scored 11 points and added 14 rebounds.
 
Butler Defeats Kent State 70-52                                                                               
Butler and Kent State both stumbled out of the starting gates, combining for just 11 points. The Bulldogs kicked it into high gear in the second quarter and never looked back, moving past the Golden Flashes 70-52. Whitney Jennings and Kristen Spolyar were on fire for Butler, totaling seven of the eight Bulldog three-pointers. Jennings dialed up a team-high 23 points and Spolyar poured in 22. Tori Schickel recorded the game's only double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds. Butler (23-9) led the BIG EAST in forced turnovers and were up to more of the same Saturday evening. Eighteen Kent State turnovers led to 20 Bulldog points. The win marks the first time in program history Butler has won two games in the Postseason WNIT.
 
Butler in the WNIT                                                                                                         
Butler made the Postseason WNIT field for the seventh time in program history in 2019. They advanced to the second round for just the third time in school history and have now reached the Sweet 16 for the first time in the current format. The 'Dawgs were an automatic qualifier for the tournament field this season. Their first trip to the WNIT came in 1998. Their last trip before this season was in 2014.
 
Second Quarter                                                                                               
Butler has trailed each WNIT opponent after the first quarter, but has dominated the second quarter to move into the Sweet 16. The Bulldogs trailed Northeastern 23-17 after the first, but would win the second quarter 35-13 to take control. They made 13 of their 18 attempts (72%) in the second quarter. Round 2 featured a similar start with Kent State holding a one-point lead over Butler after the first quarter. BU won the second frame 25-10 to go on and win. They shot 71% in the second quarter and went on a 27-2 scoring run that stretched from the 7:00 minute mark of the second quarter to the 8:00 minute mark of the third.
 
Butler vs. Ohio                                                                                                 
Butler is undefeated against Ohio teams this season. They won 63-47 at Akron, knocked off Ohio State 66-53 in the West Palm Invitational, and swept Xavier during BIG EAST action (63-41, 63-38). Their 70-52 victory on Saturday vs. Kent State made them a perfect 5-0 against teams based out of the state of Ohio.
 
Weaver Named BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year                 
Weaver has 107 steals this season, a total that leads the team, the BIG EAST and ranks sixth in the NCAA. She is just the fifth player in program history to reach 100 steals in a single-season. Her career total now stands at 226, the fifth-highest total in BU history.
 
Godlevske Tabbed BIG EAST Coach of the Year                 
Godlevske helped guide Butler to 21 wins during the regular season, the highest Bulldog total since 2009-10. 11 BIG EAST wins is also the best total since entering the conference. The Bulldogs were picked seventh in the BIG EAST Preseason Poll, but finished third in the conference standings. BU got off to one of the best starts in program history. They used that momentum to win their first five BIG EAST games of the year, signaling their first-ever 5-0 start to the conference season. BU also received votes in the national polls for the first time as a member of the BIG EAST.
 
Schickel Named Second Team All-BIG EAST                                        
Schickel was a Second Team All-BIG EAST selection after averaging 12.3 points and a team-best 9.0 rebounds. Schickel ranks 30th in the NCAA and second in the BIG EAST with 14 double-double performances.
 
Jennings Listed All-BIG EAST Honorable Mention            
Jennings leads the team in points, 3-point shooting, free throws and minutes played. She leads the team with 80 made 3-point field goals, the third-best total in a single-season in BU history. Jennings has hit 160 3-pointers in her BU career to rank eighth all-time. At the line, Jennings has hit 89 of her 102 free throw attempts (87.3). She ranks 24th in the NCAA and first in the BIG EAST in free throw percentage.
 
23 Wins                                                                                                                              
The 2018-19 Bulldogs are just the 11th team in program history to notch 20+ wins in a single-season. 23 wins are the highest total under head coach Kurt Godlevske.
 
Michelle Making Plays                                                                                 
Michelle Weaver ranks eighth all-time at BU with 342 career assists. She needs five assists vs. Cincinnati to land in the BU top-ten list for most assists in a single-season (142).
 
Schickel Sets All-Time Rebound Record at Seton Hall     
Tori Schickel broke the Butler women's basketball all-time rebound record at Seton Hall on Feb. 3. The all-time great now has 1,143 rebounds in her career.
 
Schickel Resets Record Book                                                                      
Tori Schickel has logged 3,919 minutes of playing time in her career to set a school record. She ranks second all-time at Butler in career blocked shots with 174 and third on the all-time scoring list with 1,630 points.
 
Up Next                                                                                                                              
With a win, the Bulldogs will move into the WNIT Quarterfinals and face the winner of the game between Arkansas (22-14) and TCU (22-10). The bottom half of the bracket features teams such as Idaho (22-11), Arizona (20-13), Wyoming (24-8) and Pepperdine (22-11). The Quarterfinals will be played on either March 30-31. The Semifinals are set for April 3-4.

Round 3 Matchups
Tuesday, March 26
Georgetown at Providence, 7 p.m. ET

Wednesday, March 27
Northwestern at West Virginia, 7 p.m. ET

Thursday, March 28
Butler at Cincinnati, 7 p.m. ET
Western Kentucky at Ohio, 7 pm ET
Virginia Tech at James Madison, 7 p.m. ET
TCU at Arkansas, 8 p.m. ET
Pepperdine at Wyoming, 8:30 p.m. ET
Idaho at Arizona, 9:30 p.m. ET