GAME NOTES
 
INDIANAPOLIS – Butler opens up the month of February with a pair of BIG EAST home games. The 'Dawgs will host Georgetown on Friday night at 7 PM. That contest will stream on BEDN, but Sunday's 3 PM match-up vs. Villanova will air live on FS2.
 
Bulldog Talk
- Butler went 7-1 during the month of January.
- Butler is now 5-2 in games decided by five points or less.
- Kat Strong recorded a career-high four assists vs. Xavier.
- Shae Brey pulled down a season-high five offensive rebounds vs. Nova.
- Kristen Spolyar recorded her fifth double-double vs. Xavier with 25 points and 11 rebounds.
- Spolyar has topped 20 points eight times this season.
- Spolyar ranks second in the BIG EAST and 23rd in the NCAA with a 19.2 scoring average.
- Spolyar leads the BIG EAST and ranks fifth in the NCAA in made free throws (121).
- BU leads the BIG EAST in scoring defense (59.3).
- Butler ranks 14th in the NCAA in steals per game (11.2). 10+ steals in four-straight games.
- Butler leads the league in free throw attempts (473) and made free throws (319).
- Butler ranks 94 in the RPI, Villanova is 89.
- Oumou Toure is averaging 3.75 steals per game over her last four games.
 
Scouting Georgetown                                                                           
The Hoyas have not won a game since Dec. 31 when they knocked off Providence 62-53. They head into Friday with a 4-18 overall record. Points have been hard to come by for Georgetown. GU ranks last in the BIG EAST in scoring offense (57.2), field goal percentage (.350), 3-point field goal percentage (.295), and assists (11.5). Taylor Barnes is the player to keep an eye on for head Coach James Howard. Barnes averages 12.4 points per game and is the only player to start in all 21 games.
 
All-Time Series                                                                                       
Butler took a 7-6 lead in the all-time series with a win at Georgetown earlier this season. The two teams have split the regular season series in each of the last two seasons. Georgetown's last win at Hinkle Fieldhouse was on March 1 last year. Butler's last home win vs. Georgetown came on Dec. 31, 2015.
 
Butler at Georgetown                                                                           
Kristen Spolyar's free throw with 58 seconds remaining followed up with a defensive rebound on the other end of the court sealed a 47-46 victory for the Bulldogs on the road. Butler went into intermission with a 30-19 advantage before the Hoyas responded with a 27-17 second half performance. Spolyar and fellow senior Kat Strong led the way with 15 and 12 points, respectively. Strong posted a team-high eight rebounds while the Bulldogs capitalized on 21 Georgetown turnovers with 16 points at the other end. Taylor Barnes led the scoring for the Hoyas with 16 points including 4-of-6 from behind the arc while Anita Kelava posted a game-high 14 rebounds to go along with eight points.
 
Scouting Villanova                                                                                 
The Wildcats are 12-10 overall, but have lost three of their last four games. The lone win during that stretch was a 66-64 victory at home in overtime vs. St. John's. Each game last weekend for Head Coach Harry Perretta was tough as the Pirates squeaked out a 65-63 road win on Sunday. Villanova has two of the best offensive talents in the league. Madison Siegrist leads the BIG EAST with a 20.1 scoring average and Mary Gedaka ranks fourth at 17.5 ppg.
 
All-Time Series                                                                                       
Villanova leads the all-time series 9-5. BU has won three-straight vs. Nova. Three of the last six meetings have gone into overtime.
 
Butler at Villanova                                                                                 
The Bulldogs limited the Wildcats to 22 percent shooting while seeing three players score in double figures to pick up a road win. Butler's Kristen Spolyar scored a game-high 15 points. Villanova led by two after the first quarter, 14-12, but the Bulldogs opened the second on a 15-1 run and limited the Wildcats to just four second-quarter points to take a 14-point halftime lead. VU got no closer than 10 the rest of the way, despite a double-double by Maddy Siegrist, who finished with 11 points and 11 rebounds.
 
Spolyar Shoots Up All-Time Scoring List at BU                                
Kristen Spolyar ranks eighth on the Butler all-time scoring list (1,403). She is now 46 points shy of seventh (Barb Skinner, 79-83). Spolyar's top scoring performance this season came against Detroit Mercy when she tied the BU single-game point's record with 37.
 
Happy New Year                                                                                                                
Butler went 7-1 during the month of January this season. It was the second-best stretch of BIG EAST action under the guidance of Kurt Godlevske. In his first year as head coach, Godlevske helped BU go 8-0 vs. conference foes at the start of 2015. 
 
Up Next                                                                                                                  
Butler will drive to Chicago to play the DePaul Blue Demons on Feb. 14. The weekend will come to a close with a game at Marquette on Sunday, Feb. 16.