WATCH | LIVE STATS | GAME NOTES
INDIANAPOLIS – Butler is back at Hinkle Fieldhouse tonight in search of their first win of the season. The Seton Hall Pirates will visit Indianapolis for a 6 PM tip. BU is playing their third game in the span of five days. They will end this week with a game at Seton Hall on Sunday.
Bulldog Bits
- This is only Butler's third home game of the season. They last played at Hinkle on Dec. 6, 36 days ago.
-
Okako Adika is the best free throw shooter in the BIG EAST. She hasn't missed a free throw since Dec. 9.
- Butler used the same starting five unit in back-to-back games last week for the first time all season.
- BU has hit seven or more 3-pointers in five of their six games this season.
- This is the first night game of the year for BU.
Scouting Seton Hall
Lauren Park-Lane is the straw that stirs the drink for the Seton Hall offense. The point guard is averaging 20.3 points and doubles as the team leader in assists (5.3). Mya Jackson, Desiree Elmore and grad transfer Andra Espinoza-Hunter are also scoring threats for head coach Anthony Bozzella. All three players average double figures in the scoring column. Jackson is the top 3-point shooter on the team and Elmore controls the glass with her 8.4 rebound average.
Slow Down Seton Hall
The Pirates are the third-highest scoring team in the BIG EAST Conference, averaging 80.3 points per game. The Bulldogs will have to slow down the tempo on Monday to keep it a low-scoring affair. Playing quality defense without fouling will be instrumental with Seton Hall leading the league in team free throw percentage (77.1).
All-Time Series vs. Seton Hall
Seton Hall holds the upper hand in the all-time series 10-5. The Pirates won all three meetings a year ago including the quarterfinal matchup in the BIG EAST Tournament. Butler's last win over the Pirates came on Jan. 4, 2019 at Hinkle Fieldhouse 62-59.
Last Meeting vs. Seton Hall
Seton Hall cruised to a 26-point victory over Butler in the quarterfinals of the BIG EAST Tournament last year. Lauren Park-Lane was an impact player with 17 points and a team-best seven assists. Mya Jackson came off the bench to score 13 points. Butler's top performer was
Oumou Toure. She finished with a career-high 22 points.
Last Game
Butler led St. John's by four at the half and would push that advantage to 14 points in the third quarter, but the Red Storm would go on a 20-5 scoring run to take a one-point lead at the end of the third and then outscore BU 18-11 in the fourth to earn their first conference win of the season. Butler had three players reach a double figure scoring total for the first time this season in the setback.
Genesis Parker led all 'Dawgs with 13 points.
Scheetz Plays Well at St. John's
Grad transfer
Micah Scheetz scored a season-high seven points at St. John's on Saturday while chipping in with two steals and her first blocked shot of the season.
Adika is Efficient
Okako Adika shoots 47% from the field 41% from 3-point land and 93% from the foul line.
Genesis Jumps Into Starting Five
Genesis Parker made her season debut on Thursday at Providence. She finished the game with nine points, four rebounds, two assists and a steal. At St. John's, Parker led the team in scoring with 13 points while adding three rebounds and two steals.
Welcome Home
Emilia Sexton,
Genesis Parker,
Micah Scheetz and
Jaia Alexander will be playing at Hinkle Fieldhouse for the first time this season on Monday. For Scheetz and Alexander this contest marks their first-ever game at home as a Bulldog. The Bulldogs have only played two home games this season. A year ago by Jan. 11 Butler had played 10 games inside Hinkle.
Full 40 Minutes
Butler has yet to put together a full 40 minutes of high level basketball. At Providence last week, the Friars led Butler 17-4 after the first quarter. The 'Dawgs hit just two of their first 15 attempts, but would battle all the way back to get within a single possession of PC. Two days later, BU showed flashes of growth at St. John's. BU scored a season-high 56 points by hitting a season-best 22 field goals. It was also their best shooting performance of the season (38.6). Additional season-high totals at St. John's included 11 steals and two blocked shots. Their last two games have also been the best in the rebound column. They pulled down 33 against PC and a season-high 34 against St. John's.
Ross is Ready for New Role
Ellen Ross has scored 23 points in just six games this year. Coming into 2020-21, she only had scored 22 points over 42 games in her BU career.
Best off The Bench
Basketball fans can keep an eye on
Nyamer Diew and Mya Bembry on Monday. Each player has played a large role for their respective team through the opening stages of the season. Diew is averaging 4.0 points, 2.0 rebounds. She shoots it well from all three levels of the court (35% FG, 40% 3FG, 75% FT). Bembry is averaging 5.7 points and 4.7 rebounds. She logs over 20 minutes of playing time and shoots over 50% from the field.
Building Team Chemistry
Butler has had limited five-on-five action in practice due to COVID-19 protocols. 12 players on the roster average 15 minutes of playing time or more due to different lineups being available for head coach
Kurt Godlevske.
New Year, New Team
Only four players on the active roster have played 20 or more games in a Bulldog uniform during their collegiate career. Atosu and Parker passed the mark after transferring to BU. Sexton and Ross join them on this list, spending their entire careers on campus.
Watch BEDN on FloHoops.com
Mark Minner and Sydney Buck will have the call on Monday.
Watch on FloHoops.com.
Up Next
Butler will host Georgetown on Wednesday, Jan. 13. Tip-off on BEDN will go up at 2 PM. That contest will be followed up with a return trip to South Orange with BU playing at Seton Hall on Jan. 17. The team will stay on the road for a game at #3 UConn on Jan. 19.
