WATCH | LIVE STATS | GAME NOTES
 
INDIANAPOLIS – The Butler women's basketball team will travel to Villanova to face the Wildcats on Tuesday, Feb. 16. The game will feature a 7 PM tip at Finneran Pavilion. Bulldog fans can stream the BEDN broadcast on FloHoops.com.
 
Bulldog Bits
- Nyamer Diew started for the second consecutive game vs. St. John's and set new career-high totals in minutes played (32) and rebounds (6).
- Emilia Sexton had two assists and two steals vs. St. John's to tie her career-high in each category.
- Upe Atosu was inactive (injury) vs. Villanova in the first meeting.
- Okako Adika ranks 16th in the BIG EAST with a 13.1 scoring average.
- Jaia Alexander ranks sixth in the BIG EAST averaging 7.2 rebounds per game.
 
Scouting Villanova                                                                                 
The Wildcats have not played since Feb. 3 due to a pause to team activities. Their last four scheduled games were all postponed (at Creighton, at Providence, vs. Xavier, vs. DePaul).  First-year head coach Denise Dillon helped the program win four of their last five games before the stoppage. The lone loss during that stretch was a 95-77 setback at home to Marquette. Sophomore Maddy Siegrist is the player to watch for Villanova. The all-conference talent leads the BIG EAST with a 22.7 scoring average, although she was held to just nine points in her last outing vs. Providence. Brianna Herlihy and Sarah Mortensen are also impact players for the 'Cats. Herlihy averages 14.5 points and 7.7 rebounds per game. Mortensen, a transfer from Miami, averages 12.6 points and 6.2 rebounds per contest. 
 
All-Time Series vs. Nova                                                                                     
The all-time series favors Villanova 10-6. The 'Dawgs had won four-straight in this series before the game on Jan. 31. In 2018, Butler posted a signature win at #21 Villanova 76-53. The two teams have also played in three overtime games during conference play. BU is 1-2 vs. Nova in OT.
 
Last Meeting vs. the Wildcats                                                             
Madison Siegrist led Villanova to a 90-53 win over Butler inside Hinkle Fieldhouse. The sophomore scored a game-high 26 points and pulled down 10 rebounds. Butler's offense was highlighted by Jaia Alexander and Okako Adika. Each played ended the contest with 14 points and Adika added five rebounds. Micah Scheetz scored 10 points for BU and Emilia Sexton came off the bench to score eight. Ball movement was the key to success for the 'Cats. Nova recorded 28 assists on 33 made field goals. Brianna Herlihy led the way with seven assists. Her well-rounded effort also gave Nova 11 points and seven rebounds.
 
Coach G at Villanova                                                                             
The Bulldogs lost their first three games at Villanova under the direction of Kurt Godlevske, but the team won there during the 2017-18 season and have now won three-straight in Villanova.
 
Last Game                                                                                                              
St. John's dominated the first and fourth quarters to pull out a 47-35 win over Butler. Genesis Parker gave the Bulldogs their first lead of the game late in the third quarter, but St. John's would outscore Butler by nine in the fourth quarter to find the win column.
 
Defend the Arc                                                                                       
Nova was excellent from behind the arc against Butler in the first meeting. The Wildcats hit 14 of their 33 3-point attempts (42%). Lior Garzon came off the bench to hit a team-best five 3-pointers helping her reach 19 points.
 
Slow Down Siegrist                                                                               
Butler threw multiple looks at Siegrist in the first meeting, but last year's BIG EAST Freshman of the Year still posted 26 points at Butler. Coach G may put Abby Stoddard on Siegrist on Tuesday. Stoddard logged a career-high 18 minutes of playing time on Jan. 31 primarily to defend Siegrist.
 
Stretch Forward                                                                                                   
Maddy Siegrist and Okako Adika are two of the top shooting forwards in the BIG EAST. Adika ranks fifth in the BIG EAST in 3-point field goal percentage (43%) and eighth in 3-point field goals made per game (1.6). Adika has hit 23 3-pointers in 14 games this season. Siegrist is close behind with 22 makes from distance.
 
Keys to the Game                                                                                                
For Butler to win at Villanova the Bulldogs will need to rebound and limit turnovers. The Wildcats are one of just three BIG EAST teams to be on the plus side of rebound margin (4.1) and they lead the conference in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.5).
 
Finneran Pavilion                                                                                                 
UConn and Marquette are the only two teams to defeat Villanova inside Finneran Pavilion this season. The 'Cats gave up 90+ points in each setback, but allow just 66.7 points per game to the opposition this season. The Bulldogs will take aim at their first road win on Tuesday. The contest will be just the fourth night game of the year for Butler (6 PM or later)
 
Nine for 900                                                                                                          
Grad transfer Micah Scheetz needs nine points on Tuesday to reach 900 career points. The shooting guard scored 92 points as a freshman at UAB and 742 in two years at ETSU. This season, Scheetz has 57 points in 11 games. She came up with a 10-point performance against Villanova in the first meeting.
 
Genesis Goes Off                                                                                                 
Genesis Parker hit three 3-point field goals in the second half vs. St. John's to lead the team in scoring with nine points. It was the tenth time in her BU career to lead BU in scoring and the sixth time this season.
 
Finding Five Starters                                                                             
Butler has used nine different starting lineups over the span of 15 games. No Bulldog has started in all 15 games and only Tenley Dowell has appeared in all 15. The unit of Adika, Scheetz, Parker, Alexander and Atosu is the most used combination for head coach Kurt Godlevske. That starting five unit has opened up a game four times this year. Last game's group of Adika, Diew, Parker, Dowell and Atosu marked the first time Coach G rolled out that lineup.
 
Up Next                                                                                                                  
Butler will host Xavier on Monday, Feb. 22. It will be the first meeting between the two teams as the contest scheduled at Xavier on Feb. 8 was postponed due to a pause in team activities by the Musketeers. Tip inside Hinkle Fieldhouse is set for 6 PM. The BEDN game will also be available to stream on FloHoops.com.