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INDIANAPOLIS – Butler and Xavier will meet for the first time this season on Monday, Feb. 22 at 6 PM. The Bulldogs have just three regular season games left on the schedule with two of the three being played inside Hinkle Fieldhouse. Senior Day is set for Saturday, Feb. 27 against #1 UConn.
 
Bulldog Bits
- The Bulldogs scored a season-high 74 points Tuesday night at Villanova.
- Abby Stoddard scored a season-high five points and hit the first 3-pointer of her collegiate career.
- Jaia Alexander was inactive at Villanova.
- Emilia Sexton is averaging 5.4 ppg over her last five games. (1.8 ppg over first 8 games).
- Butler has played 15 conference games this year while Xavier has been limited to just seven.
 
Scouting Xavier                                                                                      
The Musketeers have been limited to just 11 games this season and are currently 4-7 overall heading to Indianapolis. Xavier opened the season winning three-straight, but would lose their next three games. Their lone conference win came over Providence on New Year's Eve. The team is coming off tough losses to #19 DePaul and #1 UConn. Nia Clark. A'riana Gray and Kae Satterfield are the top scoring options for head coach Melanie Moore. Gray and Satterfield are also the top rebounders on the team. Aaliyah Dunham will set up the offense and is also the team leader in steals.
 
All-Time Series vs. Xavier                                                                                   
Butler leads the all-time series over Xavier 28-19. The Bulldogs have won four-straight against the Musketeers. Each contest last year was close with BU winning by one at home and eight at the Cintas Center. Two years ago BU won by 25 and 22. Xavier's last win was part of a season sweep during the 2017-18 campaign. These two programs were each members of the A-10 in 2012-13. The first meeting dates back to the 1982-83 season with BU winning at home 71-64.
 
Last Meeting vs. The Musketeers                                                                    
Butler and Xavier went into overtime the last time they played inside Hinkle Fieldhouse. Kristen Spolyar scored a game-high 25 points and pulled down 11 rebounds in the victory. Xavier led by one with 38 seconds to play. Butler countered by getting the ball to Spolyar in the post and the senior made the game-winning field goal with 23 seconds left. The Musketeers had five players in double figures despite not having A'riana Gray on the court. Upe Atosu helped manage the scoring load with Spolyar by getting nine points off the BU bench.
 
Run It Back                                                                                                            
Xavier used seven players in the last meeting vs. Butler and return six of those seven student-athletes. The Bulldogs only return three of the 10 players that appeared in the last box score vs. Xavier. Parker, Atosu and Sexton all saw playing time, but combined for just 13 points.
 
Neal Knows The Musketeers                                                              
Butler assistant coach Brian Neal spent six seasons as the head coach at Xavier, accumulating 76 wins before resigning in March of 2019. While working for the Musketeers, Neal coached three BIG EAST honorable mention selections (Glover, Gaffney, Gray) and two honorees on the All-Freshman Team (Blackwell, Dunham). Neal was promoted from within at Xavier, spending the 2011-12 and 2012-13 seasons as an assistant coach. He is in his first season as an assistant at BU.
 
Last Game                                                                                                              
Villanova hit 17 3-pointers against Butler on Feb. 16 to secure a 98-74 win at the Finneran Pavilion. Okako Adika led Butler with 19 points, five rebounds, two steals, two blocks and one assist. Upe Atosu also stuffed the box score with 15 points, six rebounds, and five assists. Butler outscored Villanova 48-31 in the second half and they hope to roll that momentum into Monday night's tilt vs. Xavier.
 
20 Point Quarters                                                                                                
Butler scored 70+ points for the first time this season at Villanova. They reached 24 points in the third quarter and matched that with 24 more points in the fourth. That scoring output was significant given that BU had only recorded 20+ points in a quarter five times leading up to that game. They scored a season-high 28 points in the second quarter at Seton Hall. Top scoring quarters at home include 20 points in the fourth vs. DePaul and 20 in the third vs. Marquette. They also scored 22 in the second at Michigan and 20 in the first at Georgetown.
 
Keys to the Game                                                                                                
Shot selection is crucial for Butler as they prepare to host Xavier. The Bulldogs shot 39 percent from the field (4th highest % this season) and attempted a season-high 23 free throws at Villanova. The Musketeers only average 66 points per contest so it's important for BU to follow the recipe they used in the second half in Philadelphia. Playing at home may also benefit BU. Butler's lone win this season came inside Hinkle vs. Georgetown. Xavier is just 1-4 in away games this year with their lone road win coming at Detroit Mercy in the season opener.
 
Final 3                                                                                                      
Two of Butler's final three regular season opponents are nationally ranked. Under the direction of Coach Godlevske, the Bulldogs have faced 13 opponents ranked in the Top-25. They have wins over #21 Villanova and #11 Marquette. Each win came on the road.
 
Six for 900                                                                                                              
Grad transfer Micah Scheetz needs six points on Monday 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 60 points in 12 games.
 
Finding Five Starters                                                                             
Butler has used nine different starting lineups over the span of 16 games. No Bulldog has started in all 16 games and only Tenley Dowell has appeared in all 16. 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. Tuesday's starting five of Adika, Diew, Parker, Dowell and Atosu have taken the floor for BU in each of the last two games.
 
Up Next                                                                                                                  
Butler will host #1 UConn on Saturday, Feb. 27. The game on SNY will tip at 4:30 PM. This contest will be just the second meeting between the two programs and mark UConn's first trip to Hinkle Fieldhouse. It also marks the first time the Butler women's program has hosted the No. 1 team in the country. The last No. 1 team to play inside Hinkle Fieldhouse was Villanova on the men's side (Dec. 30, 2017). The Bulldogs won 101-93.