Game Notes

INDIANAPOLIS – The Butler women's basketball team will play at #10 UConn on Friday night before hosting Seton Hall on Sunday afternoon. Bulldog fans can watch the UConn game on SNY and stream the Seton Hall contest on FloHoops.
 
Bulldog Bits
- Celena Taborn leads the NCAA in FG% (70.4).
- Taborn has logged 365 minutes of playing time this season and has only missed 34 shots on 115 attempts.
- Taborn ranks 11th in the BIG EAST in offensive rebounds (30 total... 2.0 per game)
- Kate Tanner started in each game last weekend.
- Emilia Sexton has made 33 3-pointers. She ranks 8th in the BIG EAST in 3-pointers made per game (1.8).
 
Scouting UConn                                                                                                   
The Huskies remain undefeated in BIG EAST play after posting a 76-56 win at Creighton on Wednesday night. The Bluejays shocked everyone in attendance after the opening 10 minutes to grab a 20-11 lead over the Huskies, but UConn came back to outscore Creighton 19-12 in the second and 19-8 in the third to regain control. Five of the seven UConn student-athletes that played Wednesday reached double figures. Olivia Nelson-Ododa and Christyn Williams led the team to victory scoring 17 points each. The freshmen combo of Azzi Fudd and Caroline Ducharme combined to score 23.
 
All-Time Series vs. UConn                                                                                  
Butler is 0-3 all-time against UConn. The first-ever meeting was a 103-35 win for the home team and UConn moved forward to sweep the regular season by claiming a 97-68 win at Hinkle Fieldhouse. Earlier this year, UConn defeated Butler 92-47.
 
Last Meeting vs. UConn                                                                       
Seniors Olivia Nelson-Ododa and Christyn Williams scored 19 points apiece and freshman Caroline Ducharme added 18 as the 10th-ranked Huskies remained perfect in BIG EAST play Wednesday night at Hinkle Fieldhouse. UConn matched its season high with 11 made three-pointers, including three apiece for Williams and Ducharme. Celena Taborn, the national leader in field goal percentage, led Butler with 13 points off 6-of-8 shooting.
 
Best vs. the BIG EAST                                                                            
Emilia Sexton and Tenley Dowell have played some of their best basketball against BIG EAST opponents. Sexton ranks second on the team with a 7.9 scoring average in conference games. 21 of her 33 total 3-point makes have been against conference foes and she is shooting 42 percent from long range over those nine games. Dowell leads all Butler players in minutes played against teams in the conference (27.1). She has also shot well from behind the arc in league games, hitting 13 of her 20 3-pointers this year vs. BIG EAST opponents. Most recently, Sexton scored 12 at Georgetown and Dowell poured in 11.
 
Scouting Seton Hall                                                                               
The Pirates will now host Xavier at Walsh Gym on Friday before visiting Hinkle Fieldhouse on Sunday for a 2 PM tip. Winter weather conditions in the Midwest changed the conference schedule. The Pirates have three players scoring in double figures on a nightly basis this season. Lauren Park-Lane, Andra Espinoz-Hunter and Sidney Cooks will all be on the BU scouting report. Park-Lane is a point guard that averages 16.8 points and 6.7 assists per game, leading SHU in each category. Espinoza-Hunter averages 15.4 points per game and is the best 3-point shooter on the roster. Head Coach Anthony Bozzella also added a new wrinkle to the program in the offseason. Sidney Cooks arrived on campus after previous stops at Michigan State and Mississippi State. The 6-4 forward leads the team in made field goals and rebounds (7.3).
 
All-Time Series vs. Seton Hall                                                              
Butler trails Seton Hall in the all-time series 12-5. The Pirates have won the last six meetings. Butler's last win came just four days into 2019. They won 62-59 at Hinkle Fieldhouse.
 
Last Meeting vs. Seton Hall                                                                 
Butler scored 28 points against Seton Hall in the second quarter and would trail by just six points at the half, but the Pirates would take control of the action in the third quarter and post an 83-68 win at Hinkle Fieldhouse. SHU hit 15 3-pointers in the victory and were led in the scoring column by Andra Espinoza-Hunter (24). Espinoza Hunter hit six 3-pointers while adding eight rebounds, four assists and two blocks to her stat line. BU got a solid performance out of Tenley Dowell. She came off the bench to score 12 points in 20 minutes.
 
Starting Five Shuffle                                                                              
Butler has used 12 different starting lineups over 18 games this season. The combination of Celena Taborn, Trinity White, Zoe Jackson, Alex Richard and Kendall Wingler have been used the most this year (five times).
 
Fantastic Freshmen                                                                               
Butler freshmen have scored 608 of the 1,064 Bulldog points this season (57.1%). BU first-year players scored just 18 of the team's 62 points at Georgetown. A freshman has led BU in scoring eight times this year, including Jan. 28 with Trinity White scoring 10 points at Villanova.
 
Gaining Experience                                                                                              
The Butler roster only has three active players who have appeared in more than 40 games during their collegiate careers (Taborn, Sexton, Ross). Wingler has played in exactly 40 and Dowell is at 39. Taborn leads Butler with 134 games played, but 119 of those came at Furman.
 
21 Points                                                                                                                
Celena Taborn became just the second Bulldog this season to top 20 points in a road game. She scored 21 at Georgetown, matching Trinity White's 21-point performance at Illinois on Dec. 12. Taborn has also led Butler in rebounding in four-straight games. She is averaging 7.2 rebounds per game during that stretch.
 
Taborn Take Over                                                                                                
Celena Taborn notched her first double-double as a Bulldog on Dec. 5 at Marquette with 14 points and 10 rebounds. She followed that effort with 33 points and 10 rebounds vs. Denver. Taborn has now scored in double figures nine times this season (15 games). She has 1,437 points in her collegiate career and is the first Bulldog to score 30+ in a single game since Kristen Spolyar when she scored 30 vs. Marquette on Jan. 17, 2020.
 
Up Next                                                                                                                  
Butler will host St. John's on Wednesday, February 9. That contest is the first of three for next week. Butler will then travel to Providence Feb. 11 and play at Creighton on Sunday the 13th.