WATCH | LIVE STATS | GAME NOTES
 
INDIANAPOLIS – The Bulldogs will begin BIG EAST action on Monday night with a 7 PM tip vs. #17 UConn at the XL Center. Fans can catch the conference opener on SNY.
 
GameDay
Date: Monday, Dec. 18
Time: 7 PM
Location: Hartford, Conn. - XL Center
Live Stats: UConnHuskies.com – Statbroadcast
Watch: SNY - UConn Sports Network
 
Bulldog Bits
- Jordan Meulemans took (13) and made (9) more shots against Chicago State than any other team in her BU career.
- Meulemans ranks third in the BIG EAST and 18th in the NCAA in 3-point field goal percentage (50.8).
- Meulemans averages 3.1 made 3-pointers per game to rank third in the conference.
- Meulemans has not attempted a free throw this year.
- Caroline Strande scored a career-high 22 points vs. CSU by making a career-high 8 field goals.
- Strande ranks seventh in the BIG EAST in rebounding (7.4) and ninth in scoring (16.1).
- Strande and Ari Wiggins set new career-high assist totals vs. the Cougars with six each.
- Wiggins matched her career-high rebound total with five and Strande led BU in rebounding with nine.
- Wiggins ranks fourth in the BIG EAST in steals per game (2.2).
- Wiggins has a steal in five-straight games.
- The Bulldogs are the second-best team in the BIG EAST in defending the 3-point line (28.5%).
- Butler has made more 3-pointers this season (86) than any other BIG EAST team.
- Rachel Kent has scored in double figures in four of Butler's last five games. She is averaging 14.8 ppg during that stretch.
 
BIG EAST Standings
Marquette 1-0, 10-0
Georgetown 8-1
Creighton 0-1, 7-2
Butler 7-3
Seton Hall 7-3
UConn 6-3
Villanova 6-4
DePaul 6-5
Providence 5-5
St. John's 5-6
Xavier 0-8
 
Scouting #17 UConn                                                                             
The Huskies are 6-3 this season and will host #18 Louisville on Saturday before playing Butler on Monday. UConn recorded their second win over a ranked opponent on Dec. 10 with a 76-64 victory over North Carolina. Paige Bueckers scored 26 points against the Tar Heels and was named BIG EAST Player of the Week on Dec. 11. Bueckers averaged 20.5 points, three rebounds and three steals in a 2-0 week for UConn. Ashlynn Shade earned BIG EAST Freshman of the Week honors. Shade was the third different UConn rookie to earn the weekly honor after averaging 12.5 points in victories over Ball State and UNC. All three UConn losses came against quality opponents. They fell 92-81 at NC State, 78-67 to UCLA in the Cayman Islands and 80-68 at Texas. Head Coach Geno Auriemma is in his 39th season at UConn. Auriemma has won 11 National Championships and has guided UConn to 22 Final Fours.
 
All-Time Series                                                                                       
Butler is 0-5 all-time against UConn. The first meeting was played on Jan. 19, 2021 at UConn. The Huskies won it 103-35. The second meeting that season at Hinkle Fieldhouse was the closest matchup between the two programs with UConn winning 97-68.
 
Last Meeting vs. UConn                                                                       
Butler took a 79-39 loss at UConn last year. The Huskies were ranked fifth in the Top-25 Poll and were led to victory by Aaliyah Edwards. The junior forward had a game-high 20 points, seven rebounds, four assists, three blocks and two steals against BU. The Bulldogs led UConn by three after the first quarter but were outscored 26-6 in the second quarter. Sydney Jaynes led Butler with seven points and four rebounds in the setback.
 
A Look Back at Last Week                                                                                  
The Bulldogs didn't play this week due to final exams, but the week prior the team went 1-1 with a loss to Vanderbilt and a win over Chicago State. Caroline Strande and Jordan Meulemans each averaged 17 points per game. Strande scored a career-high 22 points vs. the Cougars and led the team in scoring vs. Vanderbilt with 12. She shot 70 percent from the field and also averaged 7.5 rebounds, four assists, and two steals per game during that stretch. Meulemans made eight 3-pointers last week with three against Vandy and five against CSU. She scored 11 against the Commodores and a team-high 23 vs. the Cougars.
 
BIG EAST Openers                                                                                                
Butler is 1-9 all-time in BIG EAST openers. Their lone win came at Villanova (63-55) during the 2018-19 season. BU has averaged 59.2 points over 10 BIG EAST openers and has allowed 70.7 points. This will be the first time they open conference play against UConn.
 
Welcome To the XL Center                                                                                
UConn will host Butler at the XL Center this year. The contest will be the first-ever meeting between the two programs at the 15,000-seat downtown arena in Hartford. Originally known as the Hartford Civic Center, the building was renamed in December of 2007.
 
Meulemans For 3!                                                                                               
Jordan Meulemans ranks 13th in the NCAA in made 3-pointers (31), 17th in 3-point field goal percentage (50.8) and 23rd in made 3-pointers per game (3.1). Meulemans made 10 3-pointers over the first five games of the season and has made 21 over her last five.
 
2 for 20                                                                                                    
Jordan Meulemans and Caroline Strande became the first Bulldog teammates to score 20 points or more in the same game since Feb. 28, 2020. Meulemans scored a team-high 23 points with five made 3-pointers and Strande shot 8-for-10 from the field to come up with her career-high 22 points. The last Bulldog duo to score 20 each in the same game was Kristen Spolyar and Kat Strong. Spolyar had 28 at St. John's and Strong posted 21.
 
Strande Steps Up                                                                                                 
Caroline Strande has made 56 field goals for Butler over the first 10 games of the season. Last year she made 65 shots over the span of 30 games.
 
Career Milestone                                                                                                 
Rachel Kent needs 15 points against UConn to reach 1,400 in her collegiate career. No other Bulldog on the roster has more than 530.
 
Thanks for The Assist                                                                            
The Bulldogs recorded 21 assists on 32 made field goals against Chicago State. It marked the third time this season that Butler has topped 20 assists in a game. They had a season-high 27 assists on 39 made shots vs. Roosevelt and 20 assists on 28 made shots vs. Bradley. Caroline Strande (6), Ari Wiggins (6) and Sydney Jaynes (5) combined for 17 of the 21 vs. the Cougars. Wiggins leads the team with 28 assists this season (2.8 per game). She had eight assists over her first five games but has 20 over her last five.
 
Causing Chaos                                                                                        
The Bulldog defense has recorded 10 or more steals in four of their last five games. The team is coming off a season-high 13 steals vs. Chicago State. BU scored 28 points off 23 Cougar turnovers. 
 
Tied a Team Record                                                                                             
Jordan Meulemans made eight 3-pointers in the win over St. Thomas to match the single-game high in the BIG EAST this season. She ended the contest going 8-for-10 from behind the arc to score a career-high 24 points. Butler made 16 3-pointers as a team, the second-most by a conference team this year. Meulemans was just one 3-pointer shy of tying the single-game BU individual record and the 'Dawgs tied their team record.
 
Up Next                                                                                                                  
Butler's final non-conference game of the season will be played on Thursday, Dec. 21 against Ohio. The Bobcats will visit Hinkle Fieldhouse for a 1 PM tip. That contest will stream on the Butler Athletics YouTube page for free. BIG EAST action returns after the ball drop. Butler will host Georgetown on Jan. 3 at 7 PM.