WATCH | LIVE STATS | GAME NOTES
 
INDIANAPOLIS – The Bulldogs will face a ranked opponent for the second time this season when they hit the road for a Wednesday night conference battle at Creighton. The Bluejays will host Butler at D.J. Sokol Arena. Tip is set for 7 PM Eastern / 6 Central.
 
GameDay
Date: Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2024
Time: 7 PM ET / 6 PM CT
Location: Omaha, Neb. - DJ Sokol Arena
Live Stats: GoCreighton.com – Statbroadcast
Watch: BEDN - FloHoops.com
 
Bulldog Bits
- Rachel Kent needs five more 3-pointers to reach 300 in her collegiate career.
- Caroline Strande has led Butler in rebounding in five-straight games and 10 times total this season.
- Strande ranks seventh in the BIG EAST in rebounding (7.6) and 12th in scoring (14.9).
- Strande is the ninth-best free throw shooter in the conference (78.8%).
- Butler has outrebounded their opponent in three-straight games.
- Jordan Meulemans led Butler in scoring for the third time this season with 15 points vs. Seton Hall.
- Meulemans ranks fourth in the BIG EAST and 12th in the NCAA in 3-point field goal percentage (47.1).
- Strande (6th) and Kent (9th) are also top ten in the league in 3-point field goal percentage.
- The Bulldogs rank second in the BIG EAST in made 3-pointers per game (8.9).
- BU has made seven or more 3-pointers in 11-straight games.
- Ari Wiggins ranks ninth in the BIG EAST in steals per game (1.8).
- Lilly Stoddard logged 15 minutes of playing time vs. Seton Hall and recorded a career-high two assists.
- Butler's only road win this season came at Wisconsin on Dec. 3.
 
BIG EAST Standings
UConn 4-0, 12-3
St. John's 3-1, 9-7
Villanova 2-1, 9-5
Providence 2-1, 8-8
Marquette 2-2, 13-2
Georgetown 2-2, 12-3
Creighton 2-2, 11-3
Seton Hall 2-2, 10-5
DePaul 1-3, 9-8
Butler 0-3, 8-6
Xavier 0-3, 1-11
 
Scouting #22 Creighton                                                                        
The Bluejays beat the Blue Demons in Chicago on Saturday afternoon to improve to 11-3 on the season. Creighton also recorded a conference win over St. John's before the New Year but sit at 2-2 in the BIG EAST standings with losses to Marquette and UConn. Head Coach Jim Flanery led Creighton to an NCAA Tournament appearance a year ago and has five seniors in the starting lineup this year. Emma Ronsiek ranks fifth in the conference in scoring (17.9) and Lauren Jensen is close behind at eighth (16.6). The Bluejays are the best free throw shooting team in the league (82.6) and they make more 3-pointers per game (9.1) than any other team in the conference.
 
All-Time Series                                                                                       
Creighton leads the all-time series against Butler 14-8. The Bluejays have won the last five meetings, but Butler swept Creighton during the 2019-20 season. The Bulldogs have recorded three total wins inside D.J. Sokol Arena. They won big in 2019 (75-43) and made the most of their first trip to Omaha back in 2014 (67-59).
 
Last Meeting vs. Creighton                                                                  
Creighton capped off the 2022-23 regular season with a 74-46 win vs. Butler. The Bluejays opened up a 20-8 lead after the first quarter and saw four of their five starters score in double figures. Lauren Jensen scored a team-high 16 points and Emma Ronsiek added 13. Anna Mortag led Butler in scoring with 16 points.
 
A Look at Last Week                                                                                            
Butler faced two of the top defensive teams in the BIG EAST last week and were limited to 55 and 50 points in setbacks to Georgetown and Seton Hall. Caroline Strande averaged 14 points and 7.5 rebounds to lead BU in each statistical category. Rachel Kent was the second leading scorer on the team, averaging 12.5 points. Kent and Meulemans each made six 3-pointers to lead the team from long range and Cristen Carter played well off the bench to average 5.0 points and 4.5 rebounds.
 
Strande Needs 17                                                                                                
Caroline Strande needs 17 points at Creighton to reach 500 career points. She had 13 vs. Seton Hall and matched her career-high 3-point total with three made 3's vs. the Pirates.
 
Strande Shoulders the Scoring Load                                                  
Caroline Strande has scored in double figures for Butler in 12 of the team's 14 games. She has led BU in scoring five times and has hit at least one 3-pointer in three-straight games.
 
Focused Freshman                                                                                              
Riley Makalusky has scored seven points or more in three of Butler's last four games. She has hit a 3-pointer in three of those four contests and grabbed four boards vs. the Pirates.
 
Carter Coming Along                                                                             
Cristen Carter has grabbed three rebounds or more in 10 of Butler's 14 games this season. The freshman forward averages 3.2 rebounds in 10 minutes of playing time per game. Carter has also scored at least one field goal in Butler's last five games. She is shooting 51.4 percent from the field this season.
 
Meulemans Is Money                                                                           
Jordan Meulemans has hit a 3-pointer in 11-straight games. 41 of her 53 made field goals this season have been from 3-point range and she recently notched a season-high two steals vs. Seton Hall.
 
Move Your Feet                                                                                                    
Butler will have to defend Creighton without fouling on Wednesday night. Sending the Bluejays to the foul line is a recipe for disaster for teams as Creighton not only leads the BIG EAST, but also leads the NCAA in free throw percentage (82.6). The Bulldogs have been good at avoiding contact on the court and rank 16th in the nation in fewest fouls per game (13.4).
 
Ball Pressure                                                                                          
The Bulldogs will have to disrupt the Bluejay offense as Creighton ranks fourth in the country in fewest turnovers per game (11.1) and sixth in assist to turnover ratio. Creighton averages 73.2 points per game (4th in BIG EAST) but allows 64.4 points (9th in BIG EAST). Each team shoots 42 percent from the field and allows the opposition to make 41 percent of their shots. 
 
Butler For 3!                                                                                                          
Jordan Meulemans and Rachel Kent are two of the top 3-point shooters in the NCAA. Meulemans has made a team-high 41 3-pointers this season and Kent is second on the team with 37. Meulemans is shooting 47.1 percent from 3-point range and Kent is also above 40 percent (40.7). There is a long way to go, but each student-athlete is on pace to place their name in the BU record book for most 3-pointers made in a single season.
 
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 against Chicago State on Dec. 10 and Strande scored a career-high 22 points. The last Bulldog duo to score 20 each in the same game prior to this season was Kristen Spolyar and Kat Strong. Spolyar had 28 at St. John's and Strong posted 21.
 
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. Meulemans was just one 3-pointer shy of tying the single-game BU individual record and the 'Dawgs tied their team record with 16 made 3-pointers in the victory.
 
Up Next                                                                                                                  
Butler will play Villanova at home on Saturday night. January 13th features a Hinkle Fieldhouse doubleheader! The men's team will host Seton Hall that day at noon and the women's team will be in action at 7:30 PM.