Two 3-0 teams will hit the hardwood on Sunday afternoon when the Vanderbilt Commodores host the Butler Bulldogs at 3 p.m. ET, 2 p.m. CT. Fans can stream the action on SEC Network+.
 
Game Day
Date: Sunday, November 17, 2024
Time: 3:00 PM EST | 2:00 PM CST
Location: Nashville, Tenn. - Memorial Gymnasium
Live Stats: VUCommodores.com (Statbroadcast)
Watch: SEC Network+
 
Bulldog Bits
- Butler defeated Indiana for just the second time in program history on Wednesday night.
- Caroline Strande led Butler in the victory with a game-high 14 points and eight rebounds.
- Sydney Jaynes scored back-to-back fourth quarter field goals to end the contest with 11 points.
- Karsyn Norman and Ari Wiggins had six assists and zero turnovers in the win over IU.
- Norman leads the BIG EAST and ranks second in the nation in assist to turnover ratio.
- Butler set a new single-game attendance record vs. Indiana with 4,135 fans at the game.
- The win was Butler's second against a Big Ten opponent in the Austin Parkinson Era (Wisconsin).
- Wednesday night was Butler's first double-digit win over the Hoosiers.
- Butler limited IU to just 18 second half points.
- The Bulldogs ended the Indiana game on a 10-2 scoring run.
- BU has played 11 players in each game this season.
- The Bulldogs are off to a 3-0 start for the first time since 2019-20.
- Butler leads the BIG EAST and ranks 24th in the nation in blocked shots per game (6.3).
- Cristen Carter leads the league in blocked shots (8) and total rebounds (26).
- No other BIG EAST team has attempted more free throws per game than Butler (24.6).
- Strande (16) and Carter (15) lead the team in free throw attempts.
- Butler is outscoring their opponent 46-27 in the fourth quarter this year.
- This is Butler's last true road game until Dec. 8.
- Caroline Strande was selected to the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team.
 
BIG EAST Standings
Butler 3-0
St. John's 3-0
UConn 2-0
Seton Hall 2-0
DePaul 2-1
Providence 2-1
Creighton 1-2
Georgetown 1-1
Villanova 1-1
Xavier 1-1
Marquette 0-2
 
Scouting Vanderbilt                                                                           
The Commodores are undefeated this season with a 3-0 record. They won at South Florida on Thursday night behind a 17-point effort from Khamil Pierre. The sophomore forward shot 50 percent from the field and led the team with 10 rebounds. Pierre was one of three Dores in double figures. Mikayla Blakes had 16 and Madison Green hit five 3-pointers to net 15. Head Coach Shea Ralph enters her fourth season at Vandy in 2024-25. A former UConn assistant, Ralph led the Dores to the NCAA Tournament last season. It marked their first appearance in the tournament field in 10 years. The Bulldogs will need to be ready to face a physical and relentless Vanderbilt defense on Sunday. All three teams that have faced the Commodores this season have turned the ball over 20+ times. Points in general have been hard to come by. Lipscomb scored 50 in the season opener, South Florida managed 49, and Austin Peay was limited to just 37.
 
All-Time Series                                                                                                   
Sunday will be the fourth meeting between Vanderbilt and Butler. The Commodores recently took a 2-1 lead in the all-time series by recording a 51-39 win at Hinkle Fieldhouse last year. The first-ever meeting came in game two of the Vanderbilt O'Charley's Classic in 1990. The Bulldogs won that contest 91-88.
 
Last Meeting vs. Vanderbilt                                                             
Vandy visited Hinkle last year and walked away with a 51-39 win. The difference in the outcome was the scoring in the second quarter. The Commodores won that frame 14-4 to take a nine-point lead into the half. Butler did outscore Vandy in the third, but could not complete the comeback. Caroline Strande led Butler in the setback with 12 points. The Commodores had two in double figures including Madison Greene with 10.
 
Trending Up                                                                                                         
It's a small sample size, but there are some trends forming for the Bulldogs that are helping the team win games early in the season. Butler has shot more free throws than their opponent in each game this year and have also outrebounded their foes. Their depth is a clear advantage as BU has had more bench points than their opponent in three-straight games.
 
Spread the Love                                                                                                 
Butler has used the same starting lineup in each game, but a different Bulldog has led the team in scoring over the first three contests. Kilyn McGuff had 17 in the opener and Lily Carmody paced the Bulldogs with a season-high 20 points in the overtime thriller at Milwaukee. Strande sealed the IU win with free throws to push her game-high total to 14.
 
Battle Tested                                                                                        
Butler trailed Indiana by two at halftime and were down six in the opening minutes of the third quarter. The Bulldogs fought back and took a 39-37 lead over the Hoosiers with two minutes to play in the third and never gave the lead back to earn their third win.
 
Move the Ball                                                                                       
Butler had 14 assists on 20 made field goals against Indiana, the same total they recorded on 27 made field goals at Milwaukee last weekend. Their season-high total of 17 was recorded in the opener vs. Chicago State.
 
Plus/Minus                                                                                                          
Lily Carmody and Karsyn Norman made huge impacts in the win over Indiana. The Bulldogs were +19 with Carmody on the court and +14 with Norman at point guard.
 
Austin Parkinson Reaches 250 Career Wins                                
Austin Parkinson guided Butler to 26 wins over his first two seasons at the helm. The Bulldog opening round WNIT victory last year moved Parkinson's career win total to 250.
 
Signature BIG EAST Wins                                                                               
The Bulldogs defeated St. John's, Villanova, and DePaul in February last year over the span of 19 days. It was the first time in program history for BU to defeat all three of those opponents in the same season.
 
Bulldogs on the Big Stage                                                                               
The BIG EAST matchup between Butler and St. John's set for Feb. 16 will be played at Madison Square Garden. The 2024-25 Bulldogs will be the first-ever Butler women's basketball team to play inside "The World's Most Famous Arena". Bulldog fans can also count on seeing their team play on FS1 this year. Butler will face Marquette in Milwaukee on Jan. 4 at 4 p.m. Each BU contest against UConn will air on SNY.
 
Gulf Coast Showcase                                                                        
The Bulldogs will participate in the Gulf Coast Showcase this year. The tournament field features Butler, Boise State, High Point, Illinois State, New Mexico State, Santa Clara, Texas, and West Virginia. Seven of the eight teams competing advanced to the postseason last year. Six of the eight teams in the field posted 20 or more wins last season.
 
Cheers To 50                                                                                                       
The Butler women's basketball program is celebrating 50 years of Bulldog basketball in 2024-25. Over the previous 49 years, BU has recorded 689 wins under the direction of nine head coaches. The program record for most wins in a single-season was set in 1980-81 when the Bulldogs went 26-2 under the leadership of Linda Mason. Butler's only NCAA Tournament appearance came in 1995-96 when BU posted a 21-9 overall record.
 
Welcome Back                                                                                                   
The Bulldogs return 80% of their scoring from last year's team. Seven of Butler's top eight leading scorers from 2023-24 are back with the program.
 
Up Next                                                                                                                 
The Bulldogs have two home games on the schedule next week. Butler will host Indiana State on Wednesday and UMass Lowell on Sunday. The weeknight tip is set for 7 p.m. while the weekend matchup gets underway at 2 p.m.