The Butler women's basketball team will face the Milwaukee Panthers on Saturday afternoon. Tip is set for 2 p.m. eastern / 1 p.m. local. The Bulldogs are fresh off an 87-45 victory in the season opener. Every Bulldog that played scored at least three points in the win against Chicago State.
 
Game Day
Date: Saturday, November 9, 2024
Time: 2:00 PM EST | 1:00 PM CT
Location: Milwaukee, Wis. - Klotsche Center
Live Stats: MKEPanthers.com (Statbroadcast)
Watch: ESPN+
 
Bulldog Bits
- The Butler women's basketball program set a new single-game attendance record vs. Chicago State on Wednesday with 2,941 fans at the game.
- Kilyn McGuff recorded a double-double in her Butler debut with a team-high 17 points and 10 rebounds.
- Cristen Carter had a double-double against the Cougars setting new career-high marks with 15 points and 10 rebounds.
- BU outscored CSU 25-10 in the second quarter and 28-7 in the third to take control of the action.
- Butler went 21-for-28 from the free throw line in their first game of the year.
- Three Bulldog freshmen combined to score 20 points off the BU bench.
- Butler point guards had nine assists and just one turnover in the opener.
- Butler is now 2-1 in season openers under the leadership of Austin Parkinson.
- BU scored 38 points off 29 CSU turnovers.
- Karsyn Norman led Butler from behind the arc with two made 3-point field goals. 
- BU recorded 20 offensive rebounds on Wednesday.
- BU scored 99 points in an exhibition win over Taylor.
- Butler was picked to finish eighth in the BIG EAST Preseason Coaches' Poll.
- Caroline Strande made the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team.
- Strande became the only player in program history to lead Butler in points, rebounds and assists during the same season in 2023-24.
- Riley Makalusky was the fifth Bulldog in program history to make the BIG EAST All-Freshman Team.
- Makalusky led the BIG EAST in 3-point field goal shooting percentage (46.1).
- Butler ranked fifth in the nation in 3-point shooting percentage last year (38.3).
 
Scouting Milwaukee                                                                          
The Panthers are 1-1 at the start of the year. They took a tough 84-81 overtime loss at St. Thomas in the season opener, but responded with a 74-49 victory at home just two days later against Carroll. Kacee Baumhower exploded for 26 points and seven rebounds against the Tommies. She was one of four players to score in double figures in the opener. Game two featured a similar box score with four players once again in double figures. Baumhower shared the team lead in scoring with Izzy Pugh. Each Panther ended the contest with 14 points. Head Coach Kyle Rechlicz enters her 13th season on the sideline for Milwaukee. Her 2024-25 team was picked to finish fourth in the Preseason Horizon League Coaches Poll. Junior Kamy Peppler was also included on the Preseason All-League Team.
 
All-Time Series                                                                                                   
Milwaukee holds a slim 20-19 lead over Butler in the all-time series. These two teams met for the first time in 1981 and most recently in 2012.
 
Last Meeting vs. Milwaukee                                                            
Butler split a pair of games against Milwaukee during the 2011-12 season. The 'Dawgs won 76-63 at home on Jan. 28, but lost 54-52 in the rematch in February.
 
Horizon League History                                                                                  
Butler was a member of the Horizon League from 2001-02 to 2011-12. Before that they played Milwaukee in the Midwestern Collegiate Conference from 1994-95 to 2000-01. Butler won a league championship in 1995-96 and finished runner-up in 1997-98, 2006-07, 2009-10 and 2010-11. Milwaukee won the championship in 2000-01 and again in 2005-06. They were runner-up in 2008-09.
 
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.
 
From Belmont To Butler                                                                                  
Kilyn McGuff appeared in her 100th collegiate game on Wednesday when the Bulldogs defeated the Cougars. McGuff recorded the third double-double of her career in the outcome going for 17 points and 10 rebounds. Her first double-double included 18 points and 10 boards at Troy. Her second featured 14 points and 13 rebounds vs. Lipscomb.
 
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. BU has notched six conference wins in each season with Parkinson on the sideline. The 'Dawgs also went 9-9 at home last year, winning three more than the previous season.
 
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.
 
Notable Non-Conference Matchups                                           
Butler will face two quality opponents next week with one game coming at home and the other on the road. The Bulldogs will host #25 Indiana on Wednesday and then travel to Vanderbilt on Sunday. Each opponent made the NCAA Tournament field a year ago. IU reached the regional semifinal and the Commodores notched 23 wins before losing to No. 5 seed Baylor. It was Vanderbilt's first trip to the NCAA Tournament since 2014 and their highest win total since 2011-12.
 
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, led by Texas, who reached the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament. Butler, Boise State, and Illinois State took part in the WNIT while High Point and Santa Clara participated in the WBIT. Six of the eight teams in the field posted 20 or more wins last season.
 
2024-25 Roster Breakdown                                                             
The 2024-25 roster features one graduate, three seniors, two juniors, three sophomores and four freshmen. Nearly half of the student-athletes are from Indiana (6). The 'Dawgs also have players from Wisconsin (2), Michigan (2), Ohio (1), Minnesota (1), and Australia.
 
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                                                                                                                 
Butler will host #25 Indiana on Wednesday, Nov. 13. The 7 p.m. tip is expected to bring in a large crowd and will stream live on FloSports.com. Butler and Indiana have played 10 times with IU winning nine of those meetings. Butler hosted Indiana for the first time in 2001-02 claimed a victory over the Hoosiers on Dec. 9, 2012 by the final score of 59-56.