WATCH | LIVE STATS | GAME NOTES
 
VILLANOVA – Butler will play at Villanova Saturday afternoon at 4 PM. The second meeting between the two programs will be played at Finneran Pavilion and stream on FloHoops.com.
 
GameDay
Date: Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024
Time: 4:00 PM
Location: Villanova, Pa. - Finneran Pavilion
Live Stats: Villanova.com – StatBroadcast
Watch: BEDN on FloHoops.com
 
Bulldog Bits
- Butler leads the BIG EAST and ranks 8th in the nation in 3-point field goal percentage (38.4%).
- The Bulldogs rank second in the BIG EAST in made 3-pointers per game (8.2).
- Rachel Kent has made a 3-pointer in 15-straight games. She ranks third in the conference in made 3-pointers with 58.
- Kent is four free throws away from 200 and two assists away from 300 in her career.
- Caroline Strande was named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll on Monday.
- Strande ranks ninth in the BIG EAST in scoring (15.1) and eighth in rebounding (7.4).
- Strande had a double-double in the first meeting vs. Villanova with 12 points and 10 rebounds.
- Strande just missed a double-double at Providence with a game-high 22 points and nine rebounds.
- Strande scored nine of her 22 points in the fourth quarter to keep BU on top.
- Strande went 6-for-6 from the line on Wednesday. She is the sixth-best free throw shooter in the BIG EAST (83.8%).
- Butler outscored Providence 16-6 in the second quarter to take control of the game.
- Cristen Carter came up with five offensive rebounds at PC. She filled up the stat sheet by adding three blocks and two steals in 16 minutes.
- The Bulldogs now have three road wins this season (at Wisconsin, at Xavier, at Providence).
 
BIG EAST Standings
UConn 13-0, 21-5
Creighton 11-2, 20-3
Villanova 9-4, 16-8
St. John's 9-5, 15-11
Marquette 8-6, 19-6
Georgetown 6-8, 16-9
Seton Hall 6-8, 14-11
Providence 5-8, 11-15
DePaul 4-10, 12-15
Butler 3-10, 11-13
Xavier 0-13, 1-21
 
Scouting Villanova                                                                                 
The Wildcats are currently sitting in third place of the BIG EAST standings with a 9-4 record. They have won three-straight and are playing back at home for the first time since Feb. 3. Nova is 8-3 this year at Finneran Pavilion. They took a three-point loss to Princeton early in the year before losing to both Creighton and UConn in conference action. Slowing down Lucy Olsen will be key for the Bulldogs, but that task is easier said than done. Olsen leads the BIG EAST with her 23.4 scoring average. She shoots 44 percent from the field and is the team leader in 3-pointers with 38. No other Wildcat averages double figures in the scoring column outside of Olsen, but forward Christian Dalce is close at 8.7. Maddie Webber is another player to keep an eye on. The true freshman has scored in double figures 10 times this year.
 
All-Time Series                                                                                       
Villanova leads the all-time series over Butler 16-6. The Wildcats have won seven-straight against Butler including a 65-54 win earlier this season at Hinkle Fieldhouse. Butler swept the regular season series over Villanova in 2019-20. They won 58-41 at Villanova and 63-61 at Hinkle Fieldhouse.
 
Last Meeting vs. Villanova                                                                   
Villanova jumped out to a 10-0 lead at Butler and handed the Bulldogs an 11-point loss on Jan. 13. Maddie Webber led all players with 18 points while Lucy Olsen had 15 points, six assists and three steals. Nova was led by Christian Dalce on the inside. She recorded 13 rebounds and blocked four shots. Villanova took 20 more shots than Butler and also hit twice as many 3-pointers. Caroline Strande had a team-high 12 points for BU while Sydney Jaynes added 11. Rachel Kent scored nine and Riley Makalusky came off the bench to add seven.
 
A Look Back at Last Week                                                                                  
The Bulldogs notched their first BIG EAST home win last week with a 64-59 victory over St. John's. Caroline Strande, Rachel Kent, and Riley Makalusky all scored in double figures and the Bulldogs shot 45 percent from 3-point range to find the win column. BU won for just the second time this season after trailing their opponent at halftime. The victory was also Butler's first against an opponent in the Top 100 of the NET Rankings.
 
Back-2-Back BIG EAST Wins                                                                 
The Bulldogs have put together back-to-back wins for the first time since Dec. 3 when they traveled to Madison to beat Wisconsin 59-51. The team went on a similar winning streak a year ago. BU won 63-62 at Providence on Feb. 11, 2023 and rattled off three more victories right after by defeating Georgetown, Xavier, and Seton Hall.
 
Kent Career Starts vs. Rest of Starting 5                             
Rachel Kent is set to start in her 135th game on Saturday afternoon. The rest of the BU starting five combines for 53 collegiate starts.
 
Strande Continues to Score                                                                 
Caroline Strande has led Butler in scoring 12 times this season and in seven of Butler's last nine games. She is averaging 16.2 ppg over Butler's last nine games and has reached double figures in each contest during that stretch.
 
When Opportunity Knocks                                                                  
Riley Makalusky jumped into the starting five on Jan. 24 and has scored in double figures four times over those six starts. She scored 19 at Xavier in her first collegiate start and has reached double figures in three-straight heading to Villanova. She is averaging 5.5 points this season, but 9.5 over the last six games.
 
Welcome Back                                                                                       
Jordan Meulemans has gone 2-for-3 from 3-point range in each game since coming back from her injury. Meulemans missed four games for BU and returned to action on Feb. 9 vs. St. John's. Meulemans has made multiple 3-pointers in a single game 12 times this season.
 
Carter Keeps It Alive                                                                              
Cristen Carter crashed the offensive glass against Providence this year by grabbing five offensive rebounds in each game against the Friars. She leads the team with 42 offensive rebounds this season.
 
Strande Lands on BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll                               
Caroline Strande led BU to a win over St. John's with 18 points, nine rebounds, four assists, a steal and a blocked shot. She shot 50 percent from the field (7-14) and hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 2:06 left in the fourth to give BU a one-point lead that they would not give up. This is the third time this season Strande has made the honor roll.
 
Grab the Board                                                                                      
Caroline Strande is the top rebounding guard in the BIG EAST. She has led Butler in rebounding 17 times this season (24 games) and in 10 of Butler's 13 BIG EAST games.
 
Sharpshooters                                                                                        
Butler has three of the best 3-point shooters in the BIG EAST on their roster. Caroline Strande and Jordan Meulemans rank second and third in the conference in 3-point field goal percentage and Rachel Kent comes in at eighth. This trio accounts for 137 of Butler's 196 made 3-pointers this year (70%).
 
Tied a Team Record                                                                                             
Jordan Meulemans made eight 3-pointers in Butler's win over St. Thomas. She 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 returns to Hinkle Fieldhouse on Wednesday, Feb. 21 to host the Xavier Musketeers on FS2. Tip in Indianapolis is set for 6:30 PM.