WATCH | LIVE STATS | GAME NOTES
 
INDIANAPOLIS – Butler will go for their fifth-straight conference win on Saturday afternoon at Georgetown when the Hoyas host the Bulldogs for a 2 PM tip on FloHoops.com.
 
GameDay
Date: Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2024
Time: 2:00 PM
Location: Washington, D.C. - McDonough Arena
Live Stats: GUHoyas.com – StatBroadcast
Watch: BEDN on FloHoops.com
 
Bulldog Bits
- The Bulldogs have won four in a row!
- Butler is 4-0 against Xavier under the direction of Austin Parkinson.
- Butler dished out 24 assists on 30 made field goals Wednesday night at Hinkle Fieldhouse.
- Ari Wiggins tied her career-high with six assists vs. Xavier and only had one turnover in 25 minutes.
- Wiggins made a career-high three 3-point field goals and didn't miss a shot (4-4) vs. Xavier.
- BU made 15 3-pointers vs. Xavier while shooting 46 percent from behind the arc.
- Butler leads the BIG EAST and ranks 6th in the nation in 3-point field goal percentage (38.8%).
- The Bulldogs rank second in the BIG EAST in made 3-pointers per game (8.3).
- Rachel Kent has made a 3-pointer in 17-straight games. She ranks third in the conference in made 3-pointers with 64.
- Caroline Strande has scored 17+ points in four consecutive games.
- Strande ranks ninth in the BIG EAST in scoring (15.3) and eighth in rebounding (7.3).
- Butler outscored Xavier 26-7 in the third quarter and crushed the Musketeers on the glass 39-21.
- Butler hasn't allowed a 20-point quarter to an opponent over their last four games.
- Sydney Jaynes needs nine rebounds to reach 300 in her collegiate career.
 
BIG EAST Standings
UConn 15-0, 23-5
Creighton 12-3, 21-4
Villanova 10-5, 17-9
Marquette 9-6, 20-6
St. John's 9-7, 15-13
Georgetown 7-9, 17-10
Seton Hall 7-9, 15-12
Providence 6-9, 12-16
Butler 5-10, 13-13
DePaul 4-11, 12-16
Xavier 0-15, 1-23
 
Scouting Georgetown                                                                           
The Hoyas beat St. John's on Tuesday night 51-43. After a slow start, Georgetown would take their first lead of the game at the midway point of the third quarter and outscore the Red Storm 15-8 in the fourth to secure their 17th win of the season. Georgetown is currently in sixth place of the conference standings with a 7-9 record against conference foes. Interim Head Coach Darnell Haney has the best defensive team in the conference with the Hoyas allowing just 54.9 points per game. They are the second-best team in the BIG EAST in defending the 3-point line (28.6%), but they are near the bottom of the BIG EAST in made 3-pointers (4.6 per game). Kelsey Ransom and Graceann Bennett are the players to study in the scouting report. Ransom rarely leaves the court, logging 35 minutes of playing time per game. She ranks fifth in the league in assists (4.1) and sixth in steals (2.1). Bennett is an interior presence that ranks 10th in the BIG EAST in rebounding (7.2).
 
All-Time Series                                                                                       
The all-time series between Butler and Georgetown is tied at 11-11. The Bulldogs swept the Hoyas during the regular season last year, but Georgetown recorded a 53-46 win over Butler in the BIG EAST Tournament. The first meeting this year served as the conference home opener for Butler, but the Hoyas came to Indianapolis and left with a 60-55 win.
 
Last Meeting vs. Georgetown                                                             
Butler held a 37-28 halftime lead over Georgetown, but the Hoyas would comeback to win the game 60-55. Graceann Bennett broke a 55-55 tie at the one-minute mark and a driving layup by Kelsey Ransom would seal the victory for the visiting Hoyas. Bennett had a team-high 20 points to go along with eight rebounds. She scored eight-straight points for GU in the third quarter to get her team back within a point of Butler. The 'Dawgs were led by Rachel Kent and her game-high 22 points. Kent made five 3-pointers in the contest and Caroline Strande chipped in with 15 points and nine boards.
 
Tournament Talk                                                                                                  
The Bulldogs have three games left in the regular season. If the BIG EAST Tournament were to start today, Butler would play as the No. 9 seed and face No. 8 seed Providence. The winner of that contest would move forward to face No. 1 seed UConn. The Huskies, Bluejays and Wildcats have all clinched first round byes while Butler, DePaul and Xavier are all guaranteed to play in the first round.
 
'Dawgs at McDonough Arena                                                             
The Bulldogs are 5-5 when playing Georgetown at McDonough Arena. The first-ever meeting between the two programs in D.C. was a wild one in which Butler set a single-game team record for most made 3-pointers (16) but lost to the Hoyas 85-79! BU won the following year and put together three-straight victories at McDonough starting in 2017-18. The 'Dawgs won big on the road last year behind a career-high 23-point game from Kendall Wingler. Wingler shot 7-of-11 from the field and had 20 points heading into the fourth quarter. BU shot 54 percent from 3-point range as a team, making 13 of their 24 attempts. Wingler and Jordan Meulemans each had four triples in the win. Sydney Jaynes played well with 12 points and Caroline Strande came off the bench to add nine.
 
Fun in February                                                                                      
Butler has rattled off four-straight conference wins during the month of February in back-to-back seasons. The current four-game winning streak has moved the team's overall record back to .500 at 13-13. That gives BU two more wins this year than last year with at least four more games to go. Defense has been the name of the game for Butler during this streak. No BU opponent has reached 60 points and those four teams shot just 23 percent from 3-point range. Butler's offense has been provided by Caroline Strande. The talented guard is averaging 19 points per game over the last four, shooting 42 percent from the field.
 
Strande Lands on BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll                               
Caroline Strande was named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll on Monday for the fourth time this season. She averaged 20.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 2.5 steals in a 2-0 week for the Bulldogs. Strande scored 22 points and grabbed nine boards at Providence on Wednesday before going for 19 points and nine boards at Villanova on Saturday.
 
Strande Continues to Score                                                                 
Caroline Strande has led Butler in scoring 14 times this season and in nine of Butler's last 11 games. She has scored in double figures in 11-straight games.
 
Welcome Back                                                                                       
Jordan Meulemans has hit at least two 3-pointers in every game since she returned from injury. The BU guard has made multiple 3-pointers in a single game 14 times this season.
 
Grab the Board                                                                                      
Caroline Strande is the top rebounding guard in the BIG EAST. She has led Butler in rebounding 18 times this season (26 games) and in 11 of Butler's 15 BIG EAST games.
 
Sharpshooters                                                                                        
Four of the top eight 3-point shooters in the BIG EAST Conference are Butler Bulldogs. Riley Makalusky leads the league in 3-point field goal percentage (46.3). Caroline Strande and Jordan Meulemans round out the top three at 46.2 and 45.1 percent. Rachel Kent is also listed in the top ten. The grad transfer from IUPUI is shooting 41.3 percent from behind the arc. These four players account for 176 of Butler's 216 made 3-pointers this year (81%).
 
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 that victory. Butler recently hit 15 3-pointers in their win over Xavier. They have hit 10+ 3-pointers in a game nine times this year.
 
Up Next                                                                                                                  
The final true road game of the regular season is up next for the Bulldogs. Butler will play at DePaul on Wednesday, Feb. 28. The contest at Wintrust Arena will start at 8 PM Eastern, 7 PM Central.