WATCH | LIVE STATS | GAME NOTES
 
INDIANAPOLIS – The final game for BU during the month of February will be played Wednesday night in Chicago. The Blue Demons will host the Bulldogs at Wintrust Arena. Action on FloHoops.com will get started at 8 PM ET / 7 PM CT.
 
GameDay
Date: Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024
Time: 8:00 PM ET / 7 PM CT
Location: Chicago, Ill. - Wintrust Arena
Live Stats: DePaulBlueDemons.com – StatBroadcast
Watch: BEDN on FloHoops.com
 
Bulldog Bits
- Riley Makalusky was named BIG EAST Freshman of the Week on Monday.
- Makalusky only missed two shots (8-10) at Georgetown and knocked down five of her six 3-point attempts to score a team-high 21 points.
- Makalusky scored 10 of her 21 points in the third quarter at GU. (4-5 FG, 2-2 3PT FG)
- Butler ended the Georgetown game with 12 3-pointers, shooting 41 percent from long range.
- There were 25 lead changes in the game between Butler and Georgetown; Neither team led by double digits in the contest.
- Georgetown took 15 free throw attempts in the fourth quarter vs. Butler; The Bulldogs took one.
- Butler leads the BIG EAST and ranks 4th in the nation in 3-point field goal percentage (38.9%).
- The Bulldogs rank second in the BIG EAST in made 3-pointers per game (8.4).
- Rachel Kent has made a 3-pointer in 18-straight games. She ranks third in the conference in made 3-pointers with 65.
- Caroline Strande ranks ninth in the BIG EAST in both scoring (15.2) and rebounding (7.4).
- Jordan Meulemans did not play in the first meeting vs. DePaul on Jan. 31.
- Butler's last win vs. a ranked opponent came at #25 DePaul on March 1, 2021.
- Butler and DePaul combined to make 21 3-pointers the last time they played at Wintrust Arena.
 
BIG EAST Standings
UConn 16-0, 24-5
Creighton 13-3, 22-4
Marquette 10-6, 21-6
Villanova 10-6, 17-10
St. John's 10-7, 16-13
Georgetown 8-9, 18-10
Seton Hall 7-9, 15-12
Providence 6-10, 12-17
Butler 5-11, 13-14
DePaul 4-12, 12-17
Xavier 0-16, 1-24
 
Scouting DePaul                                                                                                   
The Blue Demons have lost four-straight and will host the Bulldogs on Wednesday night with a 12-17 overall record. They remain a dangerous team that leads the league in bench points per game (18.5), offensive rebounds per game (12.7), and turnovers forced per game (17.7). Notre Dame transfer Anaya Peoples is the player to keep an eye on for the Blue Demons. A 5-11 graduate, Peoples ranks sixth in the league in scoring (17.6) and fifth in rebounds (8.0). She also leads the BIG EAST in steals (2.5) edging out her teammate Katlyn Gilbert (2.4). As a team, the Blue Demons rank second in the conference in steals per game (10.1). They also stay true to their identity by taking 24 3-pointers per contest.
 
All-Time Series                                                                                       
DePaul is 24-1 all-time against Butler. The lone Bulldog win came on March 1, 2021 against a nationally-ranked DePaul team. Butler scored a season-high 86 points in the victory and shot 54 percent from the field. They made 10 of their 22 3-point attempts and exploded for 30 points in the third quarter to take a lead. DePaul and Butler first met on the hardwood during the 1984-85 season as members of the North Star Conference.
 
Last Meeting vs. DePaul                                                                                     
DePaul recorded a 10-point win at Hinkle Fieldhouse earlier this season behind a 24-point performance from Anaya Peoples. The Bulldogs led 21-14 after one quarter, but the Blue Demons battled back to win the second frame 19-6. Butler was limited to 57 points in the setback. Caroline Strande led the offense with 12 points and Rachel Kent was the only other player to reach double figures with 10.
 
Tournament Talk                                                                                                  
The Bulldogs and Blue Demons are side-by-side in the conference standings making this matchup very important for each team in terms of tournament seeding. Currently, 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. DePaul would be the No. 10 seed and play No. 7 seed Seton Hall. In the lone meeting between SHU and DePaul, the Pirates would come out on top with a 91-78 victory. Butler and Providence split the regular season with each team winning on the road. One thing is certain as we head into March, the Huskies are the No. 1 overall seed. They claimed the BIG EAST crown with a 104-67 win at DePaul.
 
Riley Makalusky Named BIG EAST Freshman of the Week           
Riley Makalusky was the top scoring freshman in the BIG EAST last week, while finishing in the top 10 overall, averaging 17.0 points to go along with 3.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists. The guard had her top showing in BIG EAST play thus far on Saturday at Georgetown, tallying 21 points off 8-of-10 shooting, including a 5-of-6 mark from three, while adding two rebounds, a steal and an assist. In Wednesday's win over Xavier, Makalusky had 13 points off 4-of-8 shooting to go along with four rebounds and three assists. She is Butler's first BIG EAST Freshman of the Week this season.
 
Finishing Up February                                                                          
The Bulldogs are 4-2 during the month of February and are seeking their fifth win of this month for the first time since 2010. Since joining the BIG EAST in 2013-14, four Butler teams have reached four wins in February including last year's club that won four-in-a-row. That group joined the 2019-20, 2018-19 and 2013-14 teams that notched four wins in February. The 2009-10 team went 6-1 before March arrived. That year BU played in the WNIT with a 23-9 overall record.
 
Makalusky Making Strides                                                                  
Riley Makalusky is set to make her 10th start of the season Wednesday night at DePaul. Since jumping into the starting lineup at Xavier on Jan. 24, Makalusky has averaged 10.4 points for BU during that span to rank second on the team in scoring. She is averaging 11.3 points per game during February and is shooting 51 percent from the field (25-49).
 
Welcome Back                                                                                       
Jordan Meulemans has hit at least two 3-pointers in every game since she returned from injury (2/9). Over her last five games, Meulemans has shot 54.5 percent from behind the arc making 12 of her 22 attempts. The BU guard has made multiple 3-pointers in a single game 15 times this season. She ranks fourth in the BIG EAST in made 3-pointers per game (2.3). Rachel Kent is tied for second (2.4).
 
Sharpshooters                                                                                        
Four of the top nine 3-point shooters in the BIG EAST Conference are Butler Bulldogs. Riley Makalusky leads the league in 3-point field goal percentage (50.0). Jordan Meulemans jumped up to second (46.2) and Caroline Strande comes in at fourth (43.7). Rachel Kent is also listed in the top ten. The grad transfer from IUPUI is shooting 41.1 percent from behind the arc. These four players account for 187 of Butler's 228 made 3-pointers this year (82%). The Bulldogs lead the league in 3-point field goal percentage and DePaul ranks last in defending the 3 allowing opponents to shoot 35 percent.
 
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 10 times this year.
 
Grab the Board                                                                                      
Caroline Strande is the top rebounding guard in the BIG EAST. She has led Butler in rebounding 19 times this season (27 games) and in 12 of Butler's 16 BIG EAST games.
 
Up Next                                                                                                                  
Senior Day is set for Saturday, March 2 when the Bulldogs host the Marquette Golden Eagles at 3 PM. Five Bulldogs will be recognized before tip to celebrate their Bulldog careers. The 2024 Senior Class is made up of Rosemarie Dumont, Rachel Kent, Anna Mortag, Abby Stoddard, and Kendall Wingler.