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INDIANAPOLIS – The Butler Bulldogs will host the Bowling Green Falcons on Thursday night at 7 PM. The First Round of the WNIT will take place at Hinkle Fieldhouse. Those unable to attend can watch the game on the Butler Athletics YouTube channel.
 
GameDay
Date: Thursday, March 21, 2024
Time: 7:00 PM
Location: Indianapolis, Ind. - Hinkle Fieldhouse
Live Stats: ButlerSports.com – StatBroadcast
Watch: YouTube.com/ButlerAthletics
 
Bulldog Bits
- Butler's last WNIT win came on March 23, 2019 against Kent State.
- Caroline Strande earned a spot on the All-BIG EAST Second Team.
- Strande ranks 11th in the BIG EAST in scoring (15.0) and ninth in rebounding (7.2).
- Strande scored 20 points for BU in their tournament game and only missed one shot (9-10).
- Riley Makalusky was selected to the BIG EAST All-Freshman Team.
- Makalusky has scored in double figures seven times (12 games) since becoming a starter on Jan. 24.
- Butler leads the BIG EAST and ranks 4th in the nation in 3-point field goal percentage (38.8%).
- The Bulldogs rank second in the BIG EAST and 23rd in the nation in made 3-pointers per game (8.4).
- Rachel Kent will make the 141st start of her career on Thursday. She is just seven points shy of 1,600.
- Kent has made a 3-pointer in 21-straight games.
- Kent is tied for second in the BIG EAST in made 3-pointers with 71.
- Kent is currently ranked sixth on Butler's single-season Top Ten list in made 3-point field goals.
- Butler recorded five wins during the month of February for the first time since 2010.
- The Bulldogs won three more games this year than last while matching their BIG EAST win total (6).
 
Scouting Bowling Green                                                                                     
The Falcons took a 70-64 setback to Buffalo in the Quarterfinals of the MAC Tournament to move their overall record to 16-14. BGSU played a challenging non-conference schedule that included games at #4 Iowa, vs. #1 South Carolina, and at #16 Indiana. The only common opponent appearing on both BGSU's schedule and Butler's was Xavier. The Falcons defeated the Musketeers in the Cintas Center 73-64. Head Coach Fred Chmiel is in his first season with the program. Chmiel spent the previous nine seasons as an assistant at South Carolina. He helped Bowling Green reach 10 Mid-American Conference wins and play as the No. 5 seed in the tournament. The Falcons led the MAC in 3-point field goal percentage (33.9) and had the best 3-point shooter in the conference on their roster in Morgan Sharps. A fifth-year senior that transferred to BGSU from Xavier, Sharps was named All-MAC Second Team at the conclusion of the regular season. She leads the team with her 15.6 scoring average and led all MAC players in 3-pointers made (83) and attempted (219). Sharps ranks sixth in the NCAA in 3-pointers made per game (3.19).
 
All-Time Series                                                                                       
This will be the ninth overall meeting between Butler and Bowling Green with the Falcons ahead in the all-time series 5-3. The last meeting was a 61-57 victory for BGSU at Hinkle Fieldhouse on Nov. 18, 2013. The first-ever meeting came on Nov. 28, 1997 in the first game of the Central Florida Turkey Shootout. Butler lost to BGSU 85-67, but would face Bowling Green in the WNIT that same year and record a 95-90 win on March 13, 1998. Butler edged Bowling Green in overtime (78-73) in the next meeting on Dec. 4, 2001. Their last win over the Falcons was recorded at Bowling Green (61-54) exactly one year later. Bowling Green took control of the series by winning the last four meetings (2010-2013).
 
Last Meeting vs. Bowling Green                                                                        
Butler hosted Bowling Green just four games into the 2013-14 season, which was Butler's first as a member of the BIG EAST Conference. The Bulldogs held a 27-22 lead over BGSU at halftime, but would fall in the contest 61-57. Daress McClung was Butler's top performer that day, posting a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds. BGSU was led by Alexis Rogers and her game-high 17 points that paired with eight rebounds. The game came down to the wire after a 9-0 Butler scoring run would tie the contest at 57-57. Erica Donovon regained the BGSU lead with a layup from the left side and the Falcons would block Butler's go-ahead 3-point attempt to secure the win.
 
Tournament Field                                                                                                 
The 2024 WNIT field features 11 automatic qualifiers and 37 at-large selections, chosen after consideration of a mix of criteria by WNIT officials. There are 24 teams with 20 or more victories in the bracket. Butler, Purdue, and Purdue Fort Wayne were all selected as at-large qualifiers from Indiana. Providence joins BU in the tournament field giving the BIG EAST a pair of teams in the postseason tournament.
 
Around the League                                                                                             
UConn, Creighton and Marquette all made the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament. UConn will play as a No. 3 seed, Creighton heads into action as a No. 7 seed and Marquette made the cut as a No. 10 seed. The BIG EAST was also well represented in the inaugural Women's Basketball Invitation Tournament (WBIT). Georgetown, St. John's, Seton Hall, and Villanova all secured postseason berths to the 32-team event.
 
WNIT History                                                                                          
This will be Butler's third trip to the WNIT since joining the BIG EAST Conference. They played at South Dakota State in 2014 and hosted two games in 2019 before falling at Cincinnati in the Sweet 16. The Bulldogs played in the WNIT during their lone season as a member of the Atlantic 10 in 2013 and were active in the postseason as Horizon League members in 2011, 2010, and 2009. When BU played in the MCC, they made the WNIT in 1998.
 
BIG EAST Honors                                                                                                  
Caroline Strande was voted onto the All-BIG EAST Second Team by the conference head coaches and Riley Makalusky earned a spot on the BIG EAST All-Freshman Team. Strande is the first Bulldog to earn Second Team accolades since Tori Schickel in 2019. She joins Schickel (2x) and Daress McClung (2x) as the only Bulldogs to appear on the Second Team. Makalusky is the fifth BU rookie to be named to the All-Freshman Team.
 
Magic Number                                                                                       
60 is the magic number for the Bulldogs this season. The team is 10-5 when scoring 60 points or more and just 4-11 when scoring under 60 points. The same can be stated defensively as BU is 12-2 on the year when they hold opponents under 60 points. They are 2-14 when they allow 60 or more.
 
Sharpshooters                                                                                       
The top three, 3-point shooters in the BIG EAST Conference are all Butler Bulldogs. Riley Makalusky leads the league in 3-point field goal percentage (47.1), Jordan Meulemans ranks second (45.7) and Caroline Strande is close behind at third (43.7). Rachel Kent gives BU four players in the top seven with her 40.8 percentage from behind the arc. These four players account for 206 of Butler's 253 made 3-pointers this year (81%). Makalusky (2nd), Meulemans (4th), and Strande (8th) will all etch their names into the BU record book with these percentages.
 
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.
 
Grab the Board                                                                                      
Caroline Strande is the top rebounding guard in the BIG EAST. She has led Butler in rebounding 21 times this season (30 games).
 
Up Next                                                                                                                  
The winner of Thursday night's game will move forward to face the Purdue Boilermakers. Fans are encouraged to visit ButlerSports.com to see if the Bulldogs will host the Boilers, and to see what time the game will start.