The Bulldogs are back at home this week with a pair of BIG EAST games lined up on the women's basketball schedule. The first contest will feature Villanova playing in Indianapolis on Wednesday night. The 7 p.m. tip will be the first meeting between the two programs this year.
 
Game Day
Date: Wednesday, February 5, 2025
Time: 7:00 PM ET
Location: Indianapolis, Ind. - Hinkle Fieldhouse
Live Stats: ButlerSports.com (Statbroadcast)
Watch: FloSports.com
 
Bulldog Bits
- Kilyn McGuff reached 1,000 career points at UConn by scoring a game-high 17 points against the Huskies.
- McGuff went 5-for-9 from 3-point range and added a pair of free throws to reach her scoring total.
- McGuff added a team-high seven rebounds in the setback at the XL Center.
- McGuff has now led Butler in rebounding 18 times this season.
- McGuff leads the team and ranks second in the conference in rebounds per game (8.1).
- McGuff leads the BIG EAST and ranks 29th in the nation in double-doubles (9).
- BU is third in the league in rebound margin (+3.2).
- Cristen Carter had four offensive rebounds (5 total) against the Huskies.
- Carter has at least one offensive rebound in every game this year.
- McGuff is the seventh-best free throw shooter in the league, connecting on 76 percent of her attempts.
- BU leads the conference in free throw attempts (17.7) and free throws made (12.6) per game.
- BU went 5-for-5 from the free throw line on Sunday.
- McGuff ranks sixth in the conference in minutes played per game (33.1).
- McGuff has played 30+ minutes in every BIG EAST game this year.
- Butler leads the BIG EAST in bench points per game (23.1).
- Sydney Jaynes recorded two assists at UConn to move her career total to 200.
- Sunday's tilt at UConn was sold out with 15,684 fans in attendance.
- Three of Butler's five starters have never faced Villanova in their collegiate careers.
 
BIG EAST Standings
UConn 12-0, 21-2
Creighton 10-1, 18-4
Seton Hall 8-2, 16-5
Marquette 6-4, 14-7
Villanova 6-4, 12-10
DePaul 6-5, 11-13
Georgetown 3-7, 10-11
St. John's 3-8, 13-9
Butler 2-9, 12-12
Providence 2-9, 9-15
Xavier 1-10, 6-16
 
Scouting Villanova                                                               
The Wildcats are 12-10 overall with a 6-4 record in conference. They have won four of their last five games to move into a tie for fourth place in the BIG EAST standings along with Marquette. Freshman guard Jasmine Bascoe leads the team with her 15.7 scoring average. Maddie Webber is another Wildcat averaging double figures for head coach Denise Dillon. Webber is the best 3-point shooter on the team connecting on 33 percent of her attempts.
 
All-Time Series                                                                                                   
Villanova leads the all-time series against Butler 16-7. Butler's win over Villanova last year on Feb. 17 was their first against the Wildcats since Feb. 9, 2020.
 
Last Game vs. The Wildcats                                                           
Butler recorded a 55-52 win at Finneran Pavilion last year. An 11-0 BU scoring run in the second quarter allowed the Bulldogs to lead the Wildcats by six at the half. Nova knotted the score at 32-32 in the second half, but the Bulldogs would hold Villanova scoreless for over six minutes in the third to take a five-point lead into the fourth. BU never trailed down the stretch and made free throws to seal the win.
 
National Girls and Women in Sports Day                                   
February 5, marks the 39th annual National Girls & Women in Sports Day. This celebration inspires girls and women to play and be active, to realize their full power. The confidence, strength and character gained through sports participation are the very tools girls and women need to become strong leaders in sports and life.
 
The BIG EAST Conference Honors The Black Fives                 
The BIG EAST Conference has partnered with the Black Fives Foundation, a nonprofit public charity dedicated to inspiring excellence in youth by preserving, teaching, and honoring the pre-NBA history of African Americans in basketball. This year's theme, "Pioneers of Change," will shine a spotlight on the early African American trailblazers who revolutionized the game and left an indelible mark on the sport. From the early 1900s through the 1940s, these teams played in ballrooms and gymnasiums located within the same geographic footprint as many of the BIG EAST schools today.
 
3-Point Shot                                                                                                        
Butler made 12 3-pointers at UConn, recording their second-highest total of the season and marking the most against any BIG EAST foe this season. McGuff hit three of her career-high five in the first quarter to help BU reach double digits for the fourth time this year. McGuff has now made at least two 3-pointers in four-straight games for the Bulldogs. Their 12 makes came on 27 attempts, putting the team at 44 percent in the contest. In all, seven different Bulldogs made a 3-pointer in Hartford.
 
From the Line                                                                                       
Butler made all five of their free throw attempts at UConn on Sunday. It was the first time this year that they finished the game perfect from the line, however it was also their lowest attempt total of the season. BU has only been held under 10 free throw attempts in three games taking nine vs. Georgetown, six vs. Creighton and now five at UConn.
 
Move The Ball                                                                                       
Butler was credited with 18 assists at UConn, their most against any BIG EAST opponent this season. Karsyn Norman and Ari Wiggins each had four to share the team lead on Sunday. Eight of the 10 Bulldogs that saw the floor came up with at least one.
 
Kilyn Reaches 1,000 Career Points                                              
Kilyn McGuff reached 1,000 career points in the second half of Butler's last game at #6 UConn. She had a team-high 17 against the Huskies to move her career total to 1,006. She has scored 283 points as a Bulldog and had 723 over her previous three years at Belmont.
 
600 Club                                                                                                               
Kilyn McGuff grabbed 10 rebounds on Jan. 26 to push her career total over 600. McGuff has 195 rebounds this season, that's 21 more than she had all of last year at Belmont in 33 starts. She averages 8.1 per game and is now on pace to break into the single-season top ten list in the Butler record book.
 
What's Missing?                                                                                                
Caroline Strande and Jordan Meulemans are both out for the season. Meulemans was sidelined just days before Butler's first game and Strande suffered a season-ending injury on Dec. 29 vs. Seton Hall. Strande was a Second Team All-BIG EAST selection last year and became the first Bulldog in program history to lead the team in points, rebounds and assists during the same season. Meulemans made 61 3-pointers last year, shooting 42 percent from behind the arc.
 
18 3-Pointers                                                                                        
The Bulldogs set a single-game program record against Saint Francis by hitting 18 3-pointers. Eight different players made at least one 3-pointer and no Bulldog made more than four. As a team, BU shot 56.3 percent from behind the arc, making 18 of their 32 attempts. The old record of 16 was reached two times previously. BU hit 16 3-pointers at Georgetown on Jan. 11, 2014 and the 2023-24 team matched that effort with 16 against St. Thomas in game two of the Tiger Turkey Tip-Off.
 
10 Wins                                                                                                                 
The Bulldogs reached 10 non-conference wins before the start of BIG EAST play for just the second time since joining conference. Butler went 6-2 in November and highlighted that stretch of action with a 56-46 home win over Indiana. The victory came in front of a record-setting crowd of 4,135 fans.
 
Up Next                                                                                                                 
Butler will host Marquette on Super Bowl Sunday. The second meeting of the season between the two programs will feature a 2 p.m. tip at Hinkle Fieldhouse. Those fans not able to attend can stream the action on FloSports.com.