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Bulldogs Travel to Wright State Saturday
Jan. 13, 2006 THE TIP: After closing 2005 with a four-game winning streak, Butler looks to snap a three-game skid and pick up its first win of the new year when the Bulldogs travel to Wright State Saturday. Both teams enter the league contest with identical 6-8 (2-2 Horizon League) records. Free video and audio of the 1 p.m. tip is available live at both www.butlersports.com and www.horizonleague.com. THE SERIES: This is the 31st meeting between Butler and the Raiders with the Bulldogs holding an 18-12 advantage. However, Wright State won both match-ups last season and has taken nine of the last 13 decisions. The teams have split 14 contests in Dayton, including an overtime victory for the Raiders last year. HAMILTON HEATS UP: Junior Ellen Hamilton came off the bench for the first time this season against Detroit Thursday and she did so in a big way. Hamilton scored a season-high 21 points in just 24 minutes. She went 7-of-11 from the field, including 5-of-9 from three-point range. Hamilton is ninth in the Horizon League in field goal percentage at 48 percent. That's a staggering statistic with more than 60 percent of her attempts coming from behind the arc. BIG PLAY LADE: Freshman Lade Akande pulled down a career-high 14 rebounds Thursday against Detroit. She added 11 points for the fourth double-double of her young Butler career. It was Akande's seventh straight double-figure scoring game. She's led the team in scoring in five of those seven contests. `CASSIE' NOVA: Sophomore Cassie Freeman pulled down a career-high eight rebounds Thursday against Detroit. She's third on the team and 16th in the Horizon League with an average of 4.6 caroms per game. Freeman is averaging 6.0 points and 5.9 rebounds per game over the last seven contests.
YOUNG GUNS: Butler's starting line-up Thursday against Detroit featured three freshmen, a sophomore and a junior. It was the first time in Beth Couture's tenure that three freshmen got the starting nod. Newcomer Lade Akande has started all 14 games for Butler, while Candace Jones got her second start and Candyce Brown made her first collegiate start. TOP TEN PERFORMANCE: With more than a season and a half remaining in her Butler career, junior guard Jackie Closser has moved into tenth place on Butler's career assists list with 244. Closser now trails Brandi Kimble (1990-93) by 16 helpers for ninth place. Closser is second in the Horizon League at 5.2 assists per game. 15-FOOT RANGE: Junior Jackie Closser continues to top the circuit in free throw percentage at 89 percent. Closser is 23rd in the nation in free throw accuracy. As a team, Butler is shooting 73 percent from the line, good for second in the Horizon League. THIS DUO LIKES THREES: Junior Jackie Closser continues to lead the Horizon League with an average of 2.9 three-pointers per game. That also places her eighth in the nation in treys made. Junior Ellen Hamilton ranks second in the Horizon League in both three-point percentage (.467) and three-pointers made (2.5 per game). As a team, Butler leads the league in percentage (.391), hitting 7.6 three-pointers per game, which is third in the league and eighth in the NCAA. HITTING THE TRI-FECTA: Juniors Jackie Closser and Ellen Hamilton continue to climb toward the top spot in career three-pointers with each having more than a full season remaining. Closser has moved within two treys of second place. Career three-pointers made LEADING THE CIRCUIT: Jackie Closser paces the league in free throw percentage (.889) and three-pointers made (2.9 per game). Freshman Lade Akande leads in blocks at 2.00 swats per contest and defensive rebounding (5.8 per game). Closser is second in assists (5.2) and assist/turnover ratio (1.86), while Akande is just off the pace in rebounding at 8.6 boards per game. ALSO AMONG THE LEADERS: Stephanie Boeke ranks fifth in the league in rebounding at 6.1 caroms per game. Closser (14.8), Akande (14.6) and Ellen Hamilton (13.3) rank 5-6-7 in the league scoring race, while Hamilton is second in both three-point percentage and three-pointers made. ODDS AND ENDS FROM THE DETROIT CONTEST: Behind Ellen Hamilton's 21 points, Butler's bench out-scored its opponent's for just the second time this season (29-16)...Thursday's game was the first time this season that sophomore Candace Bain had been held scoreless...Butler tied a season-high with 25 three-point field goal attempts...senior Stephanie Boeke tied a career-high with three blocks...Thursday's game featured 14 ties, nine lead changes and neither team led by more than six points...in addition to her first collegiate start, freshman Candyce Brown had her first three-pointer in a Butler uniform. QUICK SHOTS: Thursday's loss against Detroit was the first this season for Butler when leading at the half, out-shooting its opponent, or in a game decided by five points or less...senior Stephanie Boeke celebrated her 22nd birthday Tuesday (Jan. 10)...senior Gina Grussing was one of 12 Butler student-athletes to post a 4.0 grade point average during the fall semester. Grussing joined Boeke, Jackie Closser and Cassie Freeman on the Butler Athletic Director's Academic Honor Roll. WE'RE GOING STREAKING: The Bulldogs have shot less than 40 percent in three straight games after shooting above 40 percent in nine of their first 11 contests this season...Butler has hit at least five three-pointers in all 14 games this season and in 20 of its last 21 outings dating back to last season...Jackie Closser has hit at least one three-pointer in 13 straight games, the longest active streak on the team...Butler has hit at least one three-pointer in 138 straight games, dating back to Feb. 1, 2001. AGAINST THE RAIDERS: Junior Jackie Closser played all 85 possible minutes against Wright State last season...senior Gina Grussing had five points and seven rebounds in a career-high 24 minutes against the Raiders Dec. 29, 2004...junior Ellen Hamilton averages 11.5 ppg in four meetings against Wright State...Beth Couture is 2-4 against Wright State as Butler's head coach. DIALING LONG DISTANCE...OFTEN: Detroit hit nine three-pointers Thursday, a season-high for a Butler opponent. The Titans shot 56 percent from behind the arc, including 6-of-8 in the second half. Seven of Butler's 14 opponents this season have shot better than 45 percent from behind the arc. The Bulldogs are allowing a Horizon League-worst .408 mark from behind the three-point line. TAKE CARE OF THE BALL: Butler committed 24 turnovers Thursday against Detroit, two shy of the season-high 26 versus Purdue in the season opener. The Bulldogs are committing 19.9 turnovers per game and carry a -3.9 turnover margin into Saturday's game. MILLER TIME: Butler announced that 2005 Indiana All-Star Tara Miller has joined the Butler program. Miller transfers to the Bulldogs from Indiana University. The 5-10 guard from Ramsey, Ind. (North Harrison) will have 2.5 seasons of eligibility beginning after the first semester of the 2006-07 season. She can practice with the team beginning Jan. 17, the first day of classes. WORTHLESS STAT OF THE DAY: Butler freshman Candace Jones has been a model of consistency this season. She is averaging 5.3 points per game in both the team's wins and losses. She scores 5.3 points per game at Hinkle Fieldhouse and exactly 5.3 ppg on the road as well. |
