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Bulldogs Continue Chicago Trip Saturday at UIC
Feb. 18, 2006 THE TIP: Butler meets UIC Saturday in a key Horizon League showdown at the UIC Pavilion, as the two teams enter the contest with identical 8-5 league marks. The Bulldogs (13-11) are looking to avenge a loss to the Flames (12-12) last month in Indianapolis. Butler enters the game as winners of seven of its last 10. Free video of the 7 p.m. (CST) tip will be available live at www.butlersports.com. THE SERIES: This is the 34th meeting between UIC and the Bulldogs. Butler holds a 19-14 lead in the overall series, including a slight 8-7 edge in Chicago. UIC has enjoyed recent success, taking the last four meetings between the teams. The Flames claimed an 83-64 win over the Bulldogs Jan. 7, 2006. BIG PLAY LADE: Freshman Lade Akande scored a game-high 26 points Thursday, leading the Bulldogs to an 82-69 win at Loyola. Akande went 11-of-17 from the field for her scoring output, which was just two points shy of her career-high. The output was Akande's ninth 20+ point performance of her freshman campaign. Due to foul trouble, Akande's 26 points came in just 25 minutes. The 6-1 post player has been in double figures in seven straight games and 16 of Butler's last 17 contests. `FREE' REIGN: One game after matching her career-high with 12 points Feb. 11 against UW-Milwaukee, sophomore Cassie Freeman went out and shattered that mark Thursday with 18 points against Loyola. Freeman posted career-highs of seven field goals and three treys, going 7-of-10 from the field and 3-of-3 from behind the arc. Five of Freeman's career seven double-digit scoring performances have come in the Bulldogs' last nine games. Freeman is averaging 10.1 points per game in the team's last nine games, up from her scoring average of 4.1 ppg in her first 43 career contests.
MILESTONE NIGHT: With her trio of three-pointers Thursday, junior Jackie Closser became the most prolific three-point shooter in Butler history. Closser's 168 career bombs move her ahead of the previous mark (167, Debbie Benziger, 1995-98), and Closser still has more than a season remaining in her Butler career. Closser is also just one trey shy of matching her own single-season three-pointers mark (67 set last season). Other milestones reached by Closser Thursday night included her 800th career point and her 300th career assist (which is two helpers shy of seventh place on Butler's career list). SECOND IN COMMAND: Junior Ellen Hamilton is knocking down a staggering 48 percent of her three-point attempts so far this season, which is good for the No. 2 spot in the NCAA standings. Hamilton trails just Dartmouth's Jeannie Cullen (.492). Due to the Horizon League requiring less made treys than the NCAA, Hamilton is third in the Horizon League (trailing teammate Cassie Freeman and Detroit's Katie Solner). Hamilton is third on the career treys list (160) and has 62 three-pointers already this season, the fourth-best total in Butler history. GIVE AND TAKE: Butler committed a season-low nine turnovers Thursday against Loyola, while also forcing the Ramblers into 23 miscues, a season-high for a Butler opponent. The Bulldogs nearly had twice as many assists (17) as they did turnovers (nine). Butler improved to 3-1 when forcing at least 20 opponent turnovers and now stands 6-3 when handing out more assists than turnovers. BOMBS AWAY: Junior Jackie Closser continues to lead the Horizon League with an average of 2.87 three-pointers made per game. That's the 13th-best mark in the nation. Classmate Ellen Hamilton ranks second in the league (and 27th nationally) in treys made at 2.58 per game. CLOSSER IS CLUTCH: Junior Jackie Closser hit all 12 of her free throw attempts Feb. 6 at Detroit, securing the come-from-behind win against the Titans. The 12 makes without a miss is tied for second on Butler's single-game records chart (one off the 13-13 performance of Shelley Roby, 2/20/88 vs. Evansville). OFFENSIVE BEHAVIOR: Butler is scoring at a 70.0 point-per-game clip so far this season, the second-best mark in the Horizon League. The Bulldogs boast three of the top nine scorers in the Horizon League in Lade Akande (15.1), Jackie Closser (15.0) and Ellen Hamilton (13.3). The trio ranks 4-5-9 in the league standings. Butler is 12-2 this season when scoring 70 points or more. DIALED IN: Butler leads the Horizon League and remains among the national leaders in long distance proficiency. The Bulldogs lead the Horizon League in three-point percentage (.393) and three-pointers per game (7.75). Butler ranks seventh among the NCAA's 324 institutions in three-pointers made and 10th in trey percentage. Butler hit nine three-pointers Thursday, the 12th time this season hitting at least eight treys. HELPING HAND: Junior Jackie Closser continues to lead the Horizon League in assists at 5.35 per game. Closser is 29th in the NCAA in assists and hasn't had a game this season with more turnovers than assists. Closser also leads the circuit in assist/turnover ratio (1.95). The 5-5 guard handed out eight assists Thursday against Loyola, one off her career-high. LEAGUE LEADERS: Junior Jackie Closser is second in the Horizon League in free throw shooting (.851). Other Bulldogs appearing in the circuit's top five are freshman Lade Akande (second at 7.8 rebounds and third at 1.38 blocks per game) and Cassie Freeman (first in three-point percentage at .510). PENNANT RACE: There are still scenarios where Butler could finish anywhere from the second through sixth seeds in the upcoming Horizon League Tournament. A Butler win and Detroit loss at UW-Green Bay Saturday would guarantee the Bulldogs a quarterfinal home game. A win would also give Butler 14 wins overall and nine in conference, tying the respective highs for Butler under Beth Couture. QUICK SHOTS: Freshman Candyce Brown had a career-high seven points Thursday against Loyola...sophomore Candace Bain played a career-high 22 minutes Thursday against the Ramblers...Ellen Hamilton (Jan. 16) joined Jackie Closser (Dec. 5) and Lade Akande (Dec. 26) in winning the Horizon League's Player of the Week honor. The only other season when three different Bulldogs earned the distinction was the 1996-97 season...former Indiana All-Star Tara Miller has transferred to Butler from Indiana University. The 5-10 guard began practice with the team Jan. 17 and will have three seasons of eligibility remaining, beginning after the first semester of the 2006-07 season. WE'RE GOING STREAKING: Junior Ellen Hamilton has been held in single digits in two straight games. The last time that happened she responded by scoring 45 points in her next two games and earning Horizon League "Player of the Week" honors (Jan. 16)...Butler has hit at least one three-pointer in 148 straight games, dating back to Feb. 1, 2001. BOEKE LOST FOR THE SEASON: Senior forward Stephanie Boeke will miss the remainder of the season after suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee during Butler's game at Detroit Feb. 6. Boeke appeared in 98 games in her Butler career, including 22 contests this season. At the time of her injury, Boeke ranked in the top 10 among Horizon League players in six (rebounds, assists, blocked shots, assist/turnover ratio, offensive rebounding and defensive rebounding) of the league's 12 statistical categories. NO. 300: Butler head coach Beth Couture hit the 300 milestone for career wins Jan. 18 with the Bulldogs' 85-72 triumph over Loyola at Hinkle Fieldhouse. The first 258 wins of Couture's career came at Presbyterian College. WORTHLESS STAT OF THE DAY: Butler opponents have shot less than 50 percent from the free throw line five times this season. BU opponents are 3-2 in those games. Opponents have shot better than 80 percent from the charity stripe twice, losing both games. |
