Bulldogs Travel Downtown to Face IUPUI Tuesday

Jan. 12, 2004

WHAT'S ON TAP: Butler (4-10, 1-3 Horizon) enters tonight's game after suffering a 57-45 loss at UW-Green Bay Saturday. The loss was the third straight for the Bulldogs, who have lost five of their last six. Tonight's game is the last non-league game of the Bulldogs' 2003-04 schedule, as they make the short commute downtown to face IUPUI.

BULLDOG UPDATE: The Bulldogs dropped a 57-45 decision Saturday at UW-Green Bay. A 15-0 Phoenix run that spanned seven minutes of the second half did in the Bulldogs. Senior Angel Mason led the Bulldogs with a season-high 16 points. The Phoenix committed 20 turnovers (including 16 in the first half) against Butler, which played without starter Dionne Goodwin for the second consecutive game. The senior forward suffered an ankle injury Jan. 3 and is questionable for tonight's game.

BREAKING DOWN IUPUI: The Jaguars (3-10, 0-3 Mid-Con) are led by sophomore forward Kia Hayes, who is averaging 12.6 ppg. Like the Bulldogs, the Jaguars are 0-3 in January with all three losses coming at the hands of conference opponents. IUPUI is coming off a 78-63 loss at Oakland Saturday. Coach Kris Simpson is in her ninth season on the IUPUI sidelines.

AGAINST THE JAGUARS: Butler and IUPUI renew their crosstown series, which last saw the teams face off in 1988. Butler has won the last three match-ups against IUPUI. Tonight's game is the 17th meeting between the two schools, with the Bulldogs owning an 11-5 advantage, including a 5-2 all-time record on IUPUI's campus. Butler's last win came Dec. 29, 1988, when the Bulldogs downed the Jaguars, 61-52, at Hinkle Fieldhouse. The two teams first met during the 1976-77 season.

QUICK SHOTS: Senior Angel Mason's season-high 16 points Saturday at UW-Green Bay came on 8-of-10 shooting...Butler is 0-1 against Mid-Con opponents this season, dropping a 74-67 decision Dec. 6 at Valparaiso in the Hoosier State Classic...For the fourth time this season, senior Nancy Bowden played all 40 minutes Saturday...Freshman Ellen Hamilton's 17 points Thursday at UW-Milwaukee set a career high...Freshmen Jackie Closser and Ellen Hamilton have attempted a combined 127 shots this season, with 97 of those attempts coming from behind the arc. That's 76 percent of their attempts...IUPUI's Angela Dancy played the 2000-01 season at Butler before transferring.

DWINDLlNG BENCH: Coach Beth Couture played 12 players Dec. 30 against Wright State, 11 players Jan. 3 versus UW-Green Bay, 10 against UW-Milwaukee Thursday and tied a season-low by playing nine Saturday at UW-Green Bay. Senior Dionne Goodwin has been unavailable the last two games, while senior Lisa Pryor is done for the year.

GIVE AND TAKE: Not only does senior Nancy Bowden lead the Horizon League in assists, steals and individual assist/turnover ratio, but her 6.2 assists per game are good for 18th nationally, while her 3.3 steals per contest are tied for 25th in the NCAA.

WE'RE GOING STEAKING: Butler has held its last two opponents to combined 8-of-39 (21 percent) three-point shooting...The Bulldogs' current three-game skid is their second such losing streak of the season. The team opened the 2003-04 campaign 0-3...The Bulldogs have held a halftime lead in all three games of their current three-game losing streak...The Bulldogs have forced more turnovers than they've committed in four straight games...Butler is 2-1 on Tuesdays this season. This is the last Tuesday game of the regular season.

OFF THE PINE: Butler's reserves posted seven points Saturday at UW-Green Bay, the lowest output by the Bulldogs' bench this season. For the second game in a row, sophomore Jessica Monaco's five points led the Butler reserves, the lowest leading total off the bench this season. The Phoenix bench only posted five points, making Saturday's game the 11th time Butler's reserves have out-scored their opponent's. Freshman Ashley Brenden was pressed into starting duties the last two games, replacing the injured Dionne Goodwin.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN: Tonight's game marks the end of the Bulldogs' current three-game road trip. The Bulldogs have played 10 of their 14 games so far this season away from Hinkle Fieldhouse, opening their season with seven games on the road. The Bulldogs have 10 games scheduled at Hinkle Fieldhouse this season, the lowest number of home games in the Horizon League.

CLIMBING THE CHARTS: Senior Nancy Bowden moved into fourth on the Bulldogs' career assists list with her 10 helpers Dec. 6 at Valparaiso. She currently has 434 for her career. The Cincinnati, Ohio, product is also fourth on Butler's career steals list with 245 in her three-plus years at Butler.

LEAGUE HONORS BOWDEN: Senior Nancy Bowden was named the Horizon League's "Player of the Week" for the week of Dec. 15. Bowden tied a career high with 22 points on 7-of-9 shooting in Butler's win over Evansville Dec. 9. She had 11 assists.

PRYOR HAS KNEE SURGERY: Senior Lisa Pryor had successful surgery Thursday to repair the torn ACL in her left knee, suffered Dec. 9 against Evansville. She is out for the year. Pryor tore the ACL in her right knee 12 games into the 2001-02 season. Because she appeared in eight games this season, she is not eligible for a medical redshirt.