Bulldogs Take Two-Game Winning Streak to Loyola Thursday

Feb. 17, 2004

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THE TIP: Butler (10-13, 6-6 Horizon) takes a two-game winning streak to Chicago to battle the Ramblers of Loyola (9-14, 4-8) Thursday. The teams will be battling for position in the Horizon League standings when they meet for the first of two games in ten days between the teams. The 7 p.m. (CST) tip will be broadcast live on the Internet at www.butlersports.com.

BULLDOG UPDATE: The Bulldogs used an offensive explosion to take both games of their two-game homestand last weekend, averaging 84 ppg in the team's two wins. Butler has won five of their last seven games. Senior Nancy Bowden leads the Bulldogs with 10.8 ppg and 6.3 apg. Butler leads UIC by 1.5 games and Loyola by a full two games for fifth place in the league standings, as the Bulldogs have four games remaining.

AGAINST THE RAMBLERS: Butler and Loyola meet for the 43rd time Thursday, with the Bulldogs owning a 27-15 advantage. Loyola holds a 12-8 edge in games played in Chicago. The Ramblers have won two straight games, sweeping last season's two games. The teams first met Feb. 11, 1984.

BREAKING DOWN LOYOLA: The Ramblers (9-14, 4-8 Horizon) enter Thursday's game two games behind the Bulldogs for fifth in the league standings. Loyola has lost two straight and four of its last five games. Meskhenet Lands and Ciara Henderson led the Ramblers with 12.9 and 11.7 ppg, respectively. Head coach Mary Helen Walker is in her fifth season on the Loyola sidelines.

LAST TIME OUT (BUTLER 79, YSU 45; FEB. 14, 2004, INDIANAPOLIS): The Bulldogs jumped out to a 35-point, first-half lead on the visiting Penguins, limiting YSU to 12 first-half points en route to a 79-45 win Saturday. Senior Nancy Bowden led the Bulldogs with 16 points and six assists, playing just 24 minutes in the lopsided contest. Butler had 12 players score and 12 recorded double-digit minutes.

GIVE AND TAKE: Through the games of Feb. 16, senior Nancy Bowden's 3.4 steals per contest are tenth in the NCAA, while her 6.3 assists per game are good for 16th nationally. Bowden is one of only three players in the nation who is in the top 20 in both steals and assists. She leads the Horizon League in assists, steals and assist/turnover ratio.

FIRST DATES: Butler takes on Loyola for the first time Thursday after concluding their regular season series with Detroit, Wright State, UW-Green Bay, UW-Milwaukee and Youngstown State. Because of the weird scheduling, four of the Bulldogs' final six games will be against the Ramblers and UIC. Butler will play both Loyola and UIC twice in a span of ten days after playing UW-Green Bay twice in one week in January.

STARTING OUT: The starting five against UIC Feb. 12 was the seventh different starting lineup used by coach Beth Couture and was the second lineup this season that included players from five different states...Nine players have started games this season, including senior Nancy Bowden, who has started all 23...When freshman Ellen Hamilton (Greenfield, Ind./Greenfield Central) replaced the injured Lisa Pryor in the starting lineup against Miami (Ohio), it was the first time an Indiana native had cracked the Bulldogs' starting lineup this season.

QUICK SHOTS: Loyola is one of just two league teams that coach Beth Couture has yet to defeat in her short tenure on the Butler sidelines (Couture is 0-5 against UW-Green Bay and 0-2 vs. Loyola)...Jessica Monaco hit her first six shots against UIC en route to her career-high 18 points Thursday...Butler hit a combined 42-of-55 (76 percent) free throws in their last two wins after shooting a combined 44 percent (24-54) from the line in the previous two games.

GOODWIN SET TO RETURN: Senior Dionne Goodwin is expected to return to action Thursday against Loyola after missing the last two games with a shoulder injury. Sophomore Jessica Monaco started in place of Goodwin over the weekend. Goodwin's 7.7 rebounds per game are currently third in the league. The Bulldogs have split four games this season when Goodwin has been sidelined with an injury.

OFF THE BENCH: Butler's bench out-scored UIC's reserves, 45-27, Thursday, led by freshman Jackie Closser's 19 points. The Bulldog reserves have out-scored the opponent's bench in 18 of the team's 23 games this season, including all 10 wins.

OFFENSIVE EXPLOSION: The Bulldogs' 89-point performance Thursday against UIC matched a season-high and was the first time the team had scored 70 points since lighting up Evansville for 89, Dec. 9. After Saturday's 79-45 win over Youngstown State, the Bulldogs are now 4-0 when scoring 70 or more points. The 89 points was also the single-game high among Horizon League schools in league games.

LEARNING ON THE JOB: Freshmen Ashley Brenden, Jackie Closser and Ellen Hamilton are making big contributions for the Bulldogs. Closser and Hamilton are shooting a combined 37 percent (66-177) from three-point range, while Brenden leads the team in blocks. Hamilton and Brenden have each started 15 of the team's 23 games. The Bulldogs are 3-1 this season when a freshman leads the team in scoring.

MAN, THESE LADIES ARE HOT: Butler's starters shot 18-of-23 (78 percent) in Saturday's win over YSU...The Bulldogs set a new school record with their 14 treys Thursday against UIC. Sophomore Maria Marchesano was perfect on four three-point attempts in just six minutes of play...In the team's last two games, Jessica Monaco hit 11-of-15 shots, including 5-of-7 (71 percent) from three-point range...Freshman Ellen Hamilton has hit 17 consecutive free throws dating back to the Jan. 10 game at UW-Green Bay. Hamilton has hit 21 of her 22 attempts on the season (96 percent).

I THOUGHT PENGUINS LIKED IT COLD: Butler's defense held Youngstown State to combined 29 percent (33-114) shooting in the teams' two games this season, including 3-of-29 (10 percent) from three-point range. The Penguins scored 45 points in both contests.

NUMBERS GAME: Butler's 79-45 win over YSU Saturday matched the largest margin of victory in a league game this season (Cleveland State defeated YSU, 88-54, Dec. 30)...The Bulldogs are in the Top 50 in the nation in fewest turnovers committed. The Bulldogs' 15.6 miscues per game are 40th in the NCAA and second in the Horizon League...Butler and UIC combined for 25 three-pointers Thursday, six shy of the NCAA record...The Bulldogs pulled down a season-high 47 rebounds Saturday against Youngstown State.

BOWDEN MILESTONE WATCH: Senior Nancy Bowden needs just seven assists for 500 for her career. Bowden currently sits in fourth place (493) on the Bulldogs' all-time assists charts, looking to pass Barb Skinner's 509 assists for third. The Cincinnati, Ohio, native is also fourth on Butler's career steals list. Bowden has 277 steals in her three-plus years at Butler, 25 short of Skinner's 302. Bowden is also fourth in career free throw attempts (463) and minutes played (3,223). Bowden is 65 points shy of 1,000 for her career.

GAME TIME ANNOUNCED: The tip for the Butler-UIC game on Feb. 21 has been set at 5:30 p.m. (CST, 6:30 p.m. Indianapolis time). The game will follow the UIC men's Bracket Buster game against UNC-Wilmington at the UIC Pavilion.