Bulldogs Post First Winning League Record in Five Years

March 16, 2004

The Bulldogs finished the 2003-04 campaign with a record of 14-15 and an appearance in the Horizon League semifinals after a 9-7 regular season league performance. The following are the team's season-ending notes:

MAKING A RUN AT IT: The Bulldogs stood 5-11 after losing to Detroit Jan. 17 in Hinkle Fieldhouse. The loss put the team's league record at 1-4, including four straight league losses. However, the Bulldogs would respond, winning eight of their final 11 regular season games to close with a league record of 9-7. Butler, which tied Cleveland State for fourth in the league standings, but lost the second tiebreaker to receive the fifth seed in the tournament, won its final five home games.

TOURNAMENT RECAP: Butler, the fifth seed, was the only road team to win in the quarterfinals, avenging an earlier loss at fourth-seeded Cleveland State with a 69-59 win on the Vikings' home floor. Freshman Jackie Closser went a perfect 5-of-5 from the floor in that game en route to a game-high 17 points. The Bulldogs would fall to top-seeded and eventual champion UW-Green Bay, 65-54, in the semifinals in Milwaukee three days later. It was the fourth consecutive year that the Phoenix had ended the Bulldogs' season in the league tournament. Senior Nancy Bowden earned "All-Tournament Team" accolades, the only player who didn't compete in the championship game to garner such honors.

GIVE AND TAKE: Through the conclusion of Butler's season, senior Nancy Bowden's 3.7 steals per contest are third in the NCAA, while her 6.7 assists per game are good for 11th nationally. She finished the Horizon League schedule as the conference's leader in assists, steals and assist/turnover ratio.

STRONG SCHEDULE: Five of the Bulldogs' 2003-04 opponents (Iowa, Chattanooga, Eastern Michigan, Valparaiso and Horizon League champion UW-Green Bay) earned 2004 NCAA Tournament berths, while Miami (Ohio) and Gonzaga will participate in the 2004 Women's NIT. Houston and Hampton, participants in the four-team Hawkeye Challenge and Thanksgiving Classic, respectively, along with the Bulldogs also will appear in the NCAA Tournament. Butler's lone win against this group came against Chattanooga in Miami, Fla., Nov. 28. As the Lady Mocs enter the "Big Dance," the Bulldogs were the last team to defeat Chattanooga, as the team has won 26 straight games since Butler's 79-73 win. Only two teams (Butler and the Midwest region top seed Tennessee) have beaten the Lady Mocs this season.

THREE TAKE LEAGUE HONORS: Senior Nancy Bowden earned first team "All-Horizon League" and "All-Defensive Team" honors in a poll of the league's coaches, media and SIDs. Freshman Ellen Hamilton was named to the "All-Newcomer Team," while senior Angel Mason joined Bowden on the "All-Defensive Team." Bowden was Butler's first postseason all-league performer since 1998-99.

MARKED IMPROVEMENT: For the second time in coach Beth Couture's two years in Indianapolis, her Bulldogs at least doubled their win total from the previous season (three wins in 2001-02, the year before Couture arrived; six wins in 2002-03 and 14 wins in 2003-04). Butler improved its league win total from three last season to nine in 2003-04, finishing with a winning league record for the first time since 1998-99. That was also the last year that the Bulldogs made an appearance in the tournament semifinals.

NEVER TOO EARLY TO LOOK AHEAD: The Bulldogs look to return nine of this season's letterwinners in 2004-05. Jackie Closser will transition from seeing most of her time this season at the shooting guard position to becoming the team's point guard, attempting to replace "All-League" performer Nancy Bowden. Butler's returnees and four signed recruits will look to fill minutes at both forward positions, where Angel Mason and Dionne Goodwin combined for 46 minutes of action per game.

BOWDEN HITS A GRAND: With a free throw in the final minute of the Bulldogs' 76-65 "Senior Day" win over Loyola Feb. 28, Nancy Bowden hit the 1,000-point plateau for her career. Her 20th point on the afternoon gave her an even grand. After the free throw, Bowden and the four other seniors on the floor left the court to a standing ovation.

NUMBERS DON'T LIE: The Bulldogs scored 72.1 points at home (going 7-3), while averaging 60.3 points on the road (6-9) and 59.5 points per neutral site contest (1-3). The team scored 12 more points per game (70.7-58.3) in the team's wins compared to its losses...Butler attempted 124 more threes than their opponent this season (559-435) and made 178 treys to the opposition's 132...The Bulldogs forced their opponents into nearly 100 more turnovers this season than they committed (541-444). Because of this, the Bulldogs finished as the league leader in turnover margin (+3.34) and assist/turnover margin (0.92), while finishing second in steals (10.2 spg)...The Bulldogs were out-rebounded by 4.5 boards per game (38.8-34.3) and Butler's opponents nearly doubled the Bulldogs' block output (110-57).

QUICK SHOTS: Butler was 10-0 this season when shooting a higher field goal percentage than its opponent...Junior Cortney Urquhart pulled down her 500th career rebound in Butler's season finale against UW-Green Bay. She'll enter her senior season needing just 169 points to eclipse the 1,000-point plateau...Senior Nancy Bowden played the entire game eleven times this season. That total includes two overtime contests.

BOWDEN LEAVES HER MARK IN THE RECORD BOOKS: Senior Nancy Bowden finishes her Butler career with not only 1,031 points, but also ranks among the school's career leaders in a number of categories. Bowden's accomplishments include (Butler rank in parentheses): 540 assists (third), 3,441 minutes (third), 305 steals (third), 73 three-pointers (seventh), 364 free throws made (third), and 4.94 assists per game (third). Bowden's 193 assists (second), 106 steals (third), and 1,031 minutes (fourth) this season were also among Butler's single-season records.

THROWN INTO THE FIRE: Ashley Brenden, Jackie Closser and Ellen Hamilton - Butler's three freshmen - played big roles for the Bulldogs this season. Brenden and Hamilton each started 20 games for the Bulldogs in 2003-04, while all three averaged at least 15 minutes per game. Brenden led the team in blocked shots, while Closser and Hamilton ranked 1-2 in three-pointers, combining for 84 on the season. Butler's success was largely tied to the three newcomers: the trio averaged 19.8 combined points in Butler wins, while their production dropped off by nearly 30 percent in the team's losses.