Sophomore guard Jordan Meulemans scored a career-high 24 points against St. Thomas-Minnesota. Photo by Makenna Frias.
SAWYER GOLDWEIN | SPORTS REPORTER | sgoldwein@butler.edu
Butler returns home on Nov. 29 to face the Braves of Bradley University after a two-game stint in California for the Tiger Turkey Tip-Off. The Bulldogs split the pair of contests, falling to University of the Pacific 77-66 before picking up a 76-54 win against St. Thomas-Minnesota. The Dawgs are now 4-2 on the season.
The friendly confines of Hinkle Fieldhouse will be a welcome sight for Butler, as they are 0-2 on the road, but carry a 3-0 record at home into their matchup with Bradley.
The Braves should present Butler with an opportunity to continue defending their home court. Bradley is 2-3 on the season, and has yet to play a power conference opponent.
Here is what you need to know before Butler faces off with Bradley.
Who: Butler vs. Bradley
When: Nov. 29, 7 p.m.
Where: Hinkle Fieldhouse
How to watch: FloHoops
Meulemans’ hot streak
Sophomore guard Jordan Meulemans has caught fire over her past three games. The De Pere, Wisconsin native has shot the ball extraordinarily well all season, to the tune of 52.9%.
She has been on a whole new level since Butler’s matchup with Roosevelt, though. Meulemans has shot 69.1% from long range, scoring 43 points in the spurt. She has also registered two assists in each of the three games, helping lead Butler to a 2-1 record in that time frame.
Meulemans’ shooting has provided a major lift for the Bulldogs, who have shot 35.8% from downtown this season. Without Meulemans, that figure would be just 30.7%.
The sophomore standout will look to continue rolling when Butler takes on Bradley.
Scouting the Braves
Bradley University is a private school in Peoria, Illinois, with a total enrollment of 5,400 students.
The Braves compete at the Division I level in the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC). The MVC is home to 12 teams located in Missouri, Indiana, Iowa, Illinois, Tennessee and Kentucky.
Bradley finished last in the conference in the 2022-23 season, with an overall record of 4-28, including 1-19 in conference play.
The Braves are an experienced team, starting two seniors, two juniors and one sophomore. They are led by junior wing Kaylen Nelson, who is averaging 15.6 points and 3.2 rebounds per game.
First-year guard Halli Poock is another player to watch out for. She averages 10.8 points per game off the bench, and has made at least two three pointers in each of her last three games.
As a team, Bradley struggles offensively. Butler should look out for the Braves to try getting to the free throw line, as they average 12.4 free throw attempts per game.
Butler can neutralize Bradley’s physicality by speeding up the game and forcing the Braves to play in transition. The Dawgs average 15.2 points off turnovers per game, and have superior guard play, so they should be able to keep the game under control, even at a fast pace.
The Bulldogs would love to pick up a win to move to 5-2 ahead of hitting the road for a tough test against Wisconsin.
