Graduate wing Rachel Kent dropped a season-high 25 points in the winning effort against Wisconsin on Dec. 3. Photo by Makenna Frias.
SAWYER GOLDWEIN | SPORTS REPORTER | sgoldwein@butler.edu
The women’s basketball team is riding high with a 6-2 record, including an active three-game win streak. The hot stretch includes one win on the road, one at a neutral site and one at home.
After a trip to Wisconsin — where Butler picked up the road win — the Bulldogs return home to face the Vanderbilt Commodores.
Graduate wing Rachel Kent dropped a season-high 25 points in the winning effort against Wisconsin, while senior guard Caroline Strande added 17 points and nine rebounds.
With a successful one-game road trip under their belts, Butler will now turn its attention to the Commodores.
Here is what you need to know before Butler squares off with Vanderbilt.
Who: Butler vs. Vanderbilt
When: Dec. 7, 7:00 p.m.
Where: Hinkle Fieldhouse
How to watch: FloHoops
Who will step up?
Butler’s starting unit has been strong throughout the season, but production from the bench has been sparse as of late, and never has it been as obvious as it was against Wisconsin.
The Dawgs’ starters accounted for all 59 Butler points, despite five reserves seeing the floor, three of whom played at least nine minutes in the game. The bench shot a combined 0-9 from the field and 0-4 from three.
As a group, the Dawgs’ bench recorded a statline of zero points, four rebounds, one assist, zero blocks, zero steals and two turnovers.
To be certain, that Butler was able to hang in there and beat a power conference team even with their five openers providing nearly all the production is encouraging. Still, somebody will need to step up and show out off the bench if the Bulldogs want to keep up their winning ways when conference play rolls around.
Scouting the Commodores
Vanderbilt presents Butler’s toughest test to date. The Commodores sit at 8-1, good for a tie for second in the Southeastern Conference.
Their only loss came on the road against the third ranked team in the country in North Carolina State. Falling just eight points short in a brutal road matchup is proof that Vanderbilt will not be scared of the moment when they enter the historic Hinkle FIeldhouse.
The Commodores have not only gone toe to toe with a powerhouse, but they also share a common opponent with Butler. Vandy took down Iowa State 68-53 at the South Point Shootout in Las Vegas, Nevada.
That same Cyclones team bested Butler 82-55 in the Dawgs’ season opener.
Vanderbilt is led by graduate guard Jordyn Cambridge, who has stuffed the stat sheet all season long. The Nashville native averages 13.9 points, 7.7 rebounds and 4.8 assists. Cambridge is the Commodores’ leader in both rebounds and assists per game, and she also ranks third in the country with a remarkable 4.4 steals per game.
Meanwhile, junior forward Sacha Washington dominates in the frontcourt, averaging a team-leading 16.8 points and 7.6 rebounds per contest. Washington is coming off a career-high 33-point performance against Louisiana Tech.
The Bulldogs will have to keep Cambridge and Washington at bay and force other Commodores to beat them in order to win the game.
