Butler looks to pick up their second victory over Georgetown this season. Photo by Andrew Buckley.
SARAH HOHMAN | SPORTS EDITOR | shohman@butler.edu
After a win over DePaul at home, Butler will travel to Washington, D.C. on Jan. 23 to square up against the Georgetown Hoyas for the second time this season.
In their last matchup, the Dawgs came out on top 74-64 in the Big East opener for both teams. Senior guard Posh Alexander and junior guard Pierre Brooks were the Bulldogs’ leading scorers with 13 points each.
Here is what you need to know as Butler takes on Georgetown.
Who: Butler at Georgetown
When: Jan. 23, 6:30 p.m.
Where: Capital One Arena
How to watch/listen: FS1, WXNT 1430 AM
Remaining consistent
Sometimes it feels like this team cannot maintain the pedal on the gas for the entirety of their games. Letting up steam has oftentimes resulted in closer scores and even losses to UConn, Xavier and Seton Hall.
With a tough away schedule coming up, it is important for this team to start establishing a rhythm now. As Butler has not left much room for error in the conference standings — sitting at ninth in the Big East — the team needs to build on what has been successful for them so far.
One of these successes has been takeaways. Alexander currently leads the Big East with 2.4 steals per game. He produced six steals against DePaul where Butler had a season-high 11 steals.
With a tough Big East schedule, it can be difficult not to look ahead. However, it is necessary for the Dawgs to focus on one game at a time.
Away in the Big East
Butler is 1-3 on the road in conference play. The Dawgs have an opportunity to begin their turnaround on the road against Georgetown. With back-to-back away games against No. 1 UConn and No. 17 Creighton coming up, the Bulldogs will have to learn how to finish games away from the Hinkle magic.
Georgetown breakdown
The Hoyas are 8-10 overall and 1-6 in conference play. They are coming off their third straight loss in a heartbreaker versus Xavier on Jan. 19. The Hoyas’ one win in the Big East came against DePaul on Jan. 6.
A key player to watch is sophomore guard Jayden Epps who has an average of 18.9 points per game and has been a top scorer in a majority of Georgetown’s games. He recently put up 32 against Xavier, which was his fourth 30-point game of the season. When the Hoyas visited Butler, the Dawgs held him to 12 points in a solid defensive effort.
