Sydney Jaynes has helped the Dawgs to a 9-1 record when she records at least three assists. Photo by Grace Hensley.
DAVID JACOBS | STAFF REPORTER | drjacobs@butler.edu
Coming off a gritty victory at DePaul to secure their fifth win in six games, Butler will look to carry that momentum as they prepare to play host against a talented Marquette squad on March 2.
Here is everything you will need to know before tip-off against the Golden Eagles.
Who: Butler vs. Marquette
When: 3 p.m.
Where: Hinkle Fieldhouse
How to watch: BEDN
If it’s not broke, don’t fix it
Over their past six games, coach Austin Parkinson has found the perfect rotation of first-year starters to pair with graduate Rachel Kent and senior Caroline Strande.
Although now coming off the bench, the minutes from the original starters junior guard Ari Wiggins, junior forward Sydney Jaynes and sophomore wing Jordan Meulemans have not been cut by significant amounts.
Reasons for the benching vary. When Meulemans got hurt, first-year Riley Makalusky shined in relief and has kept the starting spot. For Jaynes, first-year Cristen Carter got the promotion due to Jaynes frequently getting in foul trouble, forcing her to play passively on defense to stay in the game.
For Wiggins, first-year Karsyn Norman stepped up in large part due to Wiggins having struggles with turning the ball over. Since making the switch, Wiggins is averaging just one turnover a game while having some of her best offensive and defensive outings of the season.
The Dawgs have figured out a way to get quality minutes out of everybody who is touching the court recently, so no need to fix what has been working.
Scouting Marquette
This will be the second time Butler will tip-off against Marquette this season. Their first match-up came on Jan. 27 where the Dawgs would take a 31-25 lead into the half, but would get outscored 34-17 in the second half to fall 59-48 on the road.
In that game, it was senior forward Liza Karlen and sophomore guard Mackenzie Hare that did the most damage against Butler — combining for 34 points.
The Bulldogs have been faring well in rematches this year, as four of their past five wins have been rematches with teams they previously lost to.
If the Dawgs play efficient offense while continuing their impressive defensive play, it would not be a surprise if they came out on top to continue their incredible late-season surge.
