Caroline Strande is coming off a season-high 26-point outing against UMass Lowell. Photo by Jonathan Wang.
DAVID JACOBS | ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR | drjacobs@butler.edu
The women’s basketball team will travel to Bonita Springs, Florida to play in a loaded Gulf Coast Showcase field with two AP Top-25 teams in Texas and West Virginia.
Butler will play three consecutive games in The Sunshine State from Nov. 29 through Dec. 1. Here is what you need to know:
Game One: Opening round
Who: Butler vs. Santa Clara
When: Nov. 29, 5:00 p.m.
Where: Hertz Arena
How to watch: FloHoops
Scouting the Broncos
Santa Clara is the only set opponent for the Bulldogs over Thanksgiving break at 3-2 ahead of the tournament.
Senior forward Olivia Pollerd has been by far the top player for the Broncos this season, averaging 22 points, five rebounds and nearly three blocks per game on 40% shooting from the perimeter.
Pollerd is a matchup nightmare for the Dawgs, as the team’s best interior defender — sophomore Cristen Carter — will be unable to keep up with Pollerd on the perimeter. However, the Dawgs’ best perimeter defender first-year Lily Carmody will be outsized in the paint against Pollerd.
Expect head coach Austin Parkinson to throw several different players at Pollerd in hopes of stopping the all-conference forward. Most likely, the game will come down to stopping the rest of Santa Clara’s offensive weapons.
Graduate guard Kayla Ingram is the Broncos’ second-leading scorer at just under 12 points per game. As Ingram earns nearly a quarter of her scoring production from the free-throw line, if Butler can limit her attempts from the stripe the team’s odds of victory will increase.
As both the Broncos and Butler hold opponents to under 65 points per game, the key to victory will be maintaining possession of the ball and limiting turnovers — which have been issues for the Dawgs all season.
Game Two: Semi-Finals
Who: Butler vs. Texas/New Mexico State
When: Nov. 30, TBA
Where: Hertz Arena
How to watch: FloHoops
After an opening-round game against Santa Clara, Butler will play either Texas or New Mexico State. With a win, the Bulldogs will be playing for a spot in the championship game. With a loss, the Dawgs will be playing for a spot in the fifth-place game.
Scouting Texas
The Longhorns do not need much introduction. The undefeated fifth-ranked team in the country plays a fast-paced brand of basketball with an 11-player rotation who each average at least five points per game.
Texas has played just one other high-major team this season when they routed DePaul 91-61 on Nov. 17, which does not fare well for Butler’s hopes in a potential matchup. The Longhorns are led by sophomore forward Madison Booker with 18 points and six rebounds per game.
With the fast style of play, for the Dawgs to get by Texas they will need to play nearly perfect basketball. In their best win over previously ranked Indiana, Butler relied on a defensive slugfest that fell in their favor in an inefficient shooting game by both teams.
Against Texas, a low-scoring game is not a probable outcome. Texas wants to run the court and get to the hoop as it has had just four players connect from beyond the perimeter this season.
With Texas’ lack of perimeter shooting, Butler will need to combat the Longhorns’ paint presence with a barrage from three. Graduate guard Caroline Strande, sophomore guard Riley Makalusky and sophomore guard Karsyn Norman will each need to take a step up in their perimeter scoring for a potential upset.
Scouting New Mexico State
A more favorable matchup for the Bulldogs, the Aggies sit at 3-1 and are led by graduate guard Molly Kaiser and senior forward Fanta Gassama.
Kaiser paces New Mexico State with nearly 22 points per game as Gassama holds down the paint with a 13-point, 12-rebound average on the season.
The Aggies have just one other player who averages more than five points per game outside of Kaiser and Gassama; if the Dawgs can shut down those two it could mean smooth sailing in a potential match-up.
Carter will be the main defender against Gassama in the paint. If she can stay out of foul trouble and win the rebounding battle against a similar-sized forward it will significantly help Butler. As for Kaiser, Parkinson will likely send Norman and Carmody to guard her on the perimeter.
At just 5’8”, Kaiser is a crafty guard able to score at all three levels — although getting inside the arc and to the free throw line is where she thrives. If they can limit her visits to the charity stripe, the Dawgs will be in for a positive result.
Game Three: Placement game
Who: Butler vs. TBD
When: Dec. 1, TBA
Where: Hertz Arena
How to watch: FloHoops
In its third game in as many nights, Butler will play either Illinois State, Boise State, West Virginia or High Point to determine their final ranking in the tournament.
Butler is riding its best start since 2018-19, but it is unlikely for the Dawgs to upset two AP-ranked opponents in three days to bring back any hardware from Florida.
Nonetheless, a healthy goal for Butler will be a third-place finish in the tournament. Texas and West Virginia are on a tier above the rest of the field by themselves, but if the Bulldogs can come back knowing they are better than the rest of the field, it will be another turning point in the program.
