Sophomore guard Riley Makalusky tied her season-high with 13 points against Wisconsin. Photo by Jonathan Wang.
SAWYER GOLDWEIN | ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR | sgoldwein@butler.edu
After a heart-wrenching double-overtime loss to Wisconsin, the women’s basketball team sets its sights on ending its non-conference schedule strong. The team’s final test before Big East play will be a home matchup against Saint Francis.
Here is everything you need to know before the Bulldogs take on the Red Flash:
Who: Butler vs Saint Francis
When: Dec. 15, 7 p.m.
Where: Hinkle Fieldhouse
How to watch: FloSports
Young talent
The Dawgs feature a good amount of continuity from last year’s team, but they still have plenty of youth. Butler has started the same lineup for every game this season, including three sophomores to go along with graduate guard Caroline Strande and senior guard Kilyn McGuff.
In addition, the Dawgs have three first-years making contributions off the bench. Guards Lily Carmody and Lily Zeinstra, as well as forward Jocelyn Land have each gotten rotational minutes this season. Now, the rookie trio may need to step into bigger roles after Strande suffered an apparent injury in Butler’s loss to the Badgers.
No matter the personnel, the fact that the Bulldogs have continued to show improvement for the third straight year with head coach Austin Parkinson at the helm is a good sign. Seeing them grow despite utilizing so many inexperienced players is extremely promising for the future of the program.
It remains to be seen how the rookies hold up against Big East competition, but first they need to close out their non-conference slate against Saint Francis.
Scouting the Red Flash
Saint Francis has struggled as a program as of late, failing to reach double-digit wins since the 2020-21 season. So far in their 2024 campaign, the Red Flash are just 2-9. When they faced their lone power conference opponent, Maryland, they suffered a 72-point loss.
Saint Francis primarily struggles offensively, averaging just 50.4 points per game. The Red Flash do not have any players averaging double-figures in the scoring department. Sophomore guard Yanessa Boyd’s 9.2 points per game lead the team.
The Red Flash do a respectable job in the rebounding department, limiting opponents’ second chance scoring opportunities. Saint Francis outrebounded its opponents in both of its wins this season.
Still, they are undersized, particularly in the backcourt, which Butler may look to exploit.The Dawgs’ guards and wings should be expected to take Saint Francis into the post and dominate the paint.
The Red Flash likely will not present much of a challenge for Butler, but it will be intriguing to see how the Dawgs fare in what may be their first game without Strande.
