Karsyn Norman leads the team with over three assists per game. Photo by Jonathan Wang.
DAVID JACOBS | ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR | drjacobs@butler.edu
The women’s basketball team will open its conference schedule with a road trip to DePaul on Dec. 21 to take on the Blue Demons.
Here is what you need to know before tip-off:
Who: Butler @ DePaul
When: Dec. 21, 3 p.m.
Where: Wintrust Arena
How to watch: Big East Digital Network
Next woman up
In their first match without all-conference graduate guard and leading scorer Caroline Strande, the Bulldogs played one of their best games this season in a 95-38 stomping against St. Francis (PA).
The Dawgs held the Red Flash to just 26.4% from the field, converting on 50% of their attempts. They also broke the school record for three-pointers in a game with 18.
With Strande missing in action due to injury, each guard on the roster elevated their game to make up for the loss. First-year guard Lily Zeinstra got the starting nod in place of Strande, setting career highs in nearly every statistical category, including 17 points on 4-6 shooting from the perimeter.
Additionally, first-year guard Lily Carmody led the team with 18 points off the bench as sophomore guard Riley Makalusky and senior guard Kilyn McGuff scored 16 points each on a combined 6-12 from distance. Senior point guard Ari Wiggins and sophomore point guard Karsyn Norman each dished out six assists — marking a season-high for each.
While Strande’s timeline for return is still up in the air, it is evident that the depth of the team — specifically at the guard position — will be able to keep the Dawgs afloat during her recovery.
Scouting the Blue Demons
Consistently one of the best programs in collegiate women’s college basketball under all-time great head coach Doug Bruno, the Blue Demons are in the midst of one of their worst five-year stretches under Bruno’s 37-year tenure with the program.
With just one winning season in the last four seasons, DePaul is off to just a 5-8 start owed to a brutal non-conference schedule, with four of its losses coming against ranked opponents.
The Blue Demons are led by graduate forward Jorie Allen who averages over 19 points a game to pair with six rebounds and a team-high four assists per game. However, as a team, the Demons are shooting just 38% from the field and 29% from beyond the arc.
With poor shooting efficiency from the Demons — nearly 7% worse than Butler’s mark — an average shooting day favors the Bulldog to win. Add on a clean game with a low turnover count, and a 1-0 start to conference play is likely.
Keeping the turnovers down has continued to be a tall task for the Dawgs, as they have played just two games with single-digit turnovers. The turnovers have been so bad that the Bulldogs are a perfect 9-0 if they can keep the turnover count to 18 or less.
Head coach Austin Parkinson has repeatedly noted that turnovers will cost the team once conference play starts if the issue persists; now is the time to fix the problem and play clean basketball.
