Butler is 3-2 in road and neutral games this season. Photo by Jonathan Wang.
DAVID JACOBS | ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR | drjacobs@butler.edu
The women’s basketball team looks to extend its win streak to three when it travels to Athens, Ohio, to take on the Bobcats on Dec. 8.
Here is what you need to know before Butler takes on Ohio:
Who: Butler vs. Ohio
When: Dec. 8, 1 p.m.
Where: Convocation Center
How to watch: ESPN+
Turnover woes
Head coach Austin Parkinson has seen great effort from the Bulldogs on both sides of the ball this season — shooting a respectable 45% from the field and 35% from three while holding opponents to lower rates and forcing nearly 19 turnovers a game. The issue? The Dawgs are turning the ball over nearly 18 times a game, giving opponents easy scoring opportunities.
A bulk of the turnovers are simple effort and execution plays such as traveling and offensive fouls. Additionally, with graduate guard Caroline Strande playing her best in the isolation game, she takes away a chunk of the assists by going iso for a chunk of her 15 points per game.
However, with just two players — sophomore guard Karsyn Norman and senior guard Ari Wiggins — boasting positive assist-turnover ratios, this has become a team-wide epidemic for the Dawgs.
It is a low bar, but in games where the Bulldogs turn the ball over less than 21 times — they boast an 8-0 record.
Scouting the Bobcats
Ranked sixth in the Mid-American Conference preseason poll, Ohio has gotten out to a slow 2-4 start to the season — with just one win coming against a division one opponent.
In its lone division one win against George Washington, the Bobcats edged out the Colonels in a game where both teams shot under 30% from the field. In the four losses on the schedule, Ohio has lost by an average of 30 points per game to Bellarmine, Ohio State, Georgia Southern and Wright State.
The Bobcats shoot an appalling 35% from the field and 26% from beyond the arc. However, Ohio manages to hold opponents to 37% from the field and 25% from three.
As long as the Dawgs can connect on at least 40% of its shots while limiting turnovers, Butler should be looking at its ninth win of the season once it comes back to Hinkle for a two-game homestand before Big East play begins.
