Bluejays visit Bulldogs: What you need to know

The women’s basketball team has won two of its last three games, sporting a 12-8 record this season. Photo by Jonathan Wang.

SAWYER GOLDWEIN | SPORTS CO-EDITOR | sgoldwein@butler.edu 

The women’s basketball team seeks to bounce back after a gut-wrenching loss to Xavier on Jan. 18. Standing in Butler’s way are the Creighton Bluejays, who are undefeated in Big East play.

Here is everything you need to know before the Bulldogs battle the Bluejays:

Who: Butler vs Creighton

When: Jan. 22, 7 p.m.

Where: Hinkle Fieldhouse

How to watch: BEDN

Previous matchup

Earlier this season, Butler’s comeback effort fell short in a tight road loss to Creighton. The Dawgs found themselves in a 12-point hole at halftime and battled back, but it was too little too late. 

In Butler’s first game after graduate guard Caroline Strande suffered a season-ending knee injury, the Bulldogs found scoring elsewhere. First-year guard Lily Carmody stepped up, scoring a team-high 16 points off the bench. Meanwhile, senior guard Kilyn McGuff established herself as the team’s best player with a 15-point, 10-rebound and three-steal performance. 

The Dawgs showed fight, which was an encouraging sign given the Bluejays’ status as one of the Big East’s premier teams. However, things haven’t materialized for Butler since then, as the Bulldogs are just 2-5 in conference play. A win against Creighton could prove to be the momentum swing they need to turn things around.

Scouting the Bluejays

Creighton is led by a dynamic duo of seniors — guard Lauren Jensen and wing Morgan Maly — each averaging over 17 points per game. Maly is a particularly dangerous scorer. Standing at 6-foot-1, she has the size to score inside, but she’s also lethal from long range. Maly is shooting 48.5% from beyond the arc this season, the fourth-best rate in the country.

Maly is no exception for Creighton, either. The Bluejays rank 12th in Division I in three-point percentage, so the Dawgs will need to stay active on the perimeter and force Creighton to take difficult shots. 

For Butler, rebounding will be key. The Bluejays have struggled on the glass all season, including being on the wrong side of significant rebounding disparities in all three of their losses. Senior forward Sydney Jaynes and sophomore forward Cristen Carter will be vital to the Bulldogs’ success if they want to pick up a substantial Big East win.

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