Sophomore guard Lily Zeinstra leads Butler with 13.4 points per game. Photo by Jonathan Wang.
NHU-HAN BUI | ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR | hbui@butler.edu
After a one-sided loss against Indiana, the women’s basketball team seeks to get back on track against Milwaukee.
Here is what you need to know before the Bulldogs take on the Panthers:
Who: Butler vs. Milwaukee
When: Nov. 23, 2 p.m.
Where: Hinkle Fieldhouse
How to watch: ESPN+
Offensive boost
After tough losses to Columbia, Central Michigan and Indiana, Butler needs to regain momentum. As December draws near, so does conference play. The Bulldogs will take on both Seton Hall and Marquette in the same week after returning from the Fort Myers Tip-Off.
The Dawgs have been playing well defensively, allowing 64.6 points and 5.4 three-point attempts while notching 3.8 blocks a game. However, Butler is putting up just as many points as it allows — 65.6 points per game — and only sophomore guard Lily Zeinstra and junior guard Nevaeh Jackson are scoring double digits.
While the Bulldogs’ two wins have come by more than 15 points, the team needs to find ways to get more players into scoring positions and put more pressure on opposing defenses.
If Zeinstra and Jackson are the only scoring threats for the Dawgs, it will not be long before teams find a way to limit the guards’ production.
Scouting Milwaukee
The Panthers are coming to Hinkle with a 2-4 record off the back of a lopsided 75-43 loss to Marquette. Milwaukee has struggled to find the basket this season, making only 38.2% of its field goal attempts and going 29-103 on three-pointers. This has resulted in 59.3 points per game, although both the Panthers’ wins came when they scored at least 70 points.
Junior forward Jorey Buwalda has been a bright spot for the struggling Panthers. The forward averages 11.7 points and 10.5 rebounds a game, and leads the team in both categories. In Milwaukee’s game against the Golden Eagles, Buwalda was the only Panther to notch double-digit points.
The guard duo of redshirt first-year Kendall Barnes and redshirt sophomore Sophia Rampulla are pacing the offense for the Panthers, with 10 assists each. Rampulla also shines on defense with 10 steals and four blocks.
Both Butler and Milwaukee have faced turnover trouble this season, averaging 20.2 and 19.2 per game, respectively. The Bulldogs were able to clean up their game against Indiana while also forcing mistakes from the Hoosiers, which led to success late in the game.
If the Dawgs can force the Panthers into tough scoring situations while finding ways to open up their own players, then Butler will have another win under its belt before a road trip to Florida.
