The Dawgs are sitting at 9-16 on the season. Photo by Drew Kosmak. 

NHU-HAN BUI | SPORTS CO-EDITOR | hbui@butler.edu 

After a rough 73-64 road loss to Providence, the women’s basketball team returns home to face St. John’s in a Valentine’s Day matinee. 

Here is what you need to know before Butler hosts the Red Storm:

Who: Butler vs. St. John’s

When: Feb. 14, 2 p.m.

Where: Hinkle Fieldhouse

How to watch: ESPN+

Still some hope

The Bulldogs are on a five-game skid, in part due to their 0-9 road record. With the recent loss to Providence, the team falls to 9-16 and can no longer finish with a record above .467. However, it is still not too late to improve its conference performance.

At 3-12, the Dawgs are even with DePaul for last in the Big East, although Butler has the better overall record.

A win against St. John’s would give the Bulldogs a huge momentum boost and provide some confidence as the squad heads into the final stretch of the season. It also should give the Dawgs some better seeding in the Big East Tournament.

Scouting St. John’s

The Red Storm are coming off a close 72-68 loss to DePaul but boast a 19-8 record, going 9-7 in conference play. 

Despite averaging 63.7 points per game, St. John’s defense allows a mere 61 points per game from its opponents. Redshirt junior forward Daniela Abies leads the team with 34 steals on the season, while junior guard Brooke Moore has recorded 34 blocks. The duo also dominates the glass, averaging 6.2 and 5.1 rebounds per game, respectively.

Moore also leads the Red Storm’s offense, averaging 12.8 points per game, and sophomore forward Sa’Mya Wyatt rounds out the team’s double-digit scorers with 11.1 points per game. 

In the teams’ last meeting, St. John’s held the Bulldogs to just 39 points — the lowest-scoring game the Dawgs had to date. Despite two players reaching double digits for the Red Storm, Butler’s defense held the team to just 32.1% shooting from the field and 31.3% shooting from beyond the arc. 

On the flip side, only junior forward Caroline Dotsey scored double-digit points with 10, and the team made 16-of-56 on field goals and 4-of-22 on three-point attempts — the Bulldogs made none of their shots from beyond the arc in the third quarter. 

It might take a miracle for the Dawgs to break through the Red Storm’s tough defense, but the Bulldogs desperately need to end their losing streak before they fall any further.