Blue Demons Meet Butler in BIG EAST Opener on Sunday

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – DePaul women's basketball is set to open BIG EAST play with a matchup at Butler on Sunday Dec. 4. Tip off from historic Hinkle Fieldhouse is scheduled for 1 p.m. CT. FloHoops will provide the coverage with Mike Schmaltz and Brendan King on the call.

Demon Doings
DePaul steps into league play with a record of 4-3 in early non-conference matchups. The Blue Demons are coming off wins over then-No. 14 Maryland and Pitt at the Elevance Health Fort Myers Tip-Off over the Thanksgiving holiday.

The Blue Demons, receiving votes in the WBCA Coaches' Poll, rank second in the BIG EAST in scoring offense with an average of 80.3 points per game with All-American Aneesah Morrow leading the way with 26.7 ppg and 12.1 rebounds per game. Morrow's season averages rank third and sixth in the nation, respectively.

Junior guards Darrione Rogers and Kendall Holmes are also averaging double figures with an average of 18.1 and 10.6 points per game. The pair has combined for 65 percent (37 of 57) of DePaul's three-point field goals this season.

As a team, DePaul has won the battle of the boards in six of seven contests this season, averaging 46.3 rebounds per game including 18.1 on the offensive glass to rank seventh among Division I programs.

Since joining the BIG EAST prior to the 2005-06 season, the Blue Demons are 13-4 in conference openers.

Doug Bruno is in his 37th season leading DePaul and recently eclipsed 800 career wins after the Blue Demons win over Miami on Nov. 20.

Scouting Butler
The Bulldogs enter the matchup 4-3 after falling to St. John's in their BIG EAST opener, 65-57, on Friday at Hinkle Fieldhouse. Butler added eight newcomers including a trio of transfers in the offseason after hiring former IUPUI head coach Austin Parkinson to take over the program.

Butler has posted non-conference wins over Chicago State and Tennessee State and most recently swept the competition at the Florida Atlantic Thanksgiving Tournament with victories over Sacred Heart and Binghamton. In their last three wins, the Bulldogs average margin of victory is 23 points.

IUPUI transfers Rachel McLimore and Anna Mortag lead the Bulldogs, averaging 12.3 and 10.7 points per game, respectively.

Series Stuff
DePaul has owned the all-time series with the Bulldogs, leading 22-1. The Blue Demons swept the season series in 2021-22 and won by a combined margin of 70 points. Butler's lone win in the series came on the final day of the 2020-21 regular season, 86-81 at Wintrust Arena.

The Blue Demons are 1-0 against an Austin Parkinson-led team as DePaul edged IUPUI on December 20, 2017, 85-71, at McGrath-Phillips Arena.

Up Next: Following the conference lid-lifter, the Blue Demons will return to Chicago for a pair of local matchups on the road next week. DePaul will make the trip to Rogers Park to take on Loyola on Wednesday, Dec. 7 before heading to Evanston to face Northwestern on Saturday, Dec. 10.

Blue Demons Meet Butler in BIG EAST Opener on Sunday

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Players Mentioned

Kendall Holmes

Aneesah Morrow

Darrione Rogers