University of Massachusets Athletics
Butler Named Athlete of the Week
December 18, 2002 | Women's Basketball
Dec. 18, 2002
AMHERST, Mass. - University of Massachusetts women's basketball senior center Jennifer Butler (Brooklyn, N.Y.) was named the Dinn Brothers/UMass Athlete of the Week as announced today at the Weekly Sports Luncheon. The preseason All-Atlantic 10 first team selection averaged 20.0 points and 14.3 rebounds as the Minutewomen went 3-0 last week upping their overall record to 8-1.
This is the second consecutive citation for Butler, who was also named the Atlantic 10 Payer of the Week.
In the Atlantic 10 season-opener Dec. 9, Butler had 14 points and 11 rebounds in the Massachusetts 59-45 win over the previously undefeated Rhode Island Rams. She then followed that up with a 16-point, 12-rebound effort in the 55-50 win over Villanova Dec. 11 at the Curry Hicks Cage. Butler capped off the week with 30 points and 20 rebounds in the Minutewomen's 77-61 win over Northeastern Dec. 14. The 30 points not only established a new career-high for Butler, but set a new UMass Mullins Center record for a woman.
She shot 57.1 percent from the field in the three games and 50.0 percent from the free throw line. Butler ranks fourth in the league with a 16.4 ppg average and is first, grabbing 13.4 rebounds per game. Her rebounding tally also leads the nation. In the Rhode Island game, Butler pulled down her 1,000th-career rebound, becoming the first Minutewoman in the 34-year history of the program to post 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds in a career.
Massachusetts is 8-1, off to the second-best start in its history. Only the 1968-69 team (9-0) began had a better record after the first nine games. The Minutewomen, who are currently in the midst of a six-game winning streak, will enjoy a two-week break before returning to action Dec. 28-29 at the State Farm Classic in Gainesville, Fla. Virginia and Michigan will play in the first game at 5:00 p.m., while UMass takes on host-school Florida in the night cap at 7:30 p.m., Dec. 28. The consolation and championship games will be played Dec. 29. UMass is guaranteed of playing at 5:00 p.m. regardless of whether it is the championship or consolation game.