INDIANAPOLIS Butler University's women's basketball team took the floor for the first time this season with a crowd of kids cheering them on. Thousands of elementary school students from across Central Indiana came to Hinkle Fieldhouse Wednesday to watch the Bulldogs take on Chicago State. The game was part of the NCAA's Readers Become Leaders program, which aims to increase childhood literacy. Teachers said the experience was exciting for the kids and could inspire them to attend college when they get older. "It's thrilling just getting kids fired up to learn and be lifelong learners," said Mitchell Pepper, a teacher at Liberty Park Elementary School in Warren Township. "We understand with literacy that it is foundational to all subjects." Butler defeated Chicago State 87 to 45.