Box Score
INDIANAPOLIS – The Butler Bulldogs recorded their first win of the 2016-17 season on Sunday afternoon with a 58-56 victory over the Bradley Braves.
Tori Schickel hit a layup with just one second remaining on the game clock to seal the win.
Schickel was the player of the game for Butler, finishing the contest with 21 points, 11 rebounds and five assists. She led BU in all three categories to record her first double-double of the season. Schickel was one of three players to hit double figures as
Kristen Spolyar and
Shae Brey each added 11 points.
Sunday's tilt was unique in that Butler owned Bradley in the first quarter to grab an 18-2 lead at the first break. The Braves came back to tie the game in the fourth quarter by outscoring Butler 20-10 down the stretch.
"I was excited about our kids hanging in there," Head Coach
Kurt Godlevske said after the game. "They had to go through the peaks and valleys of the game, but to execute on a key play down the stretch is a fantastic way to finish and a good learning tool for the younger players."
Butler played a majority of the contest with just six players. The starting five of
Sydney Buck,
Sarah Humphrey,
Shae Brey,
Kristen Spolyar and Schickel logged heavy minutes against the Braves.
Michelle Weaver came off the bench to score five points in 19 minutes and the only other player to see the court was
Kaela Hodges who entered the game with Humphrey fouling out.
The starting five got Butler off to a fantastic start which resulted in the 18-2 scoring run in the first quarter. That unit slowed down however in the second half as fatigue started to set in. Schickel and Spolyar each battled foul trouble, but it wouldn't stop Schickel from scoring six of her game-high 21 points in the fourth.
"We trust Tori to make great decisions," Godlevske added. "We will play through her a lot moving forward, but today I thought her decision making got better as the game went along. We will continue to grow as a team and try to eliminate some of the mistakes we made today."
Butler will return to action on Wednesday, Nov. 16 with an 11 AM tip vs. the Fort Wayne Mastodons.
