NORMAL, Ill. – The Bulldogs picked up their fifth win of the season on Sunday afternoon by defeating the Illinois State Redbirds 56-45. BU outscored Illinois State 17-5 in the first quarter to take a commanding lead that would hold until the final buzzer.
 
Michelle Weaver, Tori Schickel, and Kristen Spolyar all shared the team lead in scoring on Sunday with each player ending the contest with 12 points. Whitney Jennings added nine and Iman Lathan was in the box score with eight.
 
Butler's defense was the story of the game as BU limited Illinois State to just 25 percent shooting from the field. The Redbirds made as many free throws as field goals ending the game with 13 of each.
 
Butler shot 33 percent from the field and 73 percent from the free throw line (14-19). Butler did a majority of their damage on the inside to post 26 points in the paint. They also won the rebound battle 41-35.
 
Illinois State scored the first field goal of the game, but a 7-0 Butler run would follow the layup. A second Bulldog run (10-0) would give Butler a 17-5 advantage after the opening 10 minutes.
 
Iman Lathan had four of Butler's first eight points. Michelle Weaver hit two shots from distance and Tori Schickel would add four points in the paint.
 
Schickel would score the first bucket of the second quarter and add a free throw as part of an and-1. Jennings would then take control with five straight-points.
 
After the media timeout Lathan would net her sixth point of the game and Butler would add five points from the charity stripe to hold a 31-16 halftime advantage.
 
Shae Brey and Schickel would extend the Butler lead in the early stages of the third quarter. Butler held a 37-19 edge at the media timeout.
 
Kristen Spolyar and Jennings would combine to score the next six points for BU and Lathan would drive through the lane to add two more. Butler's final field goal of the third period came from Spolyar off a feed from Jennings. The 3-pointer pushed Butler's lead to 20 points.
 
The Redbirds came out fired up for the fourth quarter. They went on a 7-1 scoring run to cut into the BU lead, but field goals from Weaver and Spolyar would keep the lead at 16 points with just 4:39 to play.
 
Butler was limited to just one field goal over the final stages of the fourth quarter. Tori Schickel got on the block for a bucket under the two-minute mark and the final point would come off a Shae Brey free throw.
 
Butler will return to action on Friday, Dec. 8 when they host the Wisconsin Badgers. Opening tip is set for 7 PM.