INDIANAPOLIS – The Bulldogs improved to 6-0 on the young 2018-19 season by recording a 64-47 win over in-state rival Ball State. Whitney Jennings scored a game-high 20 points while fellow senior Tori Schickel ended the day with 11 points and 12 rebounds.
 
Schickel notched her fourth double-double of the season despite playing through a constant double team on Sunday. She shot 4-of-8 to net her 11 points, but kept her eyes on her teammates to dish out a career-high eight assists. The do-it-all senior also led Butler in blocks with four.
 
With Schickel controlling the paint, it was Whitney Jennings who would strike for Butler from the perimeter. Jennings hit all six of her field goal attempts from 3-point range to score her 20 points. She added four steals, two assists and two rebounds to her stat line.
 
Butler got better and better as the game went on. They shot just 23 percent from the field after the first quarter, but improved that number to 33 percent in the second. They hit seven of their 15 attempts in the fourth to raise their overall shooting percentage to 36.1.
 
The Bulldogs led from start to finish on Sunday to notch their sixth win of the season. They jumped out to a 7-1 lead after the opening two minutes of action and a put-back from Kristen Spolyar would cause Ball State to burn their first timeout of the afternoon.
 
BSU went 0-2 from the field and had four turnovers over the first four minutes of the game. They ended the game with 29 total turnovers and shot just 30 percent from the field.
 
Great team defense would allow Butler to win the first quarter 13-5. That start would be huge in the final outcome as each team scored 11 points in the second frame. Ball State hit just two of their first 20 shots. The cold streak would help Butler build a 24-16 lead at the half.
 
Howard-Bass kept the Cardinals within striking distance early by scoring 11 of Ball State's 16 total points. She hit three of her first four 3-point attempts, but the Bulldogs would adjust and hold her scoreless in the second half.
 
The breaking point of the game came just moments before the third quarter media timeout as Michelle Weaver and Whitney Jennings hit-back-to-back 3-pointers to push the lead to 10 at 31-21. Weaver had another nice game with nine points, five assists, four rebounds and four steals.
 
Moments later Jennings would hit another 3 to give the Bulldogs a 38-24 advantage. BU won the third frame 19-13 and would push the lead to 20 points in the fourth quarter. Ball State wouldn't get any closer resulting in the 64-47 final score.
 
Butler will return to action on Wednesday afternoon with their first road test of the year. They will play at Indiana at 7 PM.