SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. – The Bulldogs ended the 2019-20 regular season with a 66-53 setback at Seton Hall. BU recorded 11 conference wins for the second-straight season and head into the conference tournament with a 19-10 overall record.
 
Genesis Parker led Butler with 14 points on 6-of-9 shooting, but SHU seniors paved the way to victory. Shadeen Samuels led all players with 23 points and Alexis Lewis was close behind with 20.
 
Senior Day helped Seton Hall fill up the seats at Walsh Gym on Sunday afternoon. BU came out cold, going 0-4 from the field with four turnovers early. Genesis Parker would record four of Butler's first six points and the 'Dawgs would trail by just two points at the media timeout with 3:25 to play.
 
Butler's final field goal of the first quarter would come from Ashanti Thomas. The senior gave BU quality minutes with Oumou Toure picking up her second personal foul with 5:34 to play in the first. Butler would trail Seton Hall 13-8 after the first due to Alexia Allesch hitting a corner 3-pointer at the buzzer.
 
Another buzzer beater would follow in the second quarter, but this time it favored the Bulldogs. Seton Hall used a 6-0 run to grab a ten-point lead at 26-16, but BU would fight back over the final minute and a half of play.
 
Shae Brey hit a 3-pointer from the right wing and Toure would add an old fashioned three-point play on the next possession. Butler's defense never let up and Parker would get a steal and a score with just one second to play in the opening half to make the score 26-24 after the first 20 minutes.
 
The start of the third quarter was much like the start of the game with Seton Hall dictating the tempo. The Pirates opened up the second half on a 10-2 scoring run to own a 10-point lead at 36-26. Parker would net her 10th point of the game with a triple before the media break, but the 'Dawgs would still trail 40-31 with 4:16 left in the third.
 
SHU scored four quick points after the media stoppage which forced Butler into calling their first timeout. The Pirates had outscored Butler 18-7 at that point in the third.
 
Emilia Sexton would get Butler back within nine by hitting two 3-pointers over the final 3 minutes of action in the third. Three of Butler's four made field goals in the quarter came from behind the arc.
 
Butler couldn't cut into the Seton Hall lead over the first five minutes of the fourth quarter. The final media timeout of the game would come with 3:32 left. Butler trailed by 10 at 57-47, but would cut that down to just six points with 1:46 to play. The game was decided soon after with a personal and technical foul called on Butler. Free throws would move the SHU lead back up to 10 and the Pirates would go on to win by the final score of 66-53.
 
The BIG EAST Tournament will begin on Friday, March 6 at Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Ill.