CHICAGO – The Butler Bulldogs ended the 2020-21 regular season in style by posting an 86-81 win over #25 DePaul at Wintrust Arena. The victory was Butler's first-ever win against the Blue Demons and doubled as the team's first road win of the season.
 
How It Happened
All five Butler starters scored in double figures and Emilia Sexton would hit three 3-pointers off the bench to give Butler the offense they needed to knock off #25 DePaul. Upe Atosu was incredible with a game-high 22 points and a team-best five assists. She had 20 points after three quarters of action and would help BU handle the DePaul full-court press over the course of the game.
 
Okako Adika hit 7 of her 11 field goal attempts on Monday night to end the game with 17 points. Her 3-pointer with 1:36 to play in the fourth quarter gave Butler a five-point lead and was critical in the outcome.
 
Adika and Tenley Dowell were each perfect from 3-point range. The 'Dawgs hit 10 3-pointers tonight just two days after making 14 from behind the arc against #1 UConn. Dowell's third 3-pointer of the game broke a 76-76 tie with just four minutes to play in regulation. She would end the game with 13 points, five rebounds and two steals.
 
Nyamer Diew and Genesis Parker were also pieces to the puzzle, helping head coach Kurt Godlevske collect his third win over a nationally-ranked opponent (all on the road). For Godlevske it was win No. 90 in his career, solidifying his spot in program history as the fourth winningest coach at BU.
 
Diew was huge at the end of the third quarter giving BU five points that pushed the lead to 70-65. She scored 10 in the game and was also the team leader in rebounds with eight. Parker hit one 3-pointer and attacked the rim to post 11 points.
 
Butler opened the contest going 3-for-3 from the field and quickly found themselves on top 8-4 just two minutes into the game. The two teams went to the bench at the first media timeout deadlocked at 11-11 and the first would come to a close with the teams tied at 19-19.
 
The home team got going offensively at the start of the second quarter and would open that frame on a 7-0 scoring run. Parker hit from long range to stop the scoring spree and Adika would follow with a 3-pointer of her own to make the score 34-29 at the media timeout.
 
A second 7-0 DePaul scoring run would come after the stoppage, but the Bulldogs responded with the next five points to keep it close. That stretch helped Butler outscored DePaul 11-3 at the end of the second quarter, but the Blue Demons still led by a point 41-40.
 
Neither team could pull away in the third and with 6:09 left in the quarter a lengthy delay would come down as a result of a faulty scoreboard in Wintrust Arena. After a 10-minute pause, the teams would pick up right where they left off. Sexton buried a 3-pointer to give BU a 61-60 advantage and Diew would end that frame with five-straight including a buzzer beater from the right elbow.
 
DePaul would not go away in the fourth, in fact they opened the final 10 minutes on an 8-3 scoring run. Butler went scoreless for over three minutes, but kept their composure and would lead 75-73 at the final media timeout. Adika gave them the lead at that moment and Dowell would break the 76-76 tie with a three from the wing. Atosu added a steal and a score to put Butler up by three (81-78) and Adika's final triple helped secure the win with 1:36 left at Wintrust.
 
Any chance of a comeback was crushed with 33.8 seconds left on the game clock. The 'Dawgs advanced the ball with a timeout, but turned it over with just a three-point lead. DePaul got three chances on their next trip down but would miss a 3-pointer, a lay-up and a jumper. Diew pulled down the rebound and Parker would add some insurance to give Butler their biggest win of the season.
 
Stat of the Game
The only stat that matters to the Bulldogs tonight is the final score. The 86-81 win over #25 DePaul goes down as the first in program history.
 
Inside the Box Score
- Butler shot 54% from the field and 45 percent from 3-point range.
- BU won the points in the paint battle 42-34.
- There were 14 lead changes and 13 ties tonight; BU led for 19:00.
- Butler dished out 17 assists on 33 made field goals.
- The 'Dawgs only missed one free throw (10-11).
 
Up Next
Butler will play as the No. 10 seed in the upcoming BIG EAST Tournament and will play either St. John's or Providence on Friday, March 5.