INDIANAPOLIS -- Karissa McLaughlin and Liza Karlen combined for 39 points allowing Marquette to record a 78-48 victory over Butler on Sunday afternoon. The Bulldogs were led by center Celena Taborn. She scored 14 points on 6-of-8 shooting and added a team-best five rebounds for BU.
 
How It Happened
Marquette used an 8-0 scoring run to break a 4-4 tie early in the first quarter. Karissa McLaughlin was perfect from the field, scoring eight points over the first five minutes of action. Liza Karlen was responsible for the other four Golden Eagle points at the midway point.
 
McLaughlin continued to shoot the ball well in the opening quarter which extended Marquette's scoring spree to 16-0. The Bulldogs called a 30-second timeout to slow down the Golden Eagles and Tenley Dowell would hit the first 3-pointer of the game for BU shortly after.
 
Marquette owned a 26-13 lead after the first quarter. They shot 56 percent from the field (10-18) while BU connected on half of their shots (5-10). McLaughlin was on fire with 17 points over the opening 10 minutes. Taborn led the way for BU with four points on 2-of-2 shooting.
 
Marquette got more players involved in the second quarter. Four different players had at least one field goal over the first four minutes of the frame. Butler picked up their intensity on the defensive end and didn't allow McLaughlin to score in the second quarter. The Golden Eagles would edge the Bulldogs by one point during that 10-minute stretch taking us to a 41-27 score at halftime.
 
McLaughlin's first points of the second half came just before the first media timeout of the third quarter. Her fifth 3-pointer of the day gave Marquette a 52-33 lead with 4:20 on the game clock. Butler was limited to just two points the rest of the way moving the score to 59-35 heading into the fourth.
 
Kendall Wingler hit a 3-pointer to get Butler on the scoreboard in the fourth. The next five points came courtesy of Tenley Dowell, giving her 10 points in the game. Each team went to the bench over the final three and a half minutes of action. The Bulldogs would score 13 points in the fourth to take us to the 78-48 final.
 
Stat of the Game
The Golden Eagles shot 53 percent from the field and 60 percent from 3-point range to earn their 13th win of the season.
 
Inside the Box Score
- McLaughlin made her first five shots of the game including all three of her 3-point attempts
- McLaughlin led all players with a game-high 20 points
- Karlen scored 19 points and pulled down seven rebounds
- The Golden Eagles shot 83 percent from 3-point range in the first half (5-6)
- Marquette handed out 24 assists on 32 made field goals
- Alex Richard scored seven points off the BU bench
- Kendall Wingler hit two 3-pointers to net six points
- Zoe Jackson led BU with three assists
 
Up Next
The Bulldogs will travel to Villanova on Friday, Jan. 28 to face the Wildcats. Tip for that contest was flexed to 12 PM.