INDIANAPOLIS – The Butler women's basketball team improved to 2-2 on the young season with a 72-55 victory over visiting Tennessee State on Monday night at Hinkle Fieldhouse. Rachel McLimore scored a season-high 21 points in the outcome. The grad transfer led all players with four made 3-pointers.
 
Butler shot 53 percent from the field and 40 percent from 3-point range to beat the Tigers. Sydney Jaynes had a great second half to notch 14 points and Jessica Carrothers would come off the bench to score 13 points in 23 minutes of playing time.
 
Butler outscored Tennessee State 24-11 in the third quarter to take control of the game. BU also pounded TSU on the glass to win the rebound battle 38-24.
 
McLimore scored the first five points of the game for Butler, but she had to exit the floor before the first timeout after picking up her second personal foul.
 
The Bulldogs used a 7-0 scoring run to open up a 9-6 lead five minutes into the contest. The scoring spree moved to 13-2 before a pair of TSU free throws. Butler shot 58 percent from the field over the opening 10 minutes and held the Tigers to 38 percent to build their four-point first quarter lead (18-14).
 
Tennessee State got within two points of Butler in the second quarter, but would never take the lead. Gia Adams ended the first half with a pair of free throws for the Tigers to trim the BU lead to two at 30-28. Adams led TSU with six points at the break. McLimore was the BU scoring leader with 11.
 
Tennessee State tied the game at 32-32 just over a minute into the second half, but the Bulldogs were able to stay in front by getting the ball inside. Jaynes had multiple buckets from the right block in the third and Butler would lead Tennessee State by six at the five-minute mark.
 
The story of the third quarter was the 13-0 BU scoring run. The Tigers went over five minutes without a point and the Bulldogs would enjoy a 52-37 lead with just one minute to play in the quarter.
 
Jordan Meulemans hit her first 3-pointer of the game in the fourth quarter and a steal and a score moments later from Carrothers moved BU in front by 20 points (61-41).

The outcome was never in question after the hot start to the fourth quarter and the Bulldogs would find the win column for the second time this season with a 72-55 final score.
 
Points in the paint favored the Bulldogs 42-24 and Butler was way out in front with 20 fast break points.
 
Tennessee State only had four assists in the game and the Bulldogs limited the Tigers to just two made 3-pointers.
 
Butler will travel to Boca Raton, Fla. later this week to compete in the Florida Atlantic Thanksgiving Tournament. They will face Sacred Heart on Friday, Nov. 25 and play Binghamton the following day. Each contest will start at 2 PM.