PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The Bulldogs held a six-point lead at the half and entered the fourth quarter on top 41-39, but were unable to pull off the road win at Providence on Friday night. The Friars outscored Butler 25-12 over the final 10 minutes of action to come out on top 64-53. Celena Taborn led all players with 24 points.
 
How It Happened
Providence hit five of their first six shots to open up a 12-2 lead. Alyssa Geary and Kylee Sheppard each hit from distance for the Friars and Mary Baskerville would then score six-straight points forcing Butler to call a timeout with 6:40 to play in the opening quarter. Celena Taborn grabbed an offensive rebound and got it back in off the square to mark the first points of the evening for the Bulldogs.
 
Taborn would move forward by scoring the first six points of the game for BU and Tenley Dowell would get involved moments later by hitting a 3-pointer from the top of the key. Butler ended the first quarter with 11 points as Zoe Jackson drove by her defender to get a layup in before the buzzer.
 
Jackson stayed in a groove and hit a 3-pointer from the corner in front of the Providence bench to open the second quarter. That triple along with two post scores from Taborn would get Butler back within one at 19-18.
 
Taborn gave Butler their first lead of the game at the 6:31 mark of the second quarter, but PC would answer with their first points of the second frame on their next trip down. Taborn was responsible for 12 of Butler's first 20 points. She made six of her first seven shots and was also in the box score with four rebounds and a block.
 
Providence held a slim 21-20 lead over Butler at the media timeout (4:45), but they were able to extend that advantage with five-straight points out of the stoppage. Dowell snapped the scoring spree with her second 3-pointer of the game and Alex Richard would knot the scoreboard at 26-26 with an old fashioned 3-point play.
 
It was Celena Taborn time over the final two minutes of the first half. She hit three more shots to give BU a six-point lead and blocked a shot on Providence's final possession.
 
Jackson opened the second half by getting to the rim again for Butler and a Kendall Wingler 3-pointer from the corner would increase the Bulldog lead to 37-29 with 6:13 to go in the third. The Friars picked up their defensive intensity after the media timeout and would limit Butler to just two more made field goals the rest of the way sending the two teams into the fourth with Butler on top 41-39.
 
Each side exchanged field goals over the first minute of the fourth and Providence would call an early timeout allowing the game to move freely into crunch time.
 
Janai Crooms tied the score at 44-44 with a 3-pointer from the left wing and Audrey Koch would follow with a triple from the corner to give the home team the lead. The Friar scoring run moved to 8-0 after a pass from Crooms to Olivia Olsen and the Bulldogs would call for a 30 second timeout trailing 49-44.
 
After the stoppage, Sydney Jaynes took it all the way for Butler to record her first two points of the game. Her fourth point would come soon after on a nice post move score in the paint.
 
A turning point in this one came when Sheppard hit back-to-back 3-pointers for PC to give the Friars a 57-51 cushion with less than four to play. A costly Butler turnover gave Providence an easy score and more importantly a nine-point lead at 61-52. The Bulldogs fouled with less than a minute in an effort to extend the game, but the Friars would make their free throws to clinch the victory.
 
Stat of the Game
Providence won the rebound battle 44-28. The Friars kept scoring chances alive by coming up with 19 offensive rebounds.
 
Inside the Box Score
- Celena Taborn scored 18 of her team-high 24 points in the first half
- Butler won the second quarter 21-7
- BU came up with a season-high eight blocked shots at Providence
- The 'Dawgs dominated points in the paint over the first 20 minutes (22-10)
- Mary Baskerville and Alyssa Geary each fouled out for Providence
- Four Friars hit a double figure scoring total
- Olivia Olsen notched a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds
- Trinity White was not active tonight for the Bulldogs
 
Up Next
Butler will fly out to Omaha tonight and begin to prepare for the Creighton Bluejays. Tip inside DJ Sokol Arena on Sunday is set for 1 PM.