STOCKTON – Butler took a 77-66 loss at Pacific in their first game of the 2023 Tiger Turkey Tip-Off on Friday night. The Bulldogs are now 3-2 overall while the Tigers improve to 4-1. Ari Wiggins led BU with 11 points and Cristen Carter joined her in double figures with 10.
 
The home team took control early in this one to lead from start to finish. The game got underway with Pacific scoring the first six points of the contest and they would own a 10-2 lead at the first media timeout. Butler opened the game just 1-for-7 from the field and Pacific would shoot 50% from the floor over the first 10 minutes to grab an 18-11 lead at the Alex G. Spanos Center.
 
Neither team's offense looked sharp in the opening stages of the second quarter. BU went 1-for-5 on field goals and Pacific was 1-for-10. The two teams combined for just 23 points with Pacific edging BU in the second stanza 12-11.
 
Pacific held a 30-22 lead over Butler at the half. 20 of Butler's 22 points came from bench players and no BU starter had a made field goal over the first 20 minutes of action. Karsyn Norman had seven off the bench to lead BU and the Tigers were led by Elizabeth Elliott (10).
 
Elliott took a spill in the first half and didn't see the floor in the second half. The Pacific offense struggled with her sidelined and BU would use a 6-0 run to get back within two of the Tigers at 30-28. Rachel Kent hit a 3-pointer to tie the game at 34-34 with six minutes to play in the third, but Pacific would push their lead back to seven heading to the fourth.
 
Butler trimmed the lead down to five points with five minutes to play in the game but would not get any closer. Pacific shared the ball and dished out 28 assists on 31 made field goals to find their fourth win of the season.
 
Inside the Box Score
- Cristen Carter had 10 points and seven rebounds for BU in 11 minutes of playing time
- Ari Wiggins led BU in scoring for the first time in her career (11) and added two assists
- Rachel Kent stuffed the box score with eight points, seven assists and nine rebounds
- Karsyn Norman scored all seven of her points in the first half
- Caroline Strande had nine points and six boards vs. Pacific
- Sydney Jaynes battled foul trouble but was able to provide BU with nine points
- Pacific scored 54 of their 77 points in the paint
- Butler played in California today for the first time since 2012
- Today was the first-ever meeting between the two programs
- UC Irvine defeated St. Thomas in the first game of the Tiger Turkey Tip-Off (74-63)
 
Up Next
Butler will play St. Thomas tomorrow at 4 PM. The game will stream on ESPN+.