INDIANAPOLIS – The Butler Bulldogs never trailed the Ohio Bobcats on Monday afternoon to improve their overall record to 8-4. Rachel Kent scored a game-high 18 points and the Bulldogs would shoot 48 percent from 3-point range to record a 69-49 victory at Hinkle Fieldhouse.
 
Kent and Jordan Meulemans combined to score the first nine points of the day for Butler, giving the Bulldogs a three-point advantage at the first media timeout. After the stoppage, BU went on a 7-0 scoring run to push the lead to 10 and the home team would enjoy a 12-point cushion after the first quarter 20-8.
 
Ohio hit two 3-pointers at the start of the second quarter but would be limited to just two more points the rest of the half. Butler went on a 16-0 run and held the Bobcats scoreless for over seven minutes to build a 38-16 lead.
 
The Bulldogs outscored the Bobcats 14-6 at the start of the third quarter to open up a 30-point advantage. Five different Bulldogs scored in the third with Meulemans leading the charge with seven. Wiggins helped keep BU in front in the fourth with five points over the first five minutes.
 
BU led 64-38 at the final media timeout and would close the 2023 calendar with a 69-49 victory.
 
Inside the Box Score
- Rachel Kent made a team-best five 3-pointers to end the game with 18 points
- Kent passed 1,400 career points in the contest and also provided BU with six assists and five rebounds
- Caroline Strande grabbed a career-high 13 rebounds in the win over Ohio
- Strande added six points, five assists and two steals to her stat line
- Jordan Meulemans scored eight of her 15 points for BU in the first quarter
- Karsyn Norman scored eight points and tied her career-high with seven rebounds
- Riley Makalusky played well Monday afternoon to score seven points
- Ari Wiggins also had seven points and five assists
- Sydney Jaynes had six points, seven rebounds and four assists
- Abby Stoddard made her season debut today
- BU is now 3-1 all-time against Ohio and have won the last three meetings
- Butler ended their non-conference schedule with an 8-3 record
- The Bulldogs are 6-1 this year at Hinkle Fieldhouse
- BU is 8-1 this year when holding their opponent under 70 points
 
Up Next
Butler will host Georgetown in the BIG EAST home opener. The Bulldogs will play the Hoyas on Wednesday, Jan. 3 at 7 PM. The game will be streamed on the BIG EAST Digital Network.