INDIANAPOLIS – Georgetown spoiled Butler's BIG EAST home opener on Wednesday night by defeating the Bulldogs 60-55 inside Hinkle Fieldhouse. The Hoyas outscored Butler 32-18 in the second half to record their 12th win of the season. With the setback, Butler moves to 8-5 on the year.
 
Caroline Strande and Rachel Kent were phenomenal for Butler in the first half. That duo sparked a 6-0 run that would allow the Bulldogs to regain the lead early at 10-9. Butler would move forward to outscore Georgetown 15-2 over the next five minutes and enjoy a six-point lead after the opening quarter. Strande had seven points in the opening five minutes and was responsible for nine of Butler's 19 points in the first.
 
The start of the second quarter belonged to Georgetown with the Hoyas hitting their first four shots to go on an 8-2 run and tie the game at 21-21. Kent broke the tie with a 3-pointer and back-to-back triples later in the action would give BU a 35-28 advantage. Kent had 18 at the break and Strande was in double figures with 11. Strande hit a buzzer beater for BU to give the team a nine-point lead heading to the locker room. The 'Dawgs shot 50 percent as a team in the first half and 55 percent from long range (6-11).
 
The second half opened with Graceann Bennett scoring eight-straight for Georgetown to make the contest a one-point game. Ari Wiggins took the ball to the rim for a bucket and the foul to supply BU with their only three points before the media timeout. Georgetown outscored Butler 16-7 in the third quarter to tie the game at 44-44. Strande had a field goal late in the action and Cristen Carter added a pair of free throws, but BU would shoot 15 percent from the floor in the third and just 33 percent in the fourth.
 
The Hoyas outscored BU by five in the fourth to secure their second BIG EAST win. A 6-0 scoring run gave Georgetown a five-point lead with five minutes to play, but the Bulldogs would fight back. Sydney Jaynes re-entered the game with four fouls, and quickly scored a bucket to spark the offense. Strande added a field goal on the next trip to get BU within one at 52-51.
 
Kent got going for BU again in the fourth and after four-straight from the graduate transfer the game would be knotted up at 55-55. The Hoyas answered the call in crunch time and got field goals from Bennett and Kelsey Ransom to seal the victory.
 
Inside the Box Score
- Rachel Kent scored a game-high 22 points by making five 3-pointers vs. GU
- Kent topped 20 points for the second time this season
- Caroline Strande just missed a double-double with 15 points and a game-high nine rebounds
- Ari Wiggins had five points, five rebounds, and a team-high two steals
- Wiggins appeared in her 50th collegiate game tonight
- Butler outrebounded Georgetown 35-27
- BU had 17 offensive rebounds
- Graceann Bennett led GU with 20 points and eight rebounds
- Kelsey Ransom had 13 points and Brianna Scott came off the bench to add 11
 
Up Next
Butler will play Seton Hall on Saturday, Jan. 6. The game will tip at 2 PM inside Hinkle Fieldhouse.