INDIANAPOLIS - Butler defeated Eastern Illinois 74-52 on Sunday afternoon at Hinkle Fieldhouse. With the win, Butler improves to 6-6 on the season while EIU slides to 1-10. Butler has now concluded the nonconference portion of the schedule and will return to conference action on Friday, Dec. 19 when the Xavier Musketeers come to town.
BULLDOG HIGHLIGHTS
- Anna Wypych led the Dawgs with 12 points in the contest on an efficient 4-for-8 performance from the floor. Wypych chipped in four rebounds and an assist en route to the Bulldogs sixth victory of the season.
- Ten different Bulldogs scored in the contest as Mallory Miller and Gabby Wilke followed closely behind Wypych with nine points each to their credit.
- Miller paced the offense with six assists which is a new career-high for the redshirt sophomore.
- Caroline Dotsey led the squad on the glass with nine rebounds.
- Butler won the rebounding battle 43-29. BU scored 35 bench points while the Panthers were limited to eight points from their bench.
- BU shot 22-for-55 from the floor (40.0%).
- Butler forced 14 EIU turnovers, marking the 14th time in the last 15 games that BU has forced its opponents to commit double-digit turnovers.
EASTERN ILLINOIS HIGHLIGHTS
- Ella Lune led the Panthers with 14 points on an efficient 5-for-10 shooting performance from the floor.
- Abbie Boutilier (11) rounded out the Panthers in double figures.
- Lune led the squad on the glass with six rebounds.
- Ava Stoller led the EIU offense with three assists in the contest.
- EIU shot 20-for-59 from the floor (33.9%).
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Both sides traded buckets in the first as the Panthers jumped out to an early 8-7 lead halfway through the first quarter. After going nearly three minutes without a bucket, Wypych hit back-to-back 3-pointers for the Dawgs as BU held the narrow 13-12 advantage after the first.
- Neither side was able to generate much offense in the first few minutes of the quarter. At the halfway mark of the frame, Butler still held a narrow one-point advantage. Butler closed the quarter on a 7-0 run with all seven points coming courtesy of the Jackson twins.
- Butler opened the third quarter with a 6-2 run, as the Dawgs lead grew to 12 early in the frame. BU continued to frustrate the Panthers as the Butler defense held EIU scoreless for a three minute stretch in the frame. Butler outscored the Panthers 21-13 in the frame, taking the 16-point advantage into the fourth quarter.
- The Bulldogs continued to control the game in the fourth as the Butler lead grew to as many as 19 with 5:38 left in the quarter. EIU was unable to mount a comeback in the final five minutes as Butler secured the 74-52 victory at the final whistle.
UP NEXT
Butler will return to action on Friday, Dec. 19 as BU hosts Xavier in its first conference home game of the season. Tip-off at Hinkle Fieldhouse is slated for 7 p.m. and fans can stream the game live on ESPN+ with Kelsie Kasper and Alexis Ayala on the call.