Serah Williams scored a game-high 36 points against Butler on Wednesday night to lead Wisconsin to a 71-64 win over Butler at Hinkle Fieldhouse. The setback was just the third of the year for Butler while the Badgers improved to 9-2.
Tonight’s result was the first double overtime game for Butler since Feb. 8, 2015. Butler led by nine at the half, but were limited to just 22 second half points. Each side settled for four points in the first overtime period and Wisconsin outscored BU 12-5 in the second OT.
Butler held onto a 15-13 lead at the end of the first quarter. Turnovers plagued the BU offense over the first six minutes of action, but they adjusted after the media timeout and were mistake free over the final four minutes of the first.
Wisconsin went inside to score 10 of their first 11 points in the paint. Serah Williams was the driving force for that decision. The 6-4 junior had seven in the first quarter alone.
Sydney Jaynes countered the inside attack with a 3-pointer from the top of the key to give BU a 12-11 lead and Riley Makalusky’s second triple of the contest gave BU a two-point lead at the end of one.
The Bulldog lead moved to 21-14 early in the second quarter with BU outscoring Wisconsin 6-1 over the first three minutes of the frame. Lily Carmody’s first shot from behind the arc went in and Caroline Strande recorded an old-fashioned 3-point play to supply the scoring for Butler.
After a Wisconsin timeout, Jocelyn Land got involved with a 3-pointer that moved Butler’s scoring run to 9-1 and gave the team a 10-point lead. The double-digit advantage would move to 30-16 before a scary situation unfolded at Hinkle Fieldhouse. Strande was fouled on a 3-point attempt and hobbled off the court for the final three minutes of the first half. Butler’s lead was then trimmed to 33-24 at the break.
Strande remained sidelined for the remainder of the game, helping Wisconsin get back in it at 39-36. Butler was outscored 16-11 in the third, but stayed on top heading to the fourth 44-40.
The lead dropped down to two at 48-46, but BU broke a timeout to get a three-point play from Lily Zeinstra on a back-door cut to give them some more breathing room.
Wisconsin struggled from distance all night, but their first made 3-pointer of the game would knot the score at 53-53. BU moved back in front 55-53 with a minute and a half remaining in regulation and a Wisconsin turnover would follow with an Ari Wiggins steal.
Butler got another stop on Wisconsin’s next trip, but two missed free throws would give Wisconsin a second chance. The Badgers got the ball inside to Williams and she would send the game to overtime with a field goal in the paint.
The first overtime features just eight total points. Jaynes was responsible for all four for BU and overtime number two would get underway at 59-59.
Wisconsin’s second and final 3-pointer of the game came from Natalie Leuzinger and gave the Badgers a 64-59 lead with three to play. Leuzinger added a pull-up jumper on their next possession to keep the five-point advantage intact.
In the end, Williams would be too much and would will Wisconsin to a 71-64 victory.
Inside the Box Score
– Butler shot 7-for-15 from 3 in the first half, but ended the game 7-for-27.
– Wisconsin didn’t make a 3-pointer in the first half (0-4) and went just 2-for-11 in the game
– BU had 19 assists on 23 made field goals.
– Points in the paint favored Wisconsin 44-26
– Bench points went to Butler 37-6
– BU won the rebound battle 42-39
– Wisconsin got to the line 28 times and BU shot 21 free throws
– Neither team shot a good percentage from the charity stripe
– Serah Williams had 36 points and 14 rebounds in 43 minutes
– Riley Makalusky had 13 points and six rebounds
– Sydney Jaynes had 13 points and eight rebounds
– Kilyn McGuff led BU with nine rebounds while adding three assists and two steals
– Ari Wiggins led the team with five assists
Up Next
Butler’s final non-conference contest will be played on Sunday afternoon against Saint Francis. Tip is set for 1 p.m. on FloSports.com.
