Butler Downs Xavier 64-58 Behind a Season-High 25 Points From Caroline Dotsey

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Connecticut

12/28/2025 | 4PM

TNT & truTV

Dec. 28 (Sun) / 4PM

 Connecticut

History

INDIANAPOLIS – Behind a season-high 25 points from Caroline Dotsey, Butler secured an 64-58 victory over the Xavier Musketeers on Friday evening at Hinkle Fieldhouse. With the win, Butler improves to 7-6 on the season and 1-2 in BIG EAST action while Xavier slides to 8-4 overall and 1-2 in conference play. 
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BULLDOG HIGHLIGHTS

Dotsey led all scorers with 25 points on 9-for-15 shooting from the floor. Dotsey was five points shy of her career-high 30. Dotsey chipped in eight rebounds and two assists. 
Mallory Miller (11) and Lily Zeinstra (10) rounded out the Bulldogs in double figures. 
Zeinstra and Addison Baxter paced the offense with three assists apiece. 
Dotsey led the squad on the glass with eight rebounds. 
Butler won the rebounding battle 37-30.
BU shot 21-for-46 from the floor (45.7%).
Butler forced XX Xavier turnovers, marking the 15th time in the last 16 games that BU has forced its opponents to commit double-digit turnovers.

 
XAVIER HIGHLIGHTS

Vivien Nejašmić led Xavier with 24 points on an efficient 10-for-17 shooting performance from the floor. 
Mariyah Noel led XU on the glass with eight rebounds in the contest. 
Meri Kanerva paced the XU offense with eight assists. 
Xavier forced 20 Butler turnovers. 

HOW IT HAPPENED

The first frame opened with both sides trading buckets as Butler held a narrow 8-6 lead at the first media timeout. The Bulldogs and Musketeers continued to go back and forth in the first, as Butler took the 15-14 lead into the second frame. 
Butler opened the second quarter on a 7-0 run fueled by back-to-back buckets from Miller and Dotsey before a Zeinstra 3-pointer forced the Musketeers to take a timeout. Butler held Xavier without a bucket for two minutes in the quarter as the Bulldog lead ballooned to as many as 12 (34-22). Xavier staged a 6-0 run at the end of the quarter as the Bulldog lead was cut to six, heading into the half. 
Xavier held Butler scoreless for over two and half minutes in the third, while forcing four Bulldog turnovers, as the Butler lead was cut to six with two minutes left in the quarter. Butler narrowly outscored XU in the third, 14-12, as BU took the 48-40 lead into the final quarter of action. 
XU started the fourth with a 5-0 run in under 30 seconds forcing Butler to take a timeout. Butler continued to fight as Xavier cut the BU advantage to two, with two minutes left in the fourth. Behind stellar defense from the Dawgs, BU was able to fend off the Musketeers comeback efforts securing the 64-58 victory at the final whistle. 

 
UP NEXT
Butler will return to action on Dec. 28, as the No. 1 UConn Huskies visit Hinkle Fieldhouse for a conference matchup. Tip-off is slated for 4 p.m. and the game will be broadcast live on TNT & truTV.