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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.
