Butler Exits BIG EAST Tournament with First Round Loss to St. John’s

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St. John’s outscored Butler 38-17 in the second half to advance to the quarterfinals of the 2025 BIG EAST Championship Tournament. The Bulldogs leave Mohegan Sun Arena with a 15-17 overall record after taking a 66-50 setback to St. John’s.
 
“I am proud of how our team prepped this week and how we came out ready to go,” Head Coach Austin Parkinson stated. “This group had to deal with a lot of injuries this year, but they’ve maintained a positive attitude and a positive work ethic and as a coach, that’s all I can ask for.”
 
Senior Sydney Jaynes led the Bulldogs on Friday afternoon with a team-high 14 points. Jaynes and Lily Zeinstra combined to score half of Butler’s points against the Red Storm.
 
Butler’s defense set the tone early as the Bulldogs limited St. John’s to just 10 first quarter points to outscore the Johnnies by six. That cushion allowed BU to take a 33-28 advantage into the half.
 
The third quarter told the story as St. John’s came out of their locker room to outscore Butler 21-11. The Bulldog offense went cold in the fourth, shooting just 2-for-11 over the final 10 minutes.
 
Ber’Nyah Mayo scored a game-high 16 points for the Johnnies. Skye Owen added 13 and Lashae Dwyer was in the box score with 10.
 
St. John’s forced 16 BU turnovers which resulted in 24 Red Storm points. 3-point shooting also impacted the outcome with BU making just one of their 15 attempts.
 
Inside the Box Score
– The Bulldogs led for 15 in the first half and for 19 minutes total
– BU led by nine early in the second quarter (21-12)
– STJ used a 7-0 run to tie the game at 28-28
– BU closed the first half on a 5-0 run to earn their 33-28 halftime lead
– Sydney Jaynes scored nine of her 14 points in the first half
– Each team shot over 50 percent from the field in the first half
– St. John’s regained a lead at 43-41 in the third quarter
– The Johnnies opened the fourth quarter on a 7-0 scoring run
– This was the first time Butler faced St. John’s in the conference tournament
– Lily Carmody returned to the BU starting lineup vs. St. John’s
– Carmody had not started a game since Feb. 12 when BU played at Georgetown
– Ari Wiggins, Sydney Jaynes and Kilyn McGuff served as team captains vs. STJ
– Cristen Carter didn’t miss on Friday, giving BU eight points and four rebounds
– Kilyn McGuff had seven points, seven rebounds, three assists and two steals
– Zeinstra hit her only 3-point attempt of the game and finished 4-for-5 from the field for 11 points