With the victory, Butler improves to 11-18 overall and 5-14 in Big East play. Photo by Drew Kosmak.
DOROTHY LAKSHMANAMURTHY | SPORTS CO-EDITOR | [email protected]
The women’s basketball team battled through a back-and-forth contest on Feb. 25 in Chicago, pulling away late to earn a 71-64 road win over the Blue Demons.
The first quarter featured constant momentum swings and eight lead changes, with both teams matching each other shot-for-shot. DePaul grabbed a 10-9 edge midway through the frame, but Butler answered to take a slim 19-17 lead after one.
The intensity carried into the second quarter. The Blue Demons inched ahead 25-23 at the halfway mark and later used back-to-back buckets to build their largest lead of the half at four, 30-26. DePaul maintained that edge heading into the locker room, taking a 34-30 advantage at halftime.
Butler clamped down defensively to open the second half, holding DePaul scoreless for the first 2:40 and slicing the deficit to one at 37-36. Moments later, the Dawgs found their rhythm. An 8-2 run flipped the scoreboard in Butler’s favor, giving the visitors a 44-41 lead with under four minutes to play in the period. The Bulldogs dominated the quarter on both ends, outscoring DePaul 20-9 and seizing a 50-43 advantage entering the final 10 minutes.
Butler wasted no time building on that momentum. The lead stretched to 10 early in the fourth at 53-43, forcing DePaul to respond. The Blue Demons rattled off an 8-0 run to cut the deficit to just two with a little over six minutes remaining, setting up a tense finish.
With just over two minutes left, first-year guard Anna Wypych converted a crucial three-point play to push the lead to five at 63-58. The Bulldogs stayed poised down the stretch, knocking down free throws and getting key stops to fend off DePaul’s comeback attempt and seal the 71-64 win.
Redshirt-sophomore guard Saniya Jackson turned in a dominant performance, recording her second career double-double with 19 points and a game-high 14 rebounds. She went 8-for-8 from the field and added one assist and three steals in a commanding effort. Wypych poured in a career-high 21 points, shooting 6-for-12 from the floor and 7-for-8 from the line, marking her third straight game in double figures.
Sophomore guard Lily Zeinstra provided a spark off the bench with 13 points on an efficient 5-for-6 shooting performance, including a perfect 3-for-3 from beyond the arc. Redshirt-sophomore forward Mallory Miller orchestrated the offense with a career-high eight assists while adding seven points, six rebounds and a block.
Butler will look to carry this momentum into March 1, when the Bulldogs close the regular season at home against Seton Hall.
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