[imagebrowser id=7]Thursday night, January 28, the Butler women’s basketball team faced one of their toughest tests yet when the Lady Phoenix of Wisconsin-Green Bay came to Hinkle Fieldhouse, clinching a 66 to 62 win.

The Lady Phoenix, ranked number 16 in the USA Today Coaches Poll, came in tied with the Bulldogs for the lead in the Horizon League.

While the outcome wasn’t what the Bulldogs had hoped for, head coach Beth Couture was proud of her team’s effort and resiliency.

“We were close. There are no moral victories. But if we put halves together, who knows what would have happened?” Couture said.

Butler, down by at least ten points several different times, never gave up. Their swarming defense and ability to make shots at key times kept them in the game.

“I thought our press helped us, we made some key steals that we were able to capitalize off of,” Couture said.

Senior Chloe Hamilton scored 26 points and picked up ten rebounds for her fourth double-double of the season. Hamilton was 11-for-11 from the field.

“Chloe did what a senior should do, step up and make plays when her team needed her to”, Green Bay head coach Matt Bollant said of her performance.

Couture and Hamilton both agreed that they could take some things from this game.

“We’re going to learn from this game and get ready to play Saturday,” Couture said.

Butler hosts Milwaukee on Saturday at 2pm. The Panthers are 4-4 in Horizon League play season.