In the last regular season game for the Bulldogs, senior guards Brittany Bowen and Alyssa Pittman assured a victory and the No. 2 seed in the Horizon League tournament.
Bowen was named to the All-Horizon League second team, her first time receiving the honor.
“Brittany has had a great career at Butler,” head coach Beth Couture said. “She has been a big part of our success the last four years.”
Pittman, the new Horizon League’s Sixth player of the year, lived up to the award by scoring 18 points for the Bulldogs in their 58-47 win against Valparaiso. Bowen added all 16 of her points in the second half.
Butler’s win gave them a second-place finish in the league for the third consecutive year.
Senior forward Chloe Hamilton only played 22 minutes due to lingering effects from a concussion, but scored seven points.
Hamilton was, however, named a teammate of Bowen on the All-Horizon League second team, also her first time receiving the honor.
“For Chloe to be named all-league is an honor related directly to her work ethic and the effort she plays with every night,” Couture said. “Chloe has improved as much as any player I’ve ever coached.
“For her to receive this honor is definitely deserving.”
With Hamilton not 100 percent and Bowen in first-half foul trouble, Valparaiso kept the game close throughout the first half.
However, Bowen came back strong in the second half to spark a totally different game.
“Bri really stepped up,” Couture said. “I knew if we were in the game in the first half with her not in there, we’d be okay.
“She was big in the second half, and then we made stops and made key shots to pick up the win.”
Valparaiso held an 18-17 lead with 6:48 left in the first half when sophomore center Becca Bornhorst hit a 3-point shot to take the lead. Butler held the lead, 25-20, just before halftime, but Valparaiso freshman center Stefanie Lang converted a three-point play to make the score 25-23 at the intermission.
Valparaiso hit two 3-point shots to start the second half strong, but Butler proved to be too much for them to handle down the stretch.
Butler will play the winner of the No. 10 Valparaiso-No. 7 Detroit game in the quarterfinal round today at 7 p.m. in Hinkle Fieldhouse.
