The Butler women’s basketball team suffered another setback yesterday, falling 49-46 at Indiana State.

The game marked the sixth straight loss for the Bulldogs (1-7). Of those six losses, five have been decided by 10 points or fewer.

The Sycamores (5-3) got off to a quick start, taking an 8-1 lead after the first five minutes.

However, Butler freshman forward Haley Howard and junior forward Becca Bornhorst accounted for the Bulldogs’ next 13 points, pulling Butler within two.

Howard scored a game-high 17 points.

Photo by Maria Porter

Bornhorst, in her third game back after an injury, posted 14 points in 22 minutes of work, including a 3-pointer before halftime to cut the Bulldogs’ deficit to just one.

“We’ve made progress in areas we’ve been working on,” Bornhorst said, “such as boxing out and having ball pressure on defense. We just have yet to play a full 40 minutes being completely focused on the little things.”

Butler focused on those little things in the second half and appeared primed to snap its losing streak, leading 44-43 with 2:31 remaining.

But, four straight Indiana State free throws gave the Sycamores a three-point lead.

Trailing 49-46 with just four seconds remaining, senior guard Devin Brierly misfired on the front end of a one-and-one. Bornhorst’s ensuing 3-pointer fell off the mark, allowing the Sycamores to pick up their third consecutive win.

“You certainly don’t want to be [1-7], but when you look on the tape and on the floor, I feel like our players are getting better,” coach Beth Couture said. “Our kids are playing really hard right now, but we’re just making a lot of mistakes.”

Three days earlier, the Bulldogs fell to the Bowling Green Falcons 71-61. Butler trailed by just five at halftime, but the Falcons (5-2) pulled away, leading by as many as 17 points in the second half.

Freshman guard Hannah Douglas led Butler with a career-high 15 points on 6-of-8 shooting. Douglas also pulled down a team-best five rebounds.

“We asked Hannah to be more aggressive and look to score,” Couture said. “She and all of our freshmen are bright spots. It’s just a matter of getting them all on the same page at the same time.”

The Bulldogs will host Ball State this Friday at 7 p.m. in Hinkle Fieldhouse.

Led by the sharpshooting of senior guard Terra Burns, the Butler women’s basketball team picked up a narrow 69-68 win over Harvard Sunday.

The win marked the Bulldogs’ first of the season and secured the team third place in the Iowa Tournament following an opening-round loss to tournament champion University of Nevada-Las Vegas.

Burns posted a team-high 17 points and led all players with nine rebounds.

“We definitely had a point to prove,” Burns said. “The night before, we definitely weren’t the team that I knew we could be.”

Butler (1-1) got out of the gate quickly, shooting 52 percent in the first half. Following a lay up by junior guard Elizabeth Jennings near the 12-minute mark, the Bulldogs never trailed.

Freshman forward Haley Howard paced Butler in the first half with 13 points on a perfect 4-for-4 shooting from the field. The Whiteland native finished with 15 points and eight boards.

The Bulldogs carried a 42-36 lead into halftime and continued their strong play into the second half.

A jumper by freshman guard Hannah Douglas opened up a 67-56 lead—Butler’s largest of the game—with about four minutes remaining.

Harvard (0-2) responded with a 12-2 run that saw the Crimson cut their deficit to one.

The Crimson had possession with 12 seconds remaining, trailing by one, but Butler sophomore guard Jenna Cobb stole the ball from junior forward Emma Golen, sealing the win for the Bulldogs and squandering Harvard’s comeback bid.

“It showed our toughness,” coach Beth Couture said. “I felt good about the composure on the floor. They stayed together as a team.”

One day earlier, Butler was unable to overcome a slow start and suffered a 62-39 loss to UNLV.

The Bulldogs struggled offensively in the first half, shooting 6-of-29 from the field en route to a 17-point halftime deficit.

Sophomore guard Mandy McDivitt led the Bulldogs with 11 points.

In the weekend’s games, six of the eight Bulldogs who received significant minutes were underclassmen.

“I think those young kids are very talented,” Couture said. “If they continue to improve every day, I think we could have a lot of fun come league time.”

Butler will be back in action Sunday when it visits Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne (0-3).

On Saturday, the Bulldogs will travel to the Lutheran Children’s Hospital in Fort Wayne, where they will meet and interact with patients.

“We try to do as much as we can helping kids,” Burns said.

The Butler football team sent its seniors out in style with a 17-7 conference win over Davidson Saturday. The game marked the final home game for Butler’s 23 seniors.

Each of those seniors saw action in the win, except quarterback Andrew Huck, who is nursing a shoulder injury suffered in Butler’s Homecoming loss to Marist.

Filling in for Butler’s second all-time leading passer makes for no easy feat, but coach Jeff Voris called redshirt freshman Wade Markley’s performance as quarterback “great.”

Photo by Taylor Cox

In his first collegiate start, Markley completed 15 of his 22 pass attempts, throwing for 168 yards and two touchdowns, including a third-quarter strike to sophomore tight end Matt Jenson. The 24-yard score put the Bulldogs (5-4, 3-3) on top 17-0.

“The thing with Wade  that allows everyone to relax and feel confident is the intangible things he brings to the game,” Voris said. “He spends as much time as anyone studying. He is the first guy here and the last guy to leave.”

Markley also connected with senior wide receiver Zach Watkins five times for 90 yards. Markley and the Bulldog offense finished with no turnovers on the day.

The Wildcats (2-7, 0-6) didn’t fare as well in regard to turnovers.

Led by sophomore quarterback Jonathan Carkhuff’s 304 passing yards, Davidson outgained Butler by more than 100 yards offensively. However, the Bulldogs’ defense forced four turnovers, including three interceptions.

Senior defensive linemen Grant Hunter, Jeff Poss and Ross Teare accounted for four of the Bulldogs’ five sacks.

Butler senior kicker David Lang added a 23-yard field goal in the effort and converted both extra points following Markley’s two touchdown passes.

Kicking for the final time at the Butler Bowl, Lang said what he will miss most are the relationships he has established with his teammates.

“I don’t think you can find this anywhere else,” Lang said. “These kinds of relationships are hard to make. I’ll definitely be friends with these guys for the rest of my life, and hopefully we can go places together.”

Butler will look to continue its winning ways when it visits second-place Jacksonville (6-3, 5-1) Saturday. The Bulldogs are 0-6 all-time against the Dolphins.
Jacksonville is coming off a 31-24 last-minute loss to league-leading Drake.

Senior middle blocker Maureen Bamiro ended her career at Hinkle Fieldhouse the same way she began it—with a bang.

Every set in Butler’s 3-0 win over Illinois-Chicago Saturday began and ended with a point from Bamiro, the lone senior Bulldog, including the match-clinching kill. Bamiro has started every match since her sophomore season and 118 of 121 overall.

The match was Butler’s (12-13, 8-5) second consecutive win and last home match of the season. The Bulldogs defeated the Flames (14-11, 7-6) 25-21, 25-10 and 25-23.

Bamiro, who is fourth in Butler history with a .269 career hitting percentage and ninth in blocks per set and all-time block assists, was honored during a break between the second and third sets in front of a crowd of 280.

“It’s a bittersweet feeling, but I’m content being done,” Bamiro said. “In my four years here, I’ve accomplished so much. That fulfillment is enough for me.”

Last season, the Bulldogs were crowned Horizon League champions with a conference record of 14-3 and advanced to the NCAA tournament for the second time in school history.

This year, a late-season surge has catapulted Butler to a third-place tie with Valparaiso in the Horizon League standings. The Bulldogs won seven of their last eight games, including a 3-1 win over the Crusaders Friday.

Following Saturday’s win against UIC, Butler coach Sharon Clark recognized the impact that Bamiro has had on the program over the past four years.

“She has been a dominant middle her entire career,” Clark said. “The biggest thing that she does is she shows people how to work hard. She has a great work ethic in the gym and has really shown the younger players how much hard work will pay off for them.”

Now the Bulldogs are focused on closing out the regular season and excelling in the Horizon League tournament, which begins Nov. 18.

“The biggest thing for us is consistency—going after teams and being the aggressor,” Clark said. “We’ve got to continue to do that, and things will keep going our way.”

Butler will face off against Wisconsin-Green Bay tomorrow and Loyola Saturday.

The Bulldogs defeated the Phoenix (10-14, 6-6) and Ramblers (4-18, 1-11) once each time this season.

After enduring one injury after another, it seemed that Butler women’s soccer player Natalie Galovska would never catch a break.

“When my doctor said I should probably call it quits, I remember thinking, ‘No, not again,’” Galovska, now a senior, said.

After battling injuries through her teens, Galovska’s aspirations were realized when she was offered a scholarship to play Division I soccer at Butler.
But then the aches and pains returned.

During her junior season, Galovska, then a midfielder, suffered a pulled quadricep and was approached by coach Tari St. John about the possibility of taking a medical redshirt.

Photo by Maria Porter

Hopeful to return, Galovska declined.

However, her knee buckled during a pregame warmup, ending her season and jeopardizing her soccer career.

When she approached St. John about switching from midfield to goal, Galovska’s idea was well received.

“I just wasn’t ready to end it,” Galovska said. “I thought maybe there was one last chance. Maybe I could help out somehow if I were in goal.”

Galovska played goalie as a kid, and the Bulldogs were in need of depth at the goalkeeper position.

After working with goalkeeper coach Elise Edwards during the spring and honing her skills in the summer, Galovska emerged as the Bulldogs’ top option.

“There are special traits that make a good goalkeeper—risk taking and courageousness,” St. John said, “and Natalie has those. She’ll take a foot to the face if that means she’s going to save a goal for us.”

Galovska began the season as the Bulldogs’ No. 1 goalkeeper, starting nine games and amassing a 4-5 record.

Her first career victory was also her first shutout, a 1-0 win over Indiana State.

As Butler’s lone senior, Galovska’s career will be celebrated Friday in the Bulldogs’ final home match of the regular season.

“She is always there to offer advice or guidance when someone is struggling,” junior midfielder Kelly Grott said. “When senior night comes around, it’s going to set in that she won’t be around next year.”

While sophomore Julie Burton will move into the goalkeeper role for the Bulldogs after Galovska graduates, St. John said Galovska’s presence will be missed.

“She’s had a profound impact on this program with the inspiration she’s provided,” St. John said.

Butler women’s soccer coach Tari St. John doesn’t shy away from challenges.

As a collegiate player, St. John helped establish what is now a nationally-renowned program at Purdue. As a head coach, she has put Butler on the map as a force to be reckoned with in the Horizon League.

After leading Pius XI High School to back-to-back state titles in soccer, St. John was a founding member of the Purdue women’s soccer team in the fall of 1998.

While playing under coach Rob Klatte at Purdue, St. John helped transform the Boilermakers from a Big Ten bottom-dweller to an NCAA tournament contender.

“Rob Klatte is probably the most impactful and influential coach that I’ve played under,” St. John said. “A lot of my philosophies have definitely derived from being under his tutelage. He was a great mentor and still is.”

Klatte spoke highly of St. John’s ability to recover from an ACL injury as a junior to become a co-captain as a senior and help lead Purdue on an NCAA tournament run.

“[St. John] was one of very few players that you could rest assured she was going to show up, battle and play with intensity every game,” Klatte said. “It says a massive amount about the wherewithal, determination and dedication that she possessed and still does possess.”

St. John used those qualities when she began her coaching career at Butler in 2004.

Photo courtesy of Butler Sports Information

After serving as an assistant coach for the Bulldogs throughout the team’s 2004 and 2005 campaigns, St. John returned to West Lafayette to assist Klatte at Purdue.

Her tenure there didn’t last long and just a few months later, St. John received the head coaching position at Butler.

She immediately began to change the face of the women’s soccer program.

“The big reason I came to Butler had a lot to do with Tari,” senior goalkeeper Natalie Galovska said. “I saw that she had that determination and conviction to change the program, and I wanted to be a part of it.”

St. John wasted no time establishing the Bulldogs as contenders in the Horizon League.

The first Butler team she coached finished with a record of 5-11-3, including 2-5-2 in conference play.

Last year St. John led Butler to a 6-2 conference record and a No. 1 seed in the Horizon League Tournament.

At the end of the season, she was named the 2010 Horizon League Coach of the Year.

“Looking at what she has done during my four years is night and day,” Galovska said. “What’s crazy to me is how much better it’s going to get.”

The only thing more ideal than Tuesday’s weather was Butler’s golf game.

Senior Michelle Nash captured medalist honors while leading the Butler women to a team championship in the Butler Fall Golf Invitational. The win marked the squad’s third tournament victory in as many tries.

The Bulldogs entered the final day of competition with a 13-stroke lead over Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. The Jaguars played catch-up, shooting a tournament-best 287 in the final round of play.

Photo by Rachel Anderson

IUPUI, led by junior Jordan Essman, finished second, four strokes behind host Butler.

Essman closed out the tournament tied with Nash as both players shot identical first and second rounds, finishing with overall scores of 142. Nash, one of five Bulldogs to finish in the top 20, captured medalist honors in a playoff against Essman.

Junior Julia Porter and freshman Isabella Lambert finished tied for fifth and seventh, respectively. Freshman Jenna Peters finished tied for 12th, and senior Clare Cornelius tied for 17th.

On the men’s side, junior Andrew Wegeng also captured medalist honors and paced Butler’s men’s squad en route to a second place team finish behind IUPUI.

During Monday’s second round, Wegeng shot a school-record 65. He shot an even-par 70 in the final round to finish one stroke ahead of Eastern Illinois senior David Lawrence.

“Andrew [Wegeng] has been knocking on the door for a few years,” Butler head coach Bill Mattingly said. “He has worked hard, especially on his short game, to get to where he is.”

The Bulldogs entered Tuesday’s final round with an 11-stroke lead over eventual winner IUPUI.  Three Jaguars shot under par to lead IUPUI to a tournament-best 273 in the final round. The Jaguars finished four strokes ahead of host Butler.

Four Bulldogs finished in the top 20, including junior Matt Vitale, who finished with an overall score of 216, one stroke ahead of senior teammate Jordan Mack. Senior Alex Walker finished with a final score of 218.

Photo by Rachel Anderson

The men will get a week off before resuming play Oct. 17 at the Dayton Fall Invitational in Dayton, Ohio.

“There is always room for improvement in golf,” Wegeng said. “We beat a lot of good teams in this tournament and gained some confidence. I think we will progress really well.”
The Butler women will be in action this weekend as part of the MAC Preview in Indianapolis.

Zach Watkins has made a habit of catching passes over the past four years. This season, the senior receiver is making a habit of breaking records.

After becoming the all-time receptions leader Sept. 17, Watkins  added another notch to his belt, surpassing Dan Bohrer as the Bulldogs’ leader in receiving yards with 2,308.

And Watkins made the record-breaking play in appropriate fashion.

Fully extended in the corner of the end zone, Watkins made a leaping touchdown grab that gave Butler a 7-6 lead over Drake.

Photo by Maria Porter

“He’s made some catches that you wonder how in the heck he made,” coach Jeff Voris said. “The one that broke the record, he’s probably laying on his back. That was just the perfect way for him to get it.”

Following the game, Watkins deflected his achievement back to his teammates.

“I see it more as a team goal than an individual goal,” Watkins said. “At the end of the day, I catch the ball, but it wouldn’t happen without 10 other guys.”

Voris, on the other hand, commented on the impressiveness of Watkins, a four-year letter winner, and his recently acquired records.

“To have those types of records, you need to be able to find the field early,” Voris said.

Watkins did just that, turning heads as an underclassman with his dazzling catches and big-play ability.

Butler receivers coach Kenan Smith knows what it takes to be a successful wideout. Smith was an all-conference receiver at Sacramento State and finished his collegiate career on the school’s  top 10 list for receptions.

“Zach has some of the strongest hands I’ve ever seen,” Smith said. “He makes catches that sometimes I’m even amazed he makes.”

Even so, Smith says that Watkins’ success is as much a product of off-the-field efforts as natural talent.

“I would come in to the office in the summer, and Zach would be sitting in the dark watching film,” Smith said. “He is always trying to get better.”

Assistant coach Nick Anderson oversaw the Bulldogs’ receiving corps from 2007 to 2010 before focusing specifically on cornerbacks this season. During that time, Anderson watched Watkins mature as both a player and a person.

“It has been really fun watching him grow from being a young guy who couldn’t remember one play to a guy who can line up at any position and know what he’s doing,” Anderson said. “The best part for me has been watching him grow as a person and young man.”

Four games into his final season as a Bulldog, Watkins has yet to reflect on his Butler career. Instead, the wideout is focusing on the short term, establishing one clear objective: win the Pioneer Football League conference title.

“Seeing the seniors hold up that trophy [in 2009] meant a lot to me,” Watkins said. “It’s something that I definitely want to do.”

Senior quarterback Andrew Huck was Butler’s offensive MVP in 2009 when the Bulldogs won a school record 11 games, were PFL co-champions and picked up the first postseason victory in school history.

That season, Watkins led the Bulldogs in receiving and scoring while garnering first-team All-PFL honors. His 78 receptions were a league best.

“[Watkins] and I have built quite a rapport over the past four years,” Huck said. “A lot of our success has to do with communicating and making adjustments in the game. It’s definitely a relationship where we both have a lot of trust.”

Bulldog fans and players alike are hoping the chemistry and trust Watkins and Huck have developed will equate to Butler victories.

When asked if the 2-2 Bulldogs still have a shot to win the conference title, Watkins was confident.

“Oh yeah,” Watkins said. “Definitely.”

Photo by MCT

The thunderous applause that met Bob Knight’s ears last week may still be echoing off the walls inside Clowes Memorial Hall.

A crowd of more than 1,600 turned out to hear the winningest coach in Divison I men’s basketball history recount his life and coaching career. Knight, who led Indiana to three national titles, was greeted by a standing ovation before even beginning his speech.

Amid immense success, Knight’s career was often clouded by controversy. Several altercations, including a former player’s claim that Knight choked him during a 1997 practice, led to Knight’s demise as head coach of the Hoosiers. In 2000, Knight resigned after 29 seasons at Indiana.

Despite the controversial final act in Bloomington, Knight has remained an icon in the eyes of many Hoosier basketball fans, including longtime season ticket holder John Morawski.

“Still, people love him for what he did for basketball, IU and the state,” Morawski said.

Just as Knight’s candid responses and free-spirited court presence entertained audiences during his coaching days, Knight didn’t disappoint the Clowes Hall crowd.

“I didn’t know what to expect,” Morawski said. “You never know what to expect with coach Knight. But he exceeded all expectations tonight. He was humorous, philosophical and gave me chills reliving some of the great moments in IU basketball history.”

In a speech that lasted more than an hour, Knight recounted career highlights, such as coaching Michael Jordan on the 1984 U.S. Olympic team and Hoosier guard Keith Smart’s game-winning shot in the 1987 NCAA National Championship game.

Knight took more time, however, stressing the value he placed on academic success in his programs.

“The most pleasing thing for me was the graduation rate we had,” Knight said. “My obligation was not to see that he made the All-America team. It was to see that he got a degree.”

Upon leaving Indiana, Knight served as head coach at Texas Tech from 2001-08, leading the Red Raiders to six postseason appearances. Since retiring from coaching, Knight has worked as a studio analyst and part-time color commentator for ESPN.

After years of being at the mercy of referees, Knight has the power in the form of a microphone.

Now, when Knight doesn’t agree with a referee’s call, his objection isn’t just heard by those within earshot. Knight can display his displeasure to hundreds of thousands of viewers.

“When the officials come out on the court, I hold the microphone out so they can see it,” Knight said through a grin.

Butler improved in each round of the 15-team UK Bluegrass Fall Invitational and finished 12^th. Host Kentucky won the tournament by four strokes over Dayton.

During Sunday’s final round, junior Andrew Wegeng led the Bulldogs with a 71 and finished ninth overall by shooting a 218. Wegeng was one of four Bulldogs to record a score of 73 or better in the final round. Senior Jordan Mack and junior Matt Vitale both recorded scores of 72, while freshman Andrew Eller shot a 73.

As a team, the Bulldogs final-round score of 288 tied them with runner-up Dayton for fourth place. Butler’s final round was 23 strokes better than its opening round (311) and 17 strokes better than its second round (305).

Junior Colin Reenan also competed for the Bulldogs, shooting a 238 in the two-day tournament.

Butler will have two weeks off before hosting the Butler Fall Invitational Oct 3-4.