First-year guard Lily Carmody grabbed four steals for the third time this season against Indiana State. Photo courtesy of Butler Athletics.
SAWYER GOLDWEIN | ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR | sgoldwein@butler.edu
The women’s basketball team notched a bounce-back victory against Indiana State on Nov. 20. After an ugly defeat on the road against Vanderbilt, the Bulldogs got back on course with an 80-55 win over the Sycamores.
Butler appeared in control the whole game, though its nine-point halftime lead allowed Indiana State to be within striking distance. The third quarter was the difference-maker, with the Dawgs outscoring the Sycamores 26-9.
Ball movement was key for the Bulldogs throughout the game as they set a new season-high with 24 assists.
“Last game we didn’t really move the ball,” head coach Austin Parkinson said. “[Last game] we didn’t make the extra pass. Tonight we did a good job of that.”
Butler’s perimeter ball handlers had no problem blowing past Indiana State defenders, allowing for a high volume of drive-and-kicks and aggressive finishes at the rim. Sophomore guard Karsyn Norman and graduate guard Caroline Strande led the team with six assists, tying Norman’s career-high.
“[Norman] has been great all year with her assist-to-turnover ratio,” Parkinson said. “She takes care of the ball. If [our point guards] take care of [the ball] and run things like they’re supposed to, good things happen.”
In the scoring department, Butler used significant advantages in paint points and bench points to create a lead. The Dawgs featured a balanced attack, with five players pouring in double-figure points.
Senior guard Kilyn McGuff, sophomore guard Riley Makalusky and first-year guard Lily Carmody each put together stellar all-around games, with double-digit point totals and at least four rebounds or assists each.
Parkinson was particularly impressed with senior forward Sydney Jaynes’ performance. The long-time Bulldog put up 13 points and grabbed six rebounds against the Sycamores.
“The big thing is [that] in 20 minutes she had six rebounds,” Parkinson said. “She provided a presence inside and really encouraged me with how she played.”
Butler will look to Jaynes to continue providing solid depth down low throughout a non-conference schedule that includes the Gulf Coast Showcase and a home tilt against Wisconsin.
The Dawgs are now 4-1 as they head into a matchup with UMass Lowell on Nov. 20.
