Sophomore forward Cristen Carter scored five points and grabbed seven rebounds despite early foul trouble. Photo by Ben Holmes.

SAWYER GOLDWEIN | ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR | sgoldwein@butler.edu 

The Bulldogs went toe-to-toe with Indiana in front of a record-breaking women’s basketball crowd of 4,135 at Hinkle Fieldhouse. The result: a 56-46 Butler victory, earning the Dawgs their first 3-0 start since 2018.

The first half was sloppy, with each team turning the ball over nine times. Travels and offensive fouls were staples of both teams’ possessions. Still, there was plenty of high-quality play, including Butler and Indiana combining to make seven of their 13 three-pointers.

Sophomore forward Cristen Carter picked up two fouls in the first five minutes of the game, forcing her to the bench for the remainder of the first half. Carter is Butler’s most dominant post presence, so losing her could have spelled trouble for the Dawgs against a tall Hoosiers roster. 

The Bulldogs stayed strong though, heading into halftime with only a two-point deficit to overcome.

The second half was just as tightly contested, albeit with both teams cooling off from long range. The Bulldogs appeared to be the better team early in the third quarter, with successful offensive sets leading to open shots, but they struggled to make the most of those opportunities. While many teams, particularly those as young as Butler, would grow frustrated by the lack of results, it seemed to ignite something in the Dawgs.

The Bulldogs, who were already playing hard, managed to kick into a whole new gear. Despite the Hoosiers having more talent and a significant height advantage, particularly at the guard position, the Dawgs dominated the boards. Playing hard from start to finish has been a staple of head coach Austin Parkinson’s teams, and it proved its worth against Indiana.

“Those hustle plays sometimes make the difference in the game,” Parkinson said. “We needed every one of them tonight.”

Not only did Butler put out an impressive performance, they did it with young players making key contributions. First-year guard Lily Carmody scored nine points and recorded the highest plus-minus of any player. Carmody and fellow first-year guard Lily Zeinstra played strong defense all night, as part of a Butler effort that held the Hoosiers to their lowest point total since 2017. 

Parkinson was pleased with Zeinstra in her first game against a power conference opponent.

“[Zeinstra] played 13 minutes in a high-caliber game and she was outstanding,” Parkinson said. “[She] knew her assignments [and] played really good defense.”

The Bulldogs still have veteran presences, as graduate guard Caroline Strande led the team in scoring with 14 points, while senior forward Sydney Jaynes was the other Dawg in double figures, with 11.

The post defense of Jaynes and Carter was also key to Butler’s success, according to Parkinson.

“We [barely double-teamed] the post at all,” Parkinson said. “We let them play one-on-one and Jaynes and Carter did a phenomenal job [in] the post, which allowed us to stay [out and] defend on the perimeter.”

Featuring continuity, talent and youth, Parkinson’s team checks all the boxes of a contender in the making. While the future looks very promising, the Bulldogs also look ready to compete right now, grabbing an early-season signature win over the Hoosiers.

“I’m really proud of our team,” Parkinson said. “IU has been the gold standard in our state for the last couple [of] years and [they are] very well coached. I said if we could get to the fourth quarter and give ourselves a chance, I liked our chances. Our kids played really well defensively and [that was] probably the difference in the game.”

For Butler, the win against an in-state rival — which is also one of the most esteemed college basketball programs in the country — represents a major turning point in the direction of the program.

As expectations grow for the Bulldogs, they will look to carry their momentum throughout the remainder of their non-conference schedule. The Dawgs will face another test immediately, with a road matchup against Vanderbilt looming.