Butler is 7-2 heading into the final four games of their non-conference schedule. Photo Courtesy of Butler Athletics.
SAWYER GOLDWEIN | ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR | sgoldwein@butler.edu
The Bulldogs won two out of three games at the Gulf Coast Showcase in Estero, Florida, earning them third place in the tournament.
Butler’s opening game was a clash with Santa Clara on Nov. 29. The Dawgs cruised to a 79-50 victory against the Broncos, leaning on a healthy volume of scoring off the bench. Senior forward Sydney Jaynes scored a game-high 16 points off the bench, while three other Bulldog reserves scored nine or more points. Sophomore guard Riley Makalusky was the only Butler starter in double-figures, with 13 points.
The Bulldogs played tenacious defense, forcing 24 Broncos turnovers, which they capitalized on with 29 points off those giveaways. Just as importantly, Butler limited itself to just nine turnovers. Taking good care of the basketball allowed the Dawgs to put up 13 more shots than Santa Clara despite being outrebounded.
After handling business in the first round, Butler faced their toughest matchup of the season so far: No. 5 Texas. The undefeated Longhorns were simply too much for the Bulldogs, handing Butler a 94-59 loss.
Texas ran an 11-player rotation, staying fresh and throwing a wide range of lineups at the Dawgs, making its offense difficult to stop. First-year forward Justice Carlton was the star, pouring in a game-high 30 points and grabbing five rebounds in just 24 minutes of play off the bench. Graduate guard Caroline Strande was Butler’s leading scorer with 14 points.
Contrary to their first-round matchup, the Dawgs did not look comfortable offensively and struggled mightily, amassing 29 turnovers. Texas also grabbed 19 more rebounds than Butler did, allowing it to take a whopping 25 more shots than Butler.
The Longhorns dominated in every category, highlighting the talent gap Butler faces when matched up with one of the best teams in the country. The loss punched the Dawgs’ ticket to the third-place game of the Gulf Coast Showcase where they took on the Boise State Broncos.
The 7-2 Broncos presented the most evenly-matched of the three games for Butler. Boise State jumped out to a six-point lead by the end of the first quarter, and held their lead heading into halftime. The Bulldogs fought back though, securing a 70-64 win.
Strande led Butler in scoring for the second straight game with 23 points, but graduate forward Kilyn McGuff wasn’t far behind, scoring 22 points and pulling down 10 rebounds for the Dawgs.
Despite being the high-scorers, Strande and McGuff were not the Dawgs only key contributors. Jaynes stuffed the stat sheet with 10 points, five rebounds, and five assists, while sophomore guard Karsyn Norman snagged four rebounds and dished out a game-high six assists.
For the Bulldogs, 2-1 with a third place finish at the Gulf Coast Showcase is a successful performance, placing them just behind Texas and West Virginia, which are both ranked inside the top 15 in the most recent AP Poll.
The Bulldogs will look to learn from their experience against high-level competition but still carry some momentum into the home stretch of their non-conference schedule.
The Dawgs’ next game is a home tilt against UT Martin on Dec. 5.
