Senior guard Kilyn McGuff scored 21 points against Marquette. Photo by Jonathan Wang.
NHU-HAN BUI | STAFF REPORTER | hbui@butler.edu
With 12 seconds left on the clock, senior forward Sydney Jaynes scored the go-ahead layup for the women’s basketball team as they rallied to beat Marquette 67-65 and snap their six-game losing streak.
After several close losses, head coach Austin Parkinson said the win gives the team some relief and confidence as they head into the final stretch of the season.
“We lost five games this year where we had the lead with 30 seconds left and weren’t able to get it done,” Parkinson said. “So for us to have the ball late, score and then get a stop, I think the way that we won was really good.”
Butler jumped out of the gates strong, taking a quick 8-0 lead and never trailed during the first quarter. During the second quarter, however, the Bulldogs allowed Marquette to score 11 unanswered points as the Golden Eagles entered halftime with a 35-34 lead. Eleven of Marquette’s points in the first half came from free throws as Butler committed five personal fouls.
“One of the things [Marquette is] awesome at is they’re really good on the offensive glass; they only had four offensive rebounds,” Parkinson said. “If we hadn’t fouled as much, maybe that [would have helped]. We fouled a lot in the first half and gave them some free points.”
First-year guard Lily Carmody was a big presence for Butler’s defense, committing no turnovers while also adding four defensive rebounds. Offensively, she also added four points and had the third-highest minutes on the team.
“I thought our point guard play [was strong],” Parkinson said. “Lily Carmody [had] four assists and no turnovers. We were stable and steady there and I thought that was really important.”
The second half saw the lead go back and forth as both sides exchanged scores. The Bulldogs scored eight unanswered points in the third quarter to reclaim the lead but Marquette fought back to a 64-61 lead with a minute in the fourth. A late four-point surge from Butler’s offense and big stops from the defense brought the game down to the wire. Marquette had a chance to tie the game with a second left, but missed a layup and also committed a foul to give Butler a pair of free throws.
While three players were able to reach double-digit points for Butler, senior guard Kilyn McGuff led the team with 21 points in another strong showing. McGuff made five of six three-pointer attempts and contributed five rebounds as well.
“[McGuff] has been awesome,” Parkinson said. “[She went] seven for nine [on field goal attempts] and she always guards a really good player. She had over nine points a game at Belmont, and she’s coming here in the Big East and averaging almost 13 [to] 14 points a game and eight rebounds. It just shows what kind of player she is, and she’s for sure the heart and soul of our team.”
A big win over a conference rival should give the team the push it needs to close the season out strong. The Bulldogs have five games left and seek to have their first winning season since 2019.
Butler will look to extend their win streak to two games as they head to Georgetown on Feb. 12.
