Guards Ari Wiggins, Kilyn McGuff and Caroline Strande, as well as forward Sydney Jaynes, were honored on Senior Day. Photo by Andrew Buckley.

SAWYER GOLDWEIN | SPORTS CO-EDITOR | sgoldwein@butler.edu 

For the first time in program history, a sellout crowd packed into Hinkle Fieldhouse for the women’s basketball team’s highly anticipated matchup against the No. 5 UConn Huskies.

UConn head coach Geno Auriemma appreciates the positive atmosphere that follows his team.

“We feel like wherever we go there is a huge response,” Auriemma said. “I think it’s fantastic that the Butler kids and the Butler coaching staff and their fans got a chance to experience this. For a women’s basketball player to play in this environment, it’s something they’ll remember for a long, long time.”

A couple of early buckets injected a burst of energy into the home crowd, but the Huskies quickly responded and never looked back, taking an 86-47 victory.

Heavy on-ball pressure, including some full-court presses, stymied Butler’s offense throughout the game and the Dawgs were never able to build momentum. 

Redshirt senior guard Paige Bueckers — the former National Player of the Year and two-time First-Team All-American — looked the part against the Bulldogs. The projected top pick in the WNBA draft recorded 23 points, 10 assists and three steals. Bueckers’ 17 points before the break matched Butler’s first-half total.

For Butler, senior guard Kilyn McGuff was one of the leading scorers as usual, putting up 13 points and adding seven rebounds and three assists. First-year guard Lily Zeinstra may have been the most impressive Bulldog, though, matching McGuff’s 13 points while shooting an efficient 71% from the field.

The Dawgs struggled with injuries throughout the game, as they have for much of the season. 

First-year guard Lily Carmody — who missed Butler’s previous two games with an ankle injury — limped off the court in the second quarter, but returned to action in the fourth. Meanwhile, senior forward Sydney Jaynes was a starter despite suffering what initially appeared to be a serious ankle injury against Xavier on Feb. 19. Jaynes played just eight minutes in the first half, then did not re-enter the game after the break.

The Bulldogs’ health will continue to be monitored as Butler heads into its final game of the regular season, a road matchup with Villanova on Feb. 26.