The Bulldogs stacked up 23 turnovers against the Chippewas. Photo by Alyson Swearingen.
DOROTHY LAKSHMANAMURTHY | ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR | dlakshmanamurthy@butler.edu
After a fast start, the women’s basketball team fell 68-59 to Central Michigan on Nov. 12 at Hinkle Fieldhouse.
The Bulldogs opened the game with strong energy on both ends of the floor, taking a 21-15 lead after the first quarter. Sophomore guard Lily Zeinstra paced the offense early with five quick points, while first-year guard Addison Baxter added six points inside to help Butler control the tempo.
Momentum shifted in the second quarter as Central Michigan began to attack the paint and capitalize on Butler turnovers. The Chippewas outscored the Bulldogs 19-10 in the frame, taking a 34-31 lead into halftime.
Butler clawed back midway through the fourth after back-to-back threes from Zeinstra and redshirt sophomore guard Saniya Jackson, followed by a Jackson fast-break layup to make it 55-54. Central Michigan responded with a 14-4 run to close out the game, highlighted by sophomore guard Madi Morson’s scoring and key inside baskets from the Chippewas’ frontcourt.
Zeinstra led Butler with 16 points on 5-of-8 shooting, while Jackson added 12 points and four rebounds. Baxter contributed 14 points off the bench, going 6-for-9 from the free-throw line.
Head coach Austin Parkinson pointed to rebounding and turnovers as key factors in the loss.
“Every team that we’ve played has really outworked us on the rebounding portion, on the offensive glass,” Parkinson said. “It’s something we are emphasizing in practice, and we just have to find a way to carry it over to the games.”
He also noted that turnovers limited Butler’s offensive rhythm.
“We had 23 turnovers tonight, and you just can’t keep giving,” Parkinson said. “Your opponent takes 14 more shots than you. It’s hard to win games, it’s a new group and we’ve got a lot to learn.”
Defensively, the Bulldogs struggled to contain Central Michigan’s physical play in the paint and on the boards. With Morson leading the way, the Chippewas scored 40 points inside and collected 19 second-chance points off 34 total rebounds, taking advantage of their size and positioning near the rim.
“[Morson] is a really good player, and we knew that coming into it,” Parkinson said. “The big thing was we just had a heck of a time. Our post players just kept backing us down. That’s kind of been a theme.”
Now with a 1-2 record, Butler will look to bounce back from this loss when it faces Northern Kentucky on Nov. 16.
