First-year guard Addison Baxter notched a steal against Eastern Illinois. Photo by Drew Kosmak.

NHU-HAN BUI | ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR | hbui@butler.edu 

In its final non-conference game of the season, the women’s basketball team took down Eastern Illinois 74-52. 

Redshirt sophomore center Abbie Boutilier controlled the first quarter. Boutilier dominated the post as the tallest player on the court at 6 feet, 10 inches, and played a large role in forcing seven Bulldog turnovers. Eastern Illinois also had five steals during the first as the Panthers kept the score close at 13-12.

After Boutilier and junior guard Ava Stoller gave Eastern Illinois the lead early in the second, Butler’s offense answered with points from sophomore guards McKenna Johnson and Lily Zeinstra, and junior guard Neveah Jackson.

The Bulldogs finally pulled away from the Panthers with a seven-point run from Neveah and redshirt sophomore guard Saniya Jackson. After a largely one-possession game, Butler took an eight-point lead into halftime. 

As the gap continued to grow, Eastern Illinois ran into foul trouble during the third. Boutilier was forced to sit after committing four in the game, giving the Bulldogs the opportunity they needed to widen their lead. 

Butler’s defense only allowed the Panthers to shoot 23.5% in the field, along with 14.3% from beyond the arc. Meanwhile, the Dawgs went 10-11 on free throws as they continued to lead the Panthers 52-36.

Redshirt junior forward Ella Lune became the first player on either side to reach double-digit points in the fourth, with Boutilier quickly following suit. The Panthers slowly started to build momentum and shrunk the deficit to 22, but it was not enough to answer for the Bulldogs’ offense, which kicked into full gear during the second half.

Despite Boutilier’s presence at the net, the Bulldogs out-rebounded the Panthers 43-29, which was key to their win. The Bulldogs’ defense held the Panthers to 33.9% shooting from the field, while Eastern Illinois only made three of its 19 three-point attempts.

Lune led all players with 16 points, and the forward also led Eastern Illinois with six rebounds. First-year guard Anna Wypych led the Dawgs with 12 points, tying her career high. Junior forward Caroline Dotsey controlled the glass with nine rebounds.

With the win, Butler moves up to 6-6 on the season. The team remains at home as it takes on division rivals Xavier on Dec. 19 at 7 p.m.