Leading on the glass, redshirt sophomore guard Saniya Jackson pulled down five rebounds. Photo by Drew Kosmak.
DOROTHY LAKSHMANAMURTHY | SPORTS CO-EDITOR | dlakshmanamurthy@butler.
The women’s basketball team came up just short on the road Sunday afternoon, falling 63-59 to Xavier. The loss drops the Bulldogs to 9-13 overall and 3-9 in Big East play, while the Musketeers improve to 11-11 on the season and 4-9 in conference action.
The game opened with both teams struggling to find an offensive rhythm. Butler was held to just one field goal in the first quarter, while Xavier slowly built separation behind a late surge. The Musketeers closed the period on a 9-2 run to take a 14-5 lead at the end of the opening 10 minutes.
Butler found more consistency in the second quarter, generating offense from multiple spots on the floor. The Bulldogs scored nine points in the first five minutes of the frame, but Xavier continued to answer each Butler basket. Despite improved shooting from the Dawgs, the Musketeers maintained control and carried a 30-19 advantage into halftime.
Out of the break, both teams traded baskets to begin the third quarter. Butler was unable to make an early dent in the deficit, but defensive stops late in the period allowed the Bulldogs to gain some momentum.
The Bulldogs continued to battle in the fourth, cutting the deficit to six with under two minutes remaining and pulling within five in the final minute. However, Xavier was able to close out the game at the free-throw line and hold onto the victory.
Junior forward Caroline Dotsey led Butler with 14 points on an efficient 6-for-10 shooting performance. Sophomore guard McKenna Johnson added 10 points off the bench, while first-year guard Addison Baxter finished with nine points and a team-high four assists. The Bulldogs forced 23 Xavier turnovers and received 20 points from the bench overall.
On the other end, Xavier was led by sophomore guard Vivien Nejašmić and sophomore guard/forward MacKenzie Givens, who scored 19 and 18 points, respectively. Junior guard Mariyah Noel added 11 points for the Musketeers, who shot 49.1% from the floor.
The Bulldogs return to action on Feb. 4 when Villanova visits Hinkle Fieldhouse for a matchup at 7 p.m.
