Butler women’s basketball picks up third straight conference win

Kristen Spolyar passes the ball. Spolyar tied her season-high with 20 points against Seton Hall on Jan. 7. Collegian file photo.

CHRIS BROWN | STAFF REPORTER | cbbrown@butler.edu

The Butler University women’s basketball team improved to 3-1 in conference play and 11-5 overall for the season with a 66-48 home victory over Seton Hall University on Jan. 7. With the win, the Bulldogs surpassed their number of Big East victories from all of last season.

The first half was a close battle between the two teams, with Butler leading by two points at the end of the first quarter and Seton Hall leading by four at halftime. The Bulldogs’ leading scorers, redshirt junior guard Whitney Jennings and junior center Tori Schickel, struggled to find the basket in the first half, combining to score just five points in the first 20 minutes.

Jennings and Schickel were able to get things going in the second half of play, and contributed to a dominant third quarter in which the Bulldogs outscored the Pirates 22-8. Butler made over two-thirds of its shots in the quarter. The Bulldogs were able to easily hold onto their lead in the final quarter, outscoring the Pirates 18-10.

Jennings puts the Dawgs up 10 with one quarter left to play. #LetsGoDawgs pic.twitter.com/QbQ7CeJVOq

— Butler W Basketball (@ButlerUWBB) January 7, 2018

After missing the team’s last game due to illness, sophomore guard Kristen Spolyar led Butler with a game-high 20 points, tying her season high. Spolyar also contributed seven rebounds.

Despite slow starts to the game, Schickel and Jennings both finished with double digit point totals. Schickel tallied 12 points, nine rebounds, and three assists, while Jennings contributed 11 points and four rebounds. Sophomore forward Shae Brey also added nine points, four rebounds, and four assists.

Butler outshot Seton Hall 48 percent to 26 percent from the field and 33 to 27 percent from beyond the arc for the game. Butler also out-rebounded Seton Hall 41-25.