Michelle Weaver controls the ball during a Butler possession. Weaver tallied 11 points in Butler’s loss against Marquette on Jan. 12. Collegian file photo.
CHRIS BROWN | STAFF REPORTER | cbbrown@butler.edu
The Butler University women’s basketball team fell to 3-3 in Big East play with a 69-67 buzzer-beater road loss to Marquette University on Jan. 12. The team is now 11-7 overall on the season.
The Bulldogs got off to a solid start against the conference-leading Golden Eagles, maintaining a slim lead through much of the first ten minutes before a Marquette went on a 7-0 scoring run to end the first quarter. The Golden Eagles widened their lead in the second quarter, with Butler trailing by as many as 15 points before closing the gap to ten points at halftime.
Butler would respond in the third quarter, outscoring Marquette 17-13 to bring the deficit to six points. 16 second half points from sophomore guard Kristen Spolyar helped the Bulldogs take the lead early in the fourth quarter, a lead they held for most of the final ten minutes of play.
BU has doubled up Marquette 15-7 in the 4Q and now leads 64-62 with 4:45 to play
— Butler W Basketball (@ButlerUWBB) January 13, 2018
With a tie game and just seconds remaining, a missed shot from the Golden Eagles seemed it would send the game into overtime. But junior center Tori Schickel was called for traveling with 0.8 seconds remaining, allowing Marquette one more opportunity. The Golden Eagles were able to inbound the ball under the basket and convert the last second shot for the victory.
Spolyar led Butler with a season-high 22 points, including 16 in the second half, and also tallied six rebounds. Schickel finished with 12 points, 13 rebounds, and six assists, while junior guard Michelle Weaver finished with 11 points, one rebound, and three assists.
Kristen Spolyar had a team-high 22 points before fouling out. She hit three 3-pointers in the 4Q pic.twitter.com/QQ47FdrFGw
— Butler W Basketball (@ButlerUWBB) January 13, 2018
Redshirt junior guard Whitney Jennings and graduate student guard Iman Lathan each collected eight points.
For the game, the Bulldogs outshot the Golden Eagles from the field 45 to roughly 43 percent. Butler also out-rebounded Marquette 35 to 32.
After two consecutive losses, the Bulldogs will look to get back in the win column at DePaul University on Jan. 14.
