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Free Throws Ice 70-60 Win for Butler at IPFW
Jan. 25, 2006
Butler held off a second-half rally by IPFW, hitting free throws down the stretch to take a 70-60 win over the host Mastodons Wednesday evening at the Gates Sports Center in Fort Wayne, Ind. Junior Ellen Hamilton led the Bulldogs with 19 points, as Butler improves to 9-9 on the season. The Mastodons fall to 2-16 in the non-conference affair. "I thought we did a nice job of executing down the stretch and hitting our free throws to earn this win," said Butler coach Beth Couture. "To get a win this time of year is always nice and we'll try to take some momentum from this game into Saturday against Wright State." The Bulldogs hit 16-of-21 free throws in the second half - and 26-of-36 overall - to take the win. After enjoying a double-digit lead for much of the game, IPFW put together a 12-2 run to pull within three at 53-50 with 4:07 remaining. Butler responded by scoring its final 10 points from the charity stripe in the win. Hamilton went 5-of-8 from the field, including 3-of-5 from behind the arc. She added six free throws for her game-high 19 points. Junior Jackie Closser added 17 points, mainly due to a 9-of-12 performance from the charity stripe. Lade Akande and Cassie Freeman each had 11 points. The best statline of the evening belonged to senior Stephanie Boeke, who had eight points, 11 rebounds and a career-high eight assists against no turnovers. Butler's 29-percent shooting from the field in the second half dropped their mark to 38 percent for the game, but the team compensated with a 42-33 rebounding advantage. Butler also assisted on 16 of its 19 field goals. The Bulldogs limited IPFW to 38-percent shooting and only 2-of-12 from three-point range.
After IPFW countered an early Butler run to tie the game at 13, the visitors unleashed a 12-2 spurt that gave the Bulldogs a 25-15 advantage after Hamilton's second three-pointer at the 5:37 mark. Butler held the margin for the remainder of the first half and went into the locker room with a 36-25 lead. Butler's five starters combined for all 36 first-half points, led by 11 from Akande and 10 by Hamilton. Butler shot 50 percent in the opening frame, but was hampered by 10 turnovers. Johnna Lewis-Carlisle led the Mastodons with 17 points. The Bulldogs, 4-3 in Horizon League play, return to conference action Saturday (Jan. 28), hosting Wright State at noon at Hinkle Fieldhouse. The game is the opener of a Butler-Wright State basketball doubleheader with the men's game to follow. Live video of both contests is available free at both www.butlersports.com and www.horizonleague.com. |
