What Butler women's basketball beating IU means for rebuilding Bulldogs program

What Butler women’s basketball beating IU means for rebuilding Bulldogs program

Posted by author November 14, 2024 Basketball

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Butler women’s basketball coach Austin Parkinson was not surprised after his team upset Indiana, 56-46, on Wednesday.

Excited, yes. Shocked at holding IU’s offense to 46 points, yes. But the prevailing feeling was certainty in his players’ approach, confidence and what they put on the court Wednesday.

“Our kids were excited,” Parkinson said. “But you didn’t see them storm the court and dog pile each other. They were excited. They came in the locker room excited. They were more excited about the fact we played defense, met the challenge. But this group’s got good confidence.”

No Butler team had ever beaten IU by double-digits or in Hinkle Fieldhouse entering Wednesday’s matchup. That streak shattered Wednesday, as the Bulldogs gritted out a 56-46 victory late in a back-and-forth game before a record-high 4,135 women’s basketball fans in Hinkle Fieldhouse. The win marked another step forward in Parkinson’s rebuild of the program, which went 1-27 three years ago.

The first three quarters were defined by discipline, or the lack thereof. The teams combined for 32 turnovers (16 each). There were nine traveling calls. Both teams had blatant charges. It was a game that seemingly would be decided in these little moments, where faltering in the fundamentals would prove the difference.

But Butler (3-0) hit its stride when it mattered most, making shots and staying calm in the final minutes as they forced the Hoosiers (1-2) into missed layups and simple mistakes.

Bulldogs players chest bumped, laughed and smiled in the game’s final seconds and aftermath. That excitement is what stuck with Butler guard Riley Makalusky, a Hamilton Southeastern grad, after the win.

“We are so genuinely happy for each other,” Makalusky said. “That shows on and off the court. I feel like a win like that can propel us towards a great season.”

Forward Sydney Jaynes, whose back-to-back shots in the fourth quarter paved the way for the win, also felt that excitement when seeing friends and family after the game. Jaynes is from Brownstown, where she said everyone is an IU fan. That made the win even more meaningful for Jaynes and her family.

Butler and IU have met just 11 times since 1989, meaning it’s not quite a rivalry. But a 10-point win over the Hoosiers, one of women’s college basketball’s most dominant teams in recent years, still means plenty. After all, Butler went 1-27 three years ago. The Hoosiers went to the Sweet 16 that season.

Butler won 11 games in 2022-23, Parkinson’s first season in charge, then 15 games last year. Parkinson listed wins over Wisconsin and Villanova among his highlights from last year. The next step in Butler’s rebuild: strengthening its schedule with teams like IU, which Parkinson called the “gold standard” in the state in recent years.

“We’ve got IU, Wisconsin, Vandy, potentially Texas,” Parkinson said. “We’ve got kids that want to be in that environment. These are all players that I’ve recruited. It’s a very close group, a very motivated group.”

Jaynes, who was a freshman on the 1-27 team, said Parkinson immediately developed a new culture in the program that was “really needed.” Now, she said Butler has a group of girls committed to this culture and buying into what they’re trying to do.

Among their goals: having a lock-down defense. It was on display in the second half Wednesday, as the Bulldogs held IU to 18 points and 8-for-27 shooting from the field in the second half.

“We preach that defense should live here,” Makalusky said. “Tonight we showed that we stayed disciplined and focused on playing together.”