INDIANAPOLIS (Interstat) — The Butler women’s basketball team delivered a dominant performance Thursday night, cruising to a 101-56 victory over Indiana State at Hinkle Fieldhouse. The Bulldogs seized control early, building a 48-17 halftime lead and never relenting. Mallory Miller led a balanced Butler attack with 16 points and four blocks. McKenna Johnson added 13 points and Saniya Jackson scored 14. The Bulldogs forced numerous turnovers, converting them into 36 points, and outscored the Sycamores 50-26 in the paint. Clemisha Prackett scored 12 points for Indiana State, which fell to 4-4. Butler improved to 5-6. An announced crowd of 754 watched the nonconference game.

INDIANAPOLIS (Interstat) — The Butler Bulldogs delivered a dominant wire-to-wire performance, overwhelming the Indiana State Sycamores 101-56 in a nonconference women’s basketball game Thursday night at a sparsely attended Hinkle Fieldhouse. From the opening tip, Butler established control, exploiting a relentless defensive pressure that Indiana State could not solve. The Bulldogs forced 36 points off turnovers, a staggering figure that dwarfed the Sycamores’ four, and consistently turned Indiana State’s mistakes into easy transition baskets. This defensive intensity fueled an offensive onslaught that saw Butler shoot efficiently from the field and dominate the interior with 50 points in the paint. The game’s decisive stretch came early, as Butler closed the first quarter on a 14-2 run to take a 22-10 lead. The Bulldogs then exploded in the second quarter, outscoring the Sycamores 26-7. During that period, Butler’s defense completely stifled Indiana State, holding the visitors to just three made field goals while forcing a series of turnovers that led directly to points. By halftime, the lead had ballooned to 48-17, rendering the second half a formality. Butler’s victory was a balanced team effort, with eight players scoring at least six points. Mallory Miller, a 6-foot-4 sophomore from Aberdeen, South Dakota, anchored the effort with 16 points, four blocks and two assists in just 19 minutes, setting a formidable tone defensively. McKenna Johnson of Wilmot, Wisconsin, provided a spark off the bench with 13 points, while Saniya Jackson from Fort Wayne, Indiana, added 14 points. Addison Baxter of Larwill, Indiana, chipped in 10 points and three assists. For Indiana State, which fell to 4-4, the offensive struggles were pervasive. The Sycamores managed only 17 points in the entire first half and shot poorly across the board. Clemisha Prackett of West Memphis, Arkansas, was a bright spot, leading her team with 12 points. Kayla Smith from Lakeland, Florida, added eight points. Butler improved its record to 5-6, finding a much-needed offensive rhythm after recent losses. The Bulldogs consistently moved the ball to find high-percentage shots, assisting on a majority of their baskets. Their defensive activity, led by Miller’s shot-blocking presence, disrupted Indiana State’s offensive sets all evening. The Sycamores showed a brief flicker of life in the third quarter, scoring 22 points, but could never cut the deficit below 30 as Butler answered every run. The Bulldogs saved their highest-scoring quarter for last, pouring in 29 points in the fourth to eclipse the century mark. The announced attendance was 754 in the historic 9,100-seat arena. According to National Statistical’s ELO system, Butler entered the game with a 94.60 percent probability to win, a projection the Bulldogs emphatically fulfilled. Indiana State looks to regroup when it hosts Drake on Dec. 17. Butler will aim to build on this performance when it welcomes Eastern Illinois on Sunday.

INDIANAPOLIS (Interstat) — Two in-state programs seeking momentum will meet Thursday when the Indiana State Sycamores visit the Butler Bulldogs in a nonconference women’s basketball matchup at historic Hinkle Fieldhouse. Indiana State (4-3) enters on a two-game winning streak, most recently defeating Northern Illinois 69-62 on Dec. 3. The Sycamores are led by guard Tierney Kelsey, who is averaging 18.2 points per game. She scored 22 points in the win over Northern Illinois and has topped 20 points in three of her last five contests. Butler (4-6) looks to snap a three-game skid after a 55-80 loss at Marquette on Sunday. The Bulldogs have struggled offensively during the losing streak, averaging just 53.3 points per game. Forward Caroline Dotsey will be central to Butler’s efforts for a turnaround. She is coming off a 16-point, 8-rebound performance against Marquette and leads the team in scoring. The Sycamores have shown a potent offense, scoring 90 or more points twice this season, but have been inconsistent on the road with a 2-2 record away from home. Butler, meanwhile, has found wins hard to come by at Hinkle, posting a 2-3 record in Indianapolis this season. Historically, the Bulldogs have dominated the series, winning 16 of the last 17 meetings. Their last matchup was a 76-59 Butler victory on Dec. 10, 2022. For Indiana State, a win would provide a signature road victory before Missouri Valley Conference play begins later this month. For Butler, it represents a critical opportunity to steady itself before a daunting stretch that includes games against No. 1-ranked Connecticut and a Big East Conference slate. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. EST Thursday. The game will be broadcast on the Butler Bulldogs Radio Network.