March 8, 2013

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. --  #11 Saint Louis upset #6 Butler, 44-41, Friday evening in the first round of the 2013 Atlantic 10 Women’s Basketball Championship being played at Hagen Arena at Saint Joseph’s University.

Saint Louis improves to 12-18 and advances to take on #3 Fordham at 7:30 p.m. in quarterfinal action on Saturday.    Butler drops to 17-13 on the season. 

The 85 combined points is just six shy of an all-time tournament low set in 1992 when Duquesne and UMass combined for 79 points in a 44-35 Dukes win. 

The two teams combined for just 10 field goals in the first half with a Mandy McDivitt three-pointer at the buzzer giving the Bulldogs an 18-10 lead at the break.

Butler was able to widen its lead to 20-10 on a Taylor Schippers bucket to start the second-half. 

Saint Louis reeled off 11 unanswered points, taking a 21-20 edge on a layup by Lorreal Jones with 15:12 to play in the game. 

 There would be three ties and eight lead changes before two Jones free-throws would give Saint Louis the lead for good with just over five minutes to play.

Butler was able to pull within in one on a Liz Stratman basket that made the score 40-39 with 27 seconds left on the clock.

That would be as close as Butler would get as Jacy Bradley made four free-throws down the stretch to seal the win.